Fast transport arteries boost Liangjiang's global trade

As Minsheng Shipping Co's Minrun vessel departed on Aug 21 from Guoyuan Port in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing, a long whistle echoed across the Yangtze River. The ship, loaded with 388 standard shipping containers, is scheduled to arrive at Taicang, Jiangsu province, within eight days. 

"The Shanghai-Chongqing Direct Express has cut travel times between the two cities by nearly one-third, significantly improving efficiency," said Liu Yuehui, head of the company's general dispatch office. 

Launched in 2020, the express route has grown into a vital transport artery, linking the inland municipality of Chongqing with Shanghai and Taicang ports and further connecting to global markets. 

Since its launch, Shanghai and Chongqing have deepened cooperation on cross-border trade facilitation and port environment optimization. Supported by pilot policies, the express route has cut locking time between the two cities by more than 50 percent and reduced logistics costs by 40 percent. 

Liangjiang operated 647 services on the express in the first half of this year, transporting 204,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 22.1 percent and 31.6 percent, respectively.

Guoyuan Port in Liangjiang is the largest port on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. [Photo by Zhang Jinhui] 

Just a few kilometers from Guoyuan Port, at the Yuzui Railway Freight Station, thousands of Changan vehicles produced in Liangjiang wait in neat rows to be driven onto dedicated freight trains. From there, they will be shipped to destinations worldwide via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. 

Auto manufacturers in Liangjiang New Area, such as Changan and Seres, have made their presence known in the global market with surging exports. To facilitate this growth, Liangjiang has worked with Chongqing Customs to establish a "green channel" for automobile exports, with measures such as appointment-based inspections reducing clearance times at border ports. 

"It only takes 18 to 20 days for a dedicated freight train to reach Europe from Qinzhou Port in Guangxi via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor," said Liu Guangyu, a Chongqing Port Customs official.

In the first half of this year, Liangjiang dispatched 503 trains through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, up 5.1 percent year-on-year. Auto companies declared exports of 26,400 vehicles through Guoyuan Port, up 25 percent, with a total value of 2.41 billion yuan ($337 million), up 24 percent.