(Yicai) June 27 -- Chongqing's imports and exports through the Western Land-Sea Corridor surged 1.8 times in the first five months of this year from a year ago, highlighting the growing role of China's new trade link in boosting regional hub economies.

The value of Chongqing's foreign trade via the new logistics network connecting China's western regions to global markets topped CNY19.3 billion (USD2.7 billion) in the five months ended May 31, according to official figures released yesterday. The number of products transported jumped 24 percent.

The Western Land-Sea Corridor runs through 18 provinces, 73 cities, and 158 stations in China, reaching 560 ports in 127 countries and regions worldwide, said Li Yan, deputy director of the Chongqing government's Port and Logistics Office.

The integrated rail-sea freight train service from Chongqing to Dubai via Qinzhou in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region allows vehicles to be directly transferred onto specialized roll-on/roll-off ships after arriving at Qinzhou Port, Li said. This has removed the need for disassembly and re-packing, improving transport efficiency by 10 to 15 percent and cutting costs by over 8 percent, Li added.

Logistics efficiency has significantly improved, Li pointed out. The transit time to Singapore has dropped to around 10 days from 20 days after the corridor opened, Li said, adding that the variety of imported fruits, including young coconuts, durians, and bananas, from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has increased, offering consumers a wider choice.

The twenty-foot equivalent unit throughput of the Western Land-Sea Corridor via freight trains rose 31 percent to 104,000 in January from a year earlier, according to data from the National Railway Administration. On May 9, the regulator said that the figure surpassed 500,000 TEUs this year, up nearly 72 percent from a year ago.

Editor: Martin Kadiev