On July 14, the latest data jointly compiled and released by the Chongqing Shipping Exchange and the Chongqing Port and Maritime Affairs Center showed that in the first half of this year, the Three Gorges Reservoir area’s roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ship transport for cargo trucks (referred to as “heavy Ro-Ro transport”) handled a total of 87,900 cargo trucks, a year-on-year decrease of 16.5%, and transported 95,600 drivers and passengers, a year-on-year decrease of 20.2%.
According to reports, in June 2025, the heavy Ro-Ro transport market in the Three Gorges Reservoir area handled a total of 16,100 vehicles, a month-on-month increase of 3% but a year-on-year decrease of 12.2%. It transported 17,100 drivers and passengers, a month-on-month decrease of 5.4% and a year-on-year decrease of 14.9%.
As of June 2025, the heavy Ro-Ro transport market in the Three Gorges Reservoir area had 41 vessels in operation, with four vessels temporarily suspended.
In the first half of 2025, the heavy Ro-Ro terminals in the Three Gorges Reservoir area handled a total port throughput of 175,800 vehicles. Among them, Chongqing’s Guojiatuo Terminal handled 40,900 vehicles, accounting for 23.2%; Zhongxian Xinsheng Terminal handled 26,000 vehicles, accounting for 14.8%; Wanzhou Hongxigou Terminal handled 21,000 vehicles, accounting for 12%; Yinxingtuo Terminal handled 61,900 vehicles, accounting for 35.2%; and Maoping Phase II Terminal handled 26,000 vehicles, accounting for 14.8%.
In terms of cargo truck flow direction, in the first half of the year, downstream routes handled 48,600 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 14.6%, accounting for 55.2% of the total. Upstream routes handled 39,300 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 18.7%, accounting for 44.8%. Among downstream routes, the Chongqing-Yichang route handled 21,900 vehicles (45%); the Zhongxian-Yichang route handled 15,300 vehicles (31.5%); and the Wanzhou-Yichang route handled 11,400 vehicles (23.5%). Among upstream routes, the Yichang-Chongqing route handled 19,000 vehicles (48.3%); the Yichang-Zhongxian route handled 10,700 vehicles (27.2%); and the Yichang-Wanzhou route handled 9,600 vehicles (24.5%).
In terms of cargo types transported by vehicles, the main categories in the first half of the year were agricultural, forestry, fishery, and livestock products; mineral construction materials; chemical raw materials and products; steel; and machinery and electrical equipment. The top five categories were: agricultural, forestry, fishery, and livestock products (13.9%); mineral construction materials (13.3%); chemical raw materials and products (11.8%); steel (10.1%); and machinery and electrical equipment (10.1%).
Regarding vehicle license plate origins, the heavy Ro-Ro transport in the Three Gorges Reservoir area involved 30 provinces (autonomous regions, and municipalities) nationwide in the first half of the year. The top five provinces accounted for 61,500 vehicles (70% of the total): Hubei ranked first (18.1%), Chongqing second (17.9%), Henan third (14.3%), Anhui fourth (11.5%), and Sichuan fifth (8.2%). The remaining provinces accounted for 26,400 vehicles (30%).
In terms of freight rates, there were no adjustments in the first half of the year. Rates for each route are determined based on factors such as the total length of the cargo truck, load capacity, and number of axles. Currently, the mainstream six-axle semi-trailer downstream rates are: Chongqing-Yichang at 2,200 yuan per vehicle; Zhongxian-Yichang at 1,550 yuan per vehicle; and Wanzhou-Yichang at 1,500 yuan per vehicle. Upstream rates are: Yichang-Wanzhou at 1,300 yuan per vehicle; Yichang-Zhongxian at 1,735 yuan per vehicle; and Yichang-Chongqing at 2,275 yuan per vehicle.
