On March 21, YANTIAN sea-rail Service Promotion Event and Customer Communications Session was held in Nanchang, Jiangxi. At the meeting, the Cooperation Statement on the Development of YANTIAN-Nanchang Port Alliance was signed. Thereafter, Nanchang Inland Port will launch upgraded port alliance services to promote the development of high-quality sea-rail services and ascend the local international trade to a new stage.

Li Lingpeng, Deputy Director of Nanchang Bureau of Commerce, and Peng Zhihong, Logistics Director of YANTIAN, delivered speeches at the event, saying that Nanchang and YANTIAN have been working closely together and that they were looking forward to reaping rich rewards with the innovative "port alliance" model.

Li Lingpeng, Deputy Director of Nanchang Bureau of Commerce	Peng Zhihong, Logistics Director of YANTIAN

The statement of cooperation states that the port alliance, based on function integration, complementary industries, and port cooperation, will combine "two ports in one" and directly extends YANTIAN's economic driving capacity to Nanchang. The port alliance offers innovative clearance services to help importers and exporters improve clearance efficiency. Compared with the previous clearance model, enterprises can now enjoy the more cost-effective "road to railway" transportation, which is expected to significantly save logistics, operating, and time costs.

To allow guests to understand more clearly the details of this port alliance upgrade, the YANTIAN team made a presentation to be followed by a special Q&A session to answer customers' questions.

Nanchang, an important railway hub, is connected to Shanghai-Kunshan High-speed Railway, Nanchang-Ganzhou High-speed Railway, and Nanchang–Jiujiang Intercity Railway, and owns the west loop line of Shanghai-Kunshan, Beijing-Kowloon and Xiangtang–Putian railways. Nanchang International Land Port in Xiangtang Town operates a Nanchang-Shenzhen (Hong Kong) intermodal transport train. The train enjoys 15%-50% preferential freight treatment from the railroad department, contributing to a stable growth of international trade containers year by year.

Nanchang is a key link in YANTIAN's sea-rail service network. 2017 saw the official launch of a dedicated sea-rail service for international trade from Nanchang to YANTIAN. In 2022, YANTIAN's 10th inland port, the Nanchang Inland port, was established, allowing customers in Nanchang to enjoy "port on the doorstep" services. In recent years, the sea-rail transportation volume from Nanchang to Yantian has increased exponentially year by year. 

The new model considers export containers that complete clearance procedures in Nanchang and are transported to Nanchang Inland Port as cargo which have entered Yantian Port. Cargo imported through Yantian Port to Nanchang can also undergo clearance procedures upon arrival at the Nanchang Inland Port, providing an efficient and convenient logistics channel for importers and exporters in Nanchang. This new model will enhance clearance efficiency, reduce logistics costs, improve competitiveness, and expand the cargo catchment area in Nanchang. Ultimately, it will drive a concentration effect.

YANTIAN has always been committed to the development of the sea-rail services, which is a green way of transportation. As the world's largest container terminal run by a single operator, YANTIAN works with shipping lines to provide nearly 100 services to the world every week, serves 1/4 of the container volume generated by the trade between China and the U.S.. In 2022, 230,000 TEU were transported via sea-rail services, reducing carbon emissions by over 12,000 tons. We extend port services to inland cargo catchment areas through sea-rail services. We have by far opened 29 feeder services and established 11 inland ports, covering the Greater Bay Area, Southwest, and Central China.

Going forward, YANTIAN will continue to actively implement the national strategic development plan, collaborate with all parties involved to develop multimodal transportation and leverage Shenzhen's vital role as a national logistics hub. YANTIAN aims to eliminate physical barriers and seamlessly connect ports through waterway transportation, data sharing, and port alliances. This will create a modern port cluster and a new logistics service model of the Greater Bay Area that can compete exceptionally on the international arena.