Chongqing made automotive parts boarded the ship from Qinzhou Port East Station and headed towards Thailand; High end equipment from Sichuan has arrived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands through rail sea intermodal transportation. In the first half of 2026, the Western Land Sea New Channel trains transported a total of 660000 TEUs of goods, with an average monthly volume of 110000 TEUs, an increase of 3.6% compared to the first quarter in the second quarter. This channel is transforming from policy planning to a tangible trade artery.

Two way trade link

The most significant change in the Western Land Sea New Corridor is the bidirectional equilibrium. In the first half of the year, a total of 72000 TEUs of raw materials such as alumina and high-grade nickel were shipped from Qinzhou Port East Station to ASEAN, a year-on-year increase of 49.4%. These ores and metal raw materials support the continuous operation of the manufacturing industry chain in the Sichuan Chongqing and Yunnan Guizhou regions. On the other hand, Chinese made automobile and motorcycle spare parts produced in Chongqing and Chengdu were exported 38000 TEUs through rail sea intermodal transportation, a year-on-year increase of 89.9%.

The channel effect of raw material entry and finished product export is amplifying. At present, the freight categories of the Western Land Sea New Corridor have increased to 1362, reaching 76 cities in 18 provinces in China and radiating to 593 ports in 128 countries and regions. Since it was elevated to a national strategy in 2019, the average annual growth rate of channel freight volume has exceeded 50%, and it will break through the million TEUs mark for the first time in 2025.

Parallel encryption of road network and upgrading of intermodal transportation

Starting from July 1st, the new national railway timetable will be implemented, with 3 new routes added to the planned operation of the Western Land Sea New Corridor, bringing the total to 52. The train density between Guangxi and Yunnan, Chongqing, and Sichuan will further increase. The expansion and renovation projects of the Qinzhou Fangchenggang section of the Nanfang Railway, including the construction of a second line, are being simultaneously promoted. Keywords: Western Land Sea New Channel, Cross border Logistics

The Pinglu Canal is expected to open in September 2026, and a new pattern of river rail sea intermodal transportation is accelerating its formation. As the trajectory of the channel shifts from density to resilience, inland intelligent manufacturing is following this westward track and moving towards the world at a faster pace.Editor/Cheng Liting