Hai'an, a county-level city, is rapidly moving towards becoming a national logistics hub. [Photo/CFP]

The county-level city of Hai'an – administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – is one of two integrated transport hubs located in a county-level city in the province, possessing railways, highways and ports.

At present, the city is further leveraging its advantages as a transport hub and propelling the development of its port logistics. Inland navigation has been connected to sea transportation seamlessly in Hai'an, through the inland container terminal service launched by Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd.

The Hai'an-ASEAN freight train now operates once a week since it was included in the national railway operations map last October. The main types of goods are office supplies, textiles and chemical fiber products, environmental protection equipment, diesel engines and mechanical products – streaming in from places 300 kilometers around Hai'an, including Nantong, Huai'an, Yancheng and parts of southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Jiangsu Lianfa Textile Co Ltd is a leader in Hai'an's textiles sector. In 2021, the company delivered seven batches of commodities worth $2.3 million through Hai'an-ASEAN freight trains.

"The freight trains save nearly half the time compared with traditional shipping. Pickups, customs clearances, shipping and other services are available in Hai'an and Vietnam, shortening delivery times and reducing costs," said Yu Yongjun, general manager of Lianfa Textile.

"Judging from the good operating conditions in the early stages, we will use Hai'an-ASEAN trains to replace shipping, to provide customers with better services," Yu added.