Logistics park provides key boost to Bay Area

The value of imports and exports passing through the Dongguan-Hong Kong International Airport Logistics Park in Dongguan, Guangdong province, had exceeded 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) by last weekend, empowering both the manufacturing industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the aviation industry in Hong Kong.

Nearly 10,000 metric tons of cargo have been transported in and out of the park, which officially started operation in May last year, with intermediate electronic goods comprising 70 percent of imports and exports, according to a statement released by Huangpu Customs on Monday.

The rapid development of the logistics industry in the Bay Area has greatly contributed to efforts to strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international trade and aviation hub, Huangpu Customs said.

The park has further deepened connectivity and promoted complementary advantages between Guangdong and Hong Kong, injecting new momentum into the development of Hong Kong's foreign trade industry, it said.

Located in the Humen Port Comprehensive Bonded Area, the park, which has opened direct water routes to Hong Kong's international airport, is the world's first cross-border sea-air intermodal transportation project to be linked directly to an airport.

Goods from other parts of the country can be directly shipped to Hong Kong's airport and flown to global destinations after they have gone through customs clearance, security screening and palletization in the park, Huangpu Customs said.

Meanwhile, foreign products that have arrived at Hong Kong's airport can be shipped directly to the park without any dismantling or tallying needed, helping foreign trade companies save time and reduce logistics costs, it said.

"The park has helped extend the key logistics functions of the cargo terminal of Hong Kong's international airport — including the collection, assembly, security inspection and palletization of export cargo, as well as the dismantling and tallying of import cargo — across the border to Dongguan, a global production base, achieving 'direct loading' of air cargo for export and the 'direct pickup' of imported goods," said Gao Jianying, deputy director of Shatian Customs, which is under the jurisdiction of Huangpu Customs.

The park has helped Guangdong and Hong Kong deepen their cooperation in cross-border air logistics, Gao said.

As an extension of Hong Kong's international airport, the park has not only provided a more convenient and efficient import and export channel for the manufacturing industry in the Bay Area, but has also effectively expanded the development space of Hong Kong's international aviation industry.

Lian Zekai, general manager of Dongguan Port Air Supply Chain Co, said the park is attracting an increasing number of aviation logistics companies to start business there.

He said 115 Hong Kong freight forwarders and 20 airlines have been approved to operate in the park.

"By 2030, it is expected that the annual demand for air cargo in the Bay Area will reach more than 20 million tons, with broad market development prospects," Lian said.

Li Zheyan, deputy general manager of Dongguan Forward Global Transportation Co, said his company has gone from processing 100 tons of cargo a month to around 1,000 since the park began operations.

It has expanded its warehouse space from 500 square meters to 5,000 square meters, he said.

Niu Fang, a senior executive from Eternal Asia Supply Chain Management, said the time required from declaration to inspection and release for the imported cargo through the park is now less than two hours, and the faster delivery time has been praised by customers.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn