New Pak-China agri-route opens

According to The Express Tribune, Chengdu International Railway Port has received over 80 metric tonnes of premium dried chilies grown in Pakistan. The eight containers passed through Qinzhou Port in Guangxi and then moved by a sea and rail intermodal service linked to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. This is the first consignment to arrive under a farm cooperation scheme tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Li Jiarun, who heads trade operations at a Chengdu port development company, said the aim goes beyond single consignments and seeks to test a new model for farm trade serving southwestern China. Measured against the Qingdao option, the route saves roughly seven to 10 days in transit and around 1,000 yuan in logistics costs per metric tonne. A further batch exceeding 900 metric tonnes of the chilies is now on the way, and the service is anticipated to become routine.

Li noted that the country already operates three large chili distribution centres in Qingdao, Henan and Guizhou, whereas Sichuan and Chongqing have lacked a dedicated large hub, although both are major consumer markets. The imported chilies are being supplied to downstream users, including the catering group Haidilao, local hotpot restaurants and condiment makers, among them manufacturers of Pixian Douban. The company intends to build on this shipment as a base for a larger southwestern distribution centre.