During the National Day holiday, a railway freight train loaded with containers departed from the Meizhou International Railway Station in eastern Guangdong, heading to the Port of Dar es Salaam in East Africa, marking the successful launch of China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited (COSCO SHIPPING)’s “Meizhou-Nansha-Dar es Salaam” China-Africa sea-rail intermodal transport service.

The launch of the new sea-rail intermodal route, a collaboration between COSCO SHIPPING Lines (Southern China) Co., Ltd and COSCO SHIPPING Logistics (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd, not only strengthens the connectivity of the eastern Guangdong hinterland but also serves as a tangible step in promoting high-quality, mutually beneficial development under the China-Africa Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

In recent years, COSCO SHIPPING has fully implemented the new development philosophy, contributing to the growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).  [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

In recent years, COSCO SHIPPING has fully implemented the new development philosophy, contributing to the growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Leveraging its advantages, COSCO SHIPPING Lines has explored ways to strengthen, extend, and complement supply chains, adapting to customer needs and new market changes and injecting new energy into economic development.

Enhancing Logistics Channel Construction

The company remains committed to smoothing the domestic and international dual circulation for local enterprises. By offering a diverse range of domestic and foreign trade routes and integrating container services, it provides clients with premium express shipping services, digital solutions, and the flexibility of domestic and foreign cargo transported on the same vessel, further streamlining the logistics system within the GBA.

At Yantian Port in Shenzhen, a COSCO SHIPPING vessel set sail with cross-border e-commerce goods, marking the successful maiden voyage of the SEA3 direct shipping service from “China’s Yantian to Long Beach, USA”. This route, taking only 14 days, adds a new fast sea logistics channel connecting Shenzhen and the United States. Meanwhile, in Huizhou, the vessel Anyang 118 departed fully loaded for Xiaochantan in Hainan, before trans-shiping to Vietnam, achieving seamless customs clearance. Customers benefit from local customs declarations and international transshipment services.

Additionally, COSCO SHIPPING has launched domestic and foreign cargo services to Hainan’s Yangpu Xiaochantan from Zhuhai, Dongguan, Shantou, and other areas. These routes reduce export costs for foreign trade containers and shorten upstream logistics times, further solidifying the GBA’s maritime connections and providing substantial support for local enterprises to integrate into the global logistics chain.

Building a Digital Supply Chain

The Pearl River Delta region in GBA boasts an extensive river system and numerous small terminals, many of which have a low level of digitalization. To improve cargo flow efficiency, COSCO SHIPPING Lines (Southern China) has independently developed a paperless import-export project tailored for smaller terminals that now covers 30 percent of these locations, offering customers a new, streamlined path for business operations.

In response to varying customer needs, the company has actively developed warehousing platforms around Yantian, Shekou, Nansha, Qinzhou, and other ports, covering cross-border, near-port, and industrial zones. It has gradually formed six key service sectors: Shenzhen service ecosystem, cross-border e-commerce, standardized near-port services, comprehensive port services, value-added services, and bulk commodities. By September this year, the company had expanded to 19 warehouses and yards, with a total area of 63,000 square meters, establishing a warehouse and distribution network that links the GBA with the New Western Land-Sea Corridor.

COSCO SHIPPING remains committed to injecting energy into the GBA’s manufacturing industry, contributing to the region’s sustained and dynamic development.