Forming a tight-knit transportation logistics net and fostering new economic growth drivers
Huaihua International Land Port handled 903 train trips in the first three quarters, a year-on-year increase of 24%.
Recently, the reporter learned from Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone that in the first three quarters of this year (January to September), Huaihua International Land Port continuously strengthened train operation. The land port handled 903 train trips, a year-on-year increase of 24%. The train transportation network covers 216 ports and stations in 69 countries and regions around the globe, and goods transported include tapioca, fruit, bags and suitcases, and agricultural machinery. The import volume of tapioca reached 42,000 metric tons, a year-on-year increase of 53.6%. Huaihua International Land Port is marching with firm steps toward the goals of reaching cargo throughput of 10 million metric tons, handling 1,200 train trips, and reaching a total output value of over RMB100 billion in 2025.
Among exported goods, the export of bags and suitcases saw significant growth. From January to September, these goods were exported to over 50 countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa, achieving a foreign trade volume of RMB310 million, a year-on-year increase of 34.6%.
At Hunan Outeng Luggage Manufacturing Co., Ltd., more than 100 workers were working on the production line, producing customized bags for overseas customers.
“Our output value has surpassed RMB40 million this year, an increase of more than 30% compared to last year. Our main export destinations are Europe, America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa,” He Xiaowei, Production Manager of Outeng, told the reporter. He added that the company has improved its processes and enhanced product competitiveness in response to market demand, leading to a continuous increase in export orders.
Since the beginning of this year, Huaihua International Land Port has witnessed rapid progress in cold chain train service. Lao suppliers have established front-end warehouses at the Huaihua International Land Port Smart Cold Chain Logistics Center that specialize in fruit import trade. In August, the import volume of bananas reached over 900 metric tons. In September, this figure reached over 2,000 metric tons.
“Based on the China-Laos cold chain train service, we focus on making breakthroughs in China-Vietnam cold-chain train service. We strive to successfully complete the annual cold chain transportation plan of Huaihua International Land Port,” said Liu Jie, Executive Deputy General Director of Hunan Changhuai Cold Chain Logistics Co., Ltd. He said that since August, approximately five to 10 refrigerators of bananas have arrived in Huaihua from Laos every three days. The company will expand the cargo category beyond Lao bananas and Thai longans, to continuously enrich fruit supply to Huaihua and surrounding areas in Hunan.
From January to September, Huaihua International Land Port transported a total of 45,152 TEUs of goods, weighing about 760,000 metric tons and worth about RMB6.1 billion. Specifically, 9,564 TEUs were transported within Huaihua City, accounting for 21%; 25,920 TEUs were transported within Hunan Province, accounting for 57%; and 19,232 TEUs were transported outside the province, accounting for 43%. 2,388 TEUs were transported through cold chain service, completing 398% of the annual objective. Outbound goods included general merchandise, ammonium sulfate, bags and suitcases, and inbound goods primarily included chromite, tapioca, and bananas.
Huaihua International Land Port has established a comprehensive logistics system with global reach, forming a wide-ranging transportation network. Currently, the land port operates 196 international and domestic routes, forming seven major international logistics channels. Through rail-sea intermodal transport, the land port efficiently connects to ports such as the Beibu Gulf Port, Guangzhou Port, Shenzhen Port, and Zhanjiang Port. The land port also leverages the China-Laos and China-Vietnam cross-border railways to open trade channels to ASEAN and broader regions. In 2025, Huaihua International Land Port added 41 new routes, bringing the total number of routes to 196, with an increase of 26%. Its transportation network covers 216 ports and stations in 69 countries and regions around the globe. The transported goods cover 467 items in 17 categories, providing solid support for import and export trade.
Regarding customs clearance services, Huaihua International Land Port has continuously optimized its business environment and improved operation efficiency. Huaihua Customs has established a “point-to-point” collaboration mechanism with customs authorities along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor such as Mengla Customs, Pingxiang Customs and Qinzhou Port Customs, thereby achieving seamless supervision. By innovatively implementing advance declaration and direct loading and delivery, promoting the railway fast clearance model, and launching the around-the-clock customs clearance appointment service, Huaihua Customs has significantly reduced the customs clearance time and ensured rapid entry and exit of international trains.
Regarding regional collaboration, Huaihua International Land Port has become an important implementation platform for the cooperation agreement between Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi, effectively integrating regional resources. Goods such as ammonium sulfate, photovoltaic products, and general merchandise from Hubei, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, and other regions are collected in Huaihua and then directly shipped to ASEAN markets via Huaihua International Land Port, strengthening cross-provincial collaboration and industrial collaboration. This year, Huaihua International Land Port, in collaboration with New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor Ningxia Company, has innovated the “bulk-to-container” rail-rail cross-border transportation model, successfully transporting 2,500 metric tons of chemical products from northwest China to Vietnam. Compared with traditional rail-sea intermodal transport, transportation efficiency has increased by 50%, and logistics costs have decreased by 30%, setting a new benchmark for cross-regional multimodal transport.
The vigorous development of Huaihua International Land Port has become a core driving force for the leapfrog development of the local open economy. Huitong, Jingzhou, and Tongdao boast rich bamboo and wood resources and high forest coverage. They leverage the bamboo industry and other bio-based industries to continuously expand into overseas markets and develop county-level export-oriented enterprises. They have exported bamboo and wood products to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These efforts have increased the added value of bamboo and wood products, created employment opportunities for farmers near their homes, and contributed to industrial transformation and upgrading and rural revitalization.
（Translated by Professor Yu Jie）