The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park is a key node of the ILSTC, with containers neatly arranged within the park. (Photo/Wang Quanchao)

Chongqing - From January to November 2025, trade via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) surged to 48.96 billion yuan (about 6.99 billion U.S. dollars), up 174.6% year on year. The total has already exceeded volumes recorded during the entire 13th Five-Year Plan period, highlighting the corridor’s rapidly expanding role in driving regional trade.

The ILSTC links China’s western interior with Southeast Asia, providing a streamlined channel for imports and exports and enabling inland provinces to participate more efficiently in global trade. As the operating hub of the corridor, Chongqing has prioritized institutional innovation and infrastructure upgrades while exploring new pathways to integrate trade development with industrial growth.

One key initiative has been the creation of a digital outbound-trade platform in collaboration with leading enterprises, injecting fresh momentum into the ILSTC. On December 24, the Chongqing municipal government, Alibaba.com, Ant Group, and other partners officially launched the Land-Sea Trade Portal for global markets. The platform is designed to serve as a digital bridge, connecting industries along the corridor with international buyers.

Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com is a cross-border B2B e-commerce platform serving more than 26 million active buyers across over 200 countries and regions. It offers an integrated suite of services spanning digital marketing, transactions, financing, and supply-chain support.

In 2025, small and medium-sized enterprises in Chongqing recorded a 42 percent year-on-year increase in online exports via Alibaba.com, reflecting accelerating momentum in digital trade. To date, the platform has showcased more than 40 industrial clusters from western China. Chongqing’s automotive parts, motorcycles, and generators have emerged as top-performing export categories, becoming important drivers of the city’s foreign trade growth.

The Land-Sea Trade Portal will further leverage Alibaba’s global traffic resources to create a centralized exhibition window for products from western provinces such as Guizhou and Guangxi, supporting their entry into overseas markets. Its first phase will focus on new energy vehicles, key agricultural products, and industrial machinery, adopting a cluster-based and brand-oriented approach to strengthen the international competitiveness of western industries.

In parallel, Alibaba.com has established the region’s first cross-border e-commerce startup incubation center in Chongqing. Developed in cooperation with local governments and universities, the center provides comprehensive support for foreign-trade entrepreneurs, including AI-powered tools, business guidance, and workspace guarantees.

Beyond digital trade, the ILSTC continues to drive growth by expanding both freight categories and international routes, improving operational efficiency and geographic coverage. The corridor has deepened its integration with the automotive sector, accelerating exports of “Chongqing-made” vehicles. From January to November 2025, vehicle exports reached 45.98 billion yuan, up 16.8 percent year-on-year, making automobiles one of the city’s largest and fastest-growing export segments.

According to a representative from New Land-Sea Corridor Operations Co., the corridor’s cargo mix has steadily diversified beyond automobiles, with motorcycles, electronics, and other manufactured goods emerging as core transport categories.

The expansion of international routes has been a critical driver of the corridor’s rapid trade growth. Chongqing continues to extend its global logistics network, strengthening connectivity between the ILSTC and overseas markets.

A notable example is the ASEAN Express, jointly developed by the Western Land-Sea New Corridor and China Railway Express (Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe). The service links Southeast Asia with Europe, creating a fast and efficient transport channel. Shipments via this route take approximately 19 days from Southeast Asia to Europe—nearly 50 percent faster than traditional maritime shipping—significantly reducing logistics costs for enterprises.

The ASEAN Express currently operates three routes connecting Duisburg with Chongqing, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The service handles a wide range of goods, including complete vehicles, auto parts, pharmaceuticals, and electronic components. Leveraging Duisburg’s strong distribution capacity, the network has expanded into multiple European markets, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Hungary.

By November 2025, the ILSTC had reached 127 countries and regions, with access to 581 ports worldwide, reinforcing its position as a vital conduit linking western China to global trade networks.