NANNING, China — A specialized rail freight service carrying 80 containers departed from Guangxi province’s Qinzhou Port East Station on Wednesday, embarking on a vital journey to Chongqing in Southwest China. This specific consignment, which included items like Australian kraft paper and puff-pastry shortening sourced from Singapore, underscored a significant achievement for the New International Land–Sea Trade Corridor (NILSC), a mega-route connecting China’s interior with international markets. Data released this week revealed that intermodal rail services utilizing this corridor have moved a cumulative 1.214 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) so far in 2025, marking a remarkable 63.2% increase compared to the same period last year.
The NILSC, frequently referred to as the “New Western Land–Sea Corridor,” is rapidly evolving into a core logistical pathway, reshaping how products flow between western Chinese provinces and the global economy, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Efficiency Boost Fuels Regional Trade
The explosive growth highlights the corridor’s critical role in enhancing China’s economic integration. Beyond facilitating the inbound transport of foreign goods, the route has substantially streamlined exports. New energy vehicles (NEVs) manufactured in major hubs like Chongqing and Guangxi are now efficiently reaching Middle Eastern buyers via integrated sea-rail services. Concurrently, the pathway has expedited the journey for Chinese agricultural products reaching foreign consumer markets.
A key logistical innovation is the deployment of dedicated cold-chain trains. These specialized services drastically reduce transit times for perishable goods. For example, imports of Cambodian rice and highly sought-after Thai durians can now reach Chongqing in as little as 88 hours, a speed unattainable through traditional overland routes.
“The efficiencies introduced by this corridor are transformative for regional supply chains,” stated Dr. Shen Lin, a cross-border trade analyst based in Shenzhen. “The ability to bypass traditional eastern port congestion while simultaneously offering guaranteed cold-chain capabilities creates a competitive advantage for both Chinese producers and ASEAN exporters.”
Port Momentum and Historic Milestones
Operational metrics at the Qinzhou Port East Station reflect the corridor’s accelerating momentum. Wei Wenkang, the station head, reported that the total volume of freight dispatched this year has reached 7.164 million tonnes, representing an impressive 18.7% rise year-on-year. Wenkang noted that the station surpassed its daily loading and unloading records on 12 separate occasions since January, demonstrating consistent operational scaling.
Since the corridor began its major push in 2021, the NILSC has collectively managed the transport of 4.441 million TEUs. This total volume entrenches the corridor’s status as a critical artery between Western China and the rapidly growing ASEAN economies.
The route’s success is instrumental in underpinning coordinated regional growth and advancing China’s strategic goal of deepening its participation in global supply chains. By establishing reliable, rapid transit links to maritime routes via ports in the Beibu Gulf, the NILSC is effectively dissolving the geographical isolation of inland provinces.
Analysts predict that the sustained growth, particularly within intermodal transport, will continue to attract foreign investment into China’s western regions, capitalizing on quicker access to international markets and further solidifying the NILSC’s position as a cornerstone of future Eurasian trade links. Continuous infrastructure upgrades and digitization initiatives are expected to keep logistical costs down, maintaining the corridor’s competitive edge.
