China's logistics hub layout has been further optimized, with the logistics centers across the nation gradually yielding economic results, said the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) at a logistics industry development conference in Guangyuan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Friday.
According to a research conducted by the CFLP, by the end of 2023, China had 2,769 logistics parks above the designated size, with a further optimization of the regional layout. Compared to the previous study, the number of logistics parks in the central and western regions increased by 11.8 percent, surpassing the national average by 3.3 percentage points.
Currently, the total number of national logistics hubs has reached 151, with central and western regions accounting for 55.6 percent. In the first half of this year, the average cargo throughput of logistics hubs rose by 5 percent compared to the same period in 2023, with growth rates in the central and western regions exceeding the national average by 5.5 and 2.2 percentage points, respectively.
"Logistics hubs are crucial for providing comprehensive logistics services, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and systematically implementing a range of incremental policies. We should actively adapt to market demand, further enhance the integration of logistics resources, and promote the scale agglomeration and functional integration of logistics elements in order to improve the efficiency of resource utilization and value creation," said He Liming, CFLP chairman.
According to statistics, 69.6 percent of national logistics hubs have established integrated logistics information service platforms, while 68.8 percent have constructed automated three-dimensional warehouses. Additionally, nearly half of the ports have either built automated docks or undertaken intelligent transformations. In 2023, the average number of enterprises at each center reached 735, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.2 percent.
China's logistics hubs begin to yield economic results: official
The ongoing 136th session of the China Import and Export Fair is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Yulin City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reach global customers. Commonly known as the Canton Fair, the event serves as a platform for SMEs to connect with global customers and expand their presence in international markets. Most of the 10,400 enterprises attending the second phase of the Canton Fair, running from Wednesday to Sunday, are SMEs.
During a promotion event at the Canton Fair, inheritors from Bobai County of Yulin dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, showcased the Guangxi intangible cultural heritage of rattan crafts. The crafts are primarily made using natural materials such as bamboo, wood, grass and rattan. With a history of over 50 years in foreign trade, these woven handicrafts have been exported to more than 40 countries and regions around the world. Tu Chunxiao, who has been engaged in weaving for 21 years, showcased hand-woven home decorations and household items at the exhibition. Her offerings have expanded from a single storage basket to over 20,000 products in five categories. These distinctive products attracted many potential buyers. "We received orders totaling more than 800,000 U.S. dollars on the first day. Although we come from a small county, we want to expand into overseas markets through the Canton Fair platform, obtain more orders, provide more job opportunities for Bobai craftsmen, and pass on and promote our intangible cultural heritage skills globally," said Tu. A ceramic company from Yulin brought its popular high-temperature white porcelain to the event. The Canton Fair platform has played a crucial role in the company's growth. "We have attended 26 sessions of the Canton Fair, and our scale and orders have increased more than tenfold. We brought over 500 varieties of our products this time," said Tian Yusen, an exhibitor. A total of 59 Yulin companies attended the second phase of the exhibition as a group. Local authorities organized a special promotion event, aiming to showcase three locally advantageous industries to global customers. "We attended this year's Canton Fair to host a promotion event for the foreign trade transformation and upgrading base in Yulin, mainly recommending Guangxi's bamboo, wood and grass products, as well as ceramics, textiles and clothing," said Tan Pei, head of the Yulin Commerce Bureau. The 136th Canton Fair is running in three phases from Oct 15 to Nov 4 in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province. Themed "serving high-quality development, promoting high-level opening-up," this edition of the fair features more than 30,000 exhibitors showcasing 1.15 million new products.
Canton Fair helps remote city SMEs reach global customers
