On August 28, a forklift moves containers at the Zhongchuan North Railway Station Logistics Park in Lanzhou New Area. (Photo/Benliu News)
Lanzhou - For exporters in inland China, getting goods to overseas markets is only part of the challenge. Lanzhou New Area is testing a “bonded logistics + international freight train” model that can help eligible companies secure export tax rebates earlier while moving goods more efficiently toward Eurasian markets.
Under the model, promoted since 2025, new energy vehicles (NEVs) and other goods enter the comprehensive bonded zone for storage, customs clearance and consolidation before being shipped by rail. Li Juan, deputy director of the Lanzhou New Area Free Trade Zone’s administrative committee, explained the process during a media visit on August 28.
The key change happens before the goods reach the railway: instead of sending them directly to a freight terminal for loading onto international trains bound for border ports, exporters first move them into the comprehensive bonded zone and then transport them together to the rail port. Under the conventional process, companies usually claim export tax rebates only after the goods leave China.
This allows exporters to complete part of the export process before the goods actually leave China. Li said the zone is a special customs area with policies on bonded storage, duty exemptions and export tax rebates.
Under this model, exporters can claim tax rebates once their goods enter the zone, rather than waiting until they leave China. This helps reduce cash-flow pressure.
The zone also serves as a warehousing and cargo consolidation hub. Li said logistics companies can consolidate goods from different locations inside the zone before loading and sending them together to the rail port.
This allows warehousing, customs clearance, cargo consolidation and rail shipment to be better coordinated rather than handled entirely at the rail terminal.
Although the model adds the zone to the logistics chain, Li said it does not increase overall transport time. Instead, it can shorten the process by about two days.
The model is currently used mainly for exports such as new energy vehicles. Li said major exports from the Lanzhou New Area Free Trade Zone and Zhongchuan North Railway Station include NEVs, new materials, non-ferrous mineral products and equipment manufacturing products. New materials include copper foil, while major export markets are in Central Asia, West Asia and Russia.
Why Lanzhou matters on China's westbound trade map
Behind this logistics network is China’s expanding trade with Eurasian markets. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, trade in goods between China and the five Central Asian countries reached 106.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, surpassing 100 billion U.S. dollars for the first time. In the same year, according to China Customs District, China-EU trade reached 5.93 trillion yuan (881.79 billion U.S. dollars), up 6%, accounting for 13% of China’s total foreign trade.
Lanzhou’s role as a transport hub is not new. Located on the upper reaches of the Yellow River and linking China’s central regions, Lanzhou was historically an important transport and trading hub along the ancient Silk Road.
Today, camel caravans have given way to railways, highways and air transport, but the city still serves as a link between China’s inland markets and Central Asia, West Asia and beyond.
Within northwest China’s logistics network, however, Xi’an has strong cargo consolidation capacity for international freight trains, while Xinjiang has rail ports directly connected with overseas markets. Lanzhou’s role relies on its geographic position.
Li said geography is one of Lanzhou’s main advantages. Located in northwest China, the city serves as a key node for westward trade and connects with the wider northwest region. Lanzhou New Area trades with markets including Central Asia, West Asia and Russia.
In the other direction, goods entering China from these regions through western border ports can move through Lanzhou toward inland markets. Li said this position between border ports and China’s inland markets provides an important geographic advantage for westward trade.
Lanzhou New Area also brings together the free trade zone, a rail port and an airport port. These facilities support cross-border transport by rail, road and air, as well as bonded cargo consolidation and distribution.