Jingzhou, Hubei, Aug 22 (Xie Mingliang, Qi Jun) – Customs officers from Jingzhou Customs, a subsidiary of Wuhan Customs, conducted inspection operations on a batch of goods at a factory in Jingzhou on the 22nd. In three days, these goods will be loaded onto the ocean-going cargo ship “Hanya 1” at the Yanka Port Area of Jingzhou Port for direct export to Japan and South Korea.
It is reported that this is the first international direct shipping route launched since the Yanka Port Area of Jingzhou Port was approved as a national temporary open port in May this year. It provides a new, efficient, and convenient international logistics channel for high-quality industries to “go global,” marking a historic breakthrough for Jingzhou’s foreign trade enterprises, allowing them to ship directly “from their doorstep.” The route is set to sail from here on August 25, directly to ports in Japan and South Korea.
According to a relevant official from Jingzhou Customs, after the opening of this route, the transportation time for Jingzhou’s foreign trade export goods is expected to be shortened by 4 to 6 days compared to the past, and logistics costs are expected to be reduced by 20%.
Despite its natural advantage of being located along the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, Jingzhou has long lacked international direct shipping routes, leaving its water transport potential underutilized. Previously, local high-quality products had to be transshipped via major ports such as Wuhan and Shanghai, resulting in long transportation cycles and high logistics and labor costs.
In response, Jingzhou Customs provided precise guidance to the Yanka Port Area to complete nearly 40 facility upgrades. In terms of supervision models, a “pre-declaration—direct loading upon arrival” fast channel was implemented for the direct routes to Japan and South Korea. Combined with “smart customs” measures such as remote local inspections and batch inspections, customs clearance efficiency has been improved by over 50%.
Since 2025, Jingzhou Customs’ “smart customs” initiative has shown significant results. Through remote local inspections, the export value of bamboo, wood, and grass products has exceeded 170 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 151.4%. Jingzhou took the lead in the province in implementing a remote inspection reform model for the quarantine supervision of live pigs supplied to Hong Kong and Macao, resulting in nearly 12,000 live pigs exported, a year-on-year increase of about 50%. In the chemical export sector, an innovative “batch inspection” model was implemented, reducing export inspection time by one hour per batch and significantly improving clearance efficiency. An innovative service platform for cultivating AEO enterprises was established, helping to nurture 99 new foreign trade enterprises. (End)
