There is a backdoor to world trade hidden in Hefei

When Mr. Zhang's electronic products purchased from Southeast Asia were sent to North America via Hefei, he never thought that this inland city could save 15% of the logistics costs compared with coastal ports. Third - country entrepot trade is quietly rising in Hefei. This "roundabout way to go global" model is redefining the international trade status of China's inland areas.

Unlike traditional entrepot ports, Hefei builds its competitiveness with three unique advantages:

• The multimodal transportation hub of the China - Europe freight train and Yangtze River water transportation
• The cross - border supply chain middle platform built by enterprises such as Zhongshitong
• The deep - support of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta industrial belt

In 2023, the value of goods transshipped at the bonded logistics center in Hefei increased by 340% year - on - year, mainly flowing to ASEAN and Mexico. It is worth noting that:

• Mechanical and electrical products account for 67%
• The average logistics time is shortened to 8.2 days
• The value - added rate of transit goods exceeds 18%

Although third - country transshipment can evade some trade barriers, enterprises still need to pay attention to:

• The compliance red line of origin certification
• The regulatory arbitrage risks of customs in multiple countries
• The triple impact of exchange rate fluctuations

When the global supply chain is continuously restructured, Hefei's practice may indicate a new trend: Inland hub cities are completely likely to achieve the breakthrough of "having a port without the sea" through entrepot trade. The next time you see a commodity labeled "Made in Mexico", you might as well think about whether it comes from the intelligent transshipment of an inland city in China.