Henan Embracing ‘Seaport’ for Prosperity

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: Without borders or seas, Zhengzhou is also thriving towards the ocean by leveraging its inland port to go out to the sea.

On November 26, the China Railway United Logistics Zhengzhou Center Station in the Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone was bustling. Looking down from the sky, the container yard was densely packed with cars waiting to be shipped.

On that day, 99 passenger vehicles produced at the SAIC Passenger Vehicle Zhengzhou Base “boarded” the “Zhengzhou-Qingdao-Greece” direct rail-sea transport automotive train, embarking on the journey. This marks the first time Henan Province has exported goods to Greece through the mode of “land-sea linkage, direct rail-sea transport”. Previously, the province had launched many direct rail-sea transport automotive trains to countries and regions such as Italy.

What exactly is the “land-sea linkage, direct rail-sea transport” model? What benefits can it bring to enterprises going overseas?

It is reported that this model was first implemented in Zhengzhou, China, regularly operating rail-sea intermodal trains from Zhengzhou to Qingdao and other ports. The model facilitates the automated transfer of export goods and seamless customs clearance through the integration and information sharing between railway ports and seaport systems; export enterprises can complete customs inspection procedures right at their doorstep. Goods are cleared at the Zhengzhou Railway Port, with “one declaration, one inspection, one release,” and are directly loaded onto ships at coastal ports, achieving “boarding the train means boarding the ship.” This endows inland railway ports with the frontline functions of coastal terminals, effectively leveraging both the efficiency of inland ports and the economic advantages of coastal ports.

“Logistics time has been shortened, and costs have also been significantly reduced,” said the chief official in charge of the customs of Zhengzhou station. According to previous practices, enterprises needed to transport export goods to the coastal port yard and wait for customs clearance before they could be consolidated for shipping. Thanks to the innovation in logistics model, the transportation time for goods has been reduced by more than one day, saving about 1,000 yuan in logistics costs per container compared with road transportation.

With the model of “land-sea linkage, direct rail-sea transport and global cargo transportation”, Henan has brought the “seaport” to its “doorstep.”

“This new regulatory model not only enhances Henan’s logistics transportation efficiency and service quality but also further opens up the Yellow River land-sea corridor, promoting economic exchange and cooperation between inland and coastal ports,” said Qi Shuang, an assistant researcher at the Research Institute of Reform, Opening-up and International Economy of the Henan Academy of Social Sciences.

In the era of “Internet + institutional” opening up, there are no borders. Not long ago, the economic development of Zhengzhou Port again welcomed favorable national policies, and Zhengzhou Railway Port was successfully included in the scope of the departure port tax refund policy.

As a national first-class port, Zhengzhou Railway Port is a main platform for expanding international train services, developing cross-border trade, and multimodal transport. “With the implementation of a series of favorable policies, it will help attract more foreign trade companies, multimodal transport enterprises, and import and export service companies to gather in Zhengzhou, further strengthen business cooperation with coastal ports and border ports, and develop the hub economy and expand development advantages,” said Liu Jie, chairman of Zhengzhou New Silk Road International Port Investment Co., Ltd.

By innovating logistics models and implementing new policies to seamlessly connect with the “Maritime Silk Road,” Zhengzhou is creating its own “Great Age of Navigation.” Data from Zhengzhou Logistics and Port Bureau show that in the first three quarters of this year, the rail-sea intermodal volume of Zhengzhou has accumulated 42,000 TEUs, far exceeding last year’s total of 40,689 TEUs.