In the scorching summer of Manzhouli Railway Port, the sound of steam whistle swept over the station yard, enveloped in the hot wind of the grassland. The China Europe freight train, loaded with household appliances and electric vehicles, slowly drove out of the country, heading westward along the eastern corridor towards the Eurasian hinterland thousands of kilometers away. As the largest railway hub on the border between China and Russia, it is becoming a vital key node in the the Belt and Road cross-border logistics chain.

Port cargo volume has hit a new growth curve

In the first half of 2026, the Manzhouli Customs supervised port imported and exported 11.248 million tons of goods, with a value of 78.09 billion yuan, an increase of 4.4% and 34.9% year-on-year, respectively.

Traditional imported categories such as coal, fertilizers, and sheet metal maintain a stable growth trend, firmly holding onto the trade fundamentals. The export growth rate of new three types such as lithium batteries and electric vehicles is impressive, and high value-added products have become the core new driving force for the upward trend of foreign trade.

As the core hub of the China Europe East Passage, Manzhouli relies on its unique geographical advantages to continuously amplify the radiation effect of the port and empower the high-quality development of regional foreign trade.

Smart customs clearance eliminates logistics bottlenecks

Manzhouli Customs has refined its assistance mechanism based on the characteristics of enterprise operations, dynamically collected and sorted out enterprise demands, and guided enterprises to make good use of policies such as tax incentives and the deduction of return freight for China Europe freight trains.

From January to June 2026, a total of 47.662 million yuan in return shipping fees and 6.174 million yuan in tax reductions were helped to enterprises, directly reducing their customs clearance costs.

Comprehensively promote the China Europe Express Rail Link model, combined with convenient measures such as appointment inspection and customs clearance, to achieve one declaration, one inspection, and one release.

Relying on the railway port logistics intelligent supervision platform, we will collaborate with railway departments and enterprises to share logistics information, quickly handle issues such as abnormal manifest and clearance delays, and streamline the entire process of grouping, inspection, and transportation, reducing the overall logistics cycle by 1 to 2 days.

After the landing of Manzhouli area in Inner Mongolia Free Trade Zone, the development of ports has further accelerated. Customs focuses on upgrading trade formats, ensuring the smooth operation of industrial and supply chains, and making precise efforts to dynamically follow up on changes in foreign market access rules, providing targeted guidance for enterprises to seize international orders. Key words: cross-border logistics, the the Belt and Road, and the Eastern Corridor of China Europe Banliedong

A series of trains sailed out from the grassland port, sending Chinese made products to various parts of Eurasia, and smoothly transporting resources and goods along the route back to China. This accelerating cross-border logistics channel is injecting a steady stream of practical power into the connectivity along the the Belt and Road.Editor/Cheng Liting