Chongqing – Chongqing opened a new digital gateway to global trade on December 24, launching the Land-sea Trade Portal to connect international buyers with industries across western China and beyond. 

Powered by Alibaba.com’s network of more than 50 million active overseas users, the Land-Sea Trade Portal showcases key products and supply chains along the corridor, offering global buyers a streamlined gateway to source goods from western China and its trading partners.

The launch dovetailed with broader efforts to upgrade the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), a flagship logistics and trade initiative linking western China with Southeast Asia and global markets. 

Meanwhile, the Chongqing Municipal Port and Logistics Office, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, and five other entities signed a strategic cooperation agreement to accelerate the ILSTC's development through integrated trade, logistics, and financial services.

Officials said early promotion will focus on sectors with strong export potential, including new energy vehicles, agricultural products, industrial machinery, hardware tools, and electrical equipment. Policy incentives will encourage leading firms to anchor overseas expansion while pulling smaller suppliers along the value chain into international markets.

Furthermore, logistics remains a central pillar of the initiative. Chongqing is working to expand cross-border transport links while integrating online trading, customs clearance, and freight services into streamlined and one-stop digital solutions. Related companies are rolling out dedicated routes serving ASEAN and European markets, aiming to improve delivery reliability and supply chain transparency for exporters.

In addition, Chongqing partnered with Alibaba.com to launch the Alibaba.com (Chongqing) Cross-Border E-commerce Entrepreneurship Incubation Center on the same day, a move aimed at turning the inland metropolis into a regional hub for digital trade while lowering the barriers for firms to access global markets.

Backed by Alibaba.com and Chongqing's Shapingba District, the center is designed as a bridge between local businesses and overseas markets. It will combine Alibaba's global digital infrastructure with Shapingba's concentration of universities, research institutes, and transport links, offering companies a lower-cost, faster route to international expansion at a time of slowing global trade and rising competition.

For small and medium-sized exporters, the center aims to address long-standing pain points, including a lack of market intelligence, limited overseas channels, and fragmented logistics services. 

Through regular matchmaking events, training programmes, and government–industry–academia cooperation, the platform will help companies adapt products for different markets, respond to customized demand, and experiment with new digital trade models, officials said.