How can inland cities play with global trade? Suizhou provides the answer

When people talk about international trade, coastal ports are always mentioned first. But do you know? In Suizhou, in the hinterland of Hubei Province, a "battle of inland breakthrough" in transshipment trade is quietly launching. Without the advantage of sea transportation, it can become a key part of the global supply chain. What is the secret of this city?

Although Suizhou is deep in the inland, it builds an efficient logistics network by virtue of its unique location advantages. Mr. Zhang is a practitioner who has long been engaged in the trade of electronic components. He revealed: "Semiconductors imported from Vietnam are distributed in Suizhou and then sent to Germany, and the overall logistics cost is reduced by 18% compared with direct transportation." This "curvilinear logistics" mode is the core competitiveness of transshipment trade.

• Cost depression effect: Zhongshitong's intelligent warehousing system has increased the sorting efficiency by 40%
• Time window advantage: Utilize the nodes of the China-Europe Railway Express to achieve 72-hour transit between Asia and Europe
• Policy combination: Double support of bonded warehouses and cross-border e-commerce pilot projects

Ms. Li's automotive parts company is a typical beneficiary. Their aluminum alloy wheels imported from Mexico are laser-marked and adapted and modified in Suizhou, and then sent to the Southeast Asian and Eastern European markets respectively. "Just like the assembly workshop of a Transformer," she metaphorically said, "We carry out modular transformation according to the destination regulations, and the added value of a single product is increased by 25%."

This flexible supply chain model has spawned three innovations:

• The customized packing line can be compatible with 12 types of product standards
• The blockchain traceability system realizes seamless connection of cross-border quality certification
• Establish a regional mutual recognition mechanism for inspection and testing

The hub status of Suizhou's transshipment trade is being redefined by digitization. Through the intelligent customs declaration system, the traditional customs clearance process that usually takes 3 days is compressed to 4 hours. A certain batch of medical equipment shipped to Africa, with the help of AI route planning, successfully avoids the turbulence of the Red Sea route and the transportation time is advanced by 2 days instead.

This transformation brings three profound changes:

• Trade data has become a new type of production factor
• The cross-border payment settlement cycle is shortened from 7 days to real-time
• Form a three-in-one service platform of "logistics + finance + information"

Standing at a new starting point, Suizhou faces a grander proposition: How to upgrade from a simple logistics channel to a value creation center? Experts suggest paying attention to three dimensions:

• Cultivate a cluster of specialized international trade service providers
• Build a regional bulk commodity pricing center
• Develop a green and low-carbon intelligent logistics system