China News Service, Wuzhou, Guangxi, October 1 (Zhang Guangquan, Huang Lielin) In the autumn, at the wharf of the Chishuiwei operating area of Wuzhou Port, Guangxi, goods such as ceramic tiles and electronic components from Cenxi City, Wuzhou were stacked in the yard. Freight vehicles shuttled back and forth, and cranes hoisted the containers onto the ship. These goods are transferred to the sea from Wuzhou Port, which is the epitome of Cenxi's export-oriented industry expanding overseas markets.
In recent years, Cenxi City has focused on building three tens of billions of industry clusters including stone building materials, rare earth new materials, and textiles and clothing. In 2025, the city's total foreign trade import and export volume will reach 463 million yuan (RMB, the same below), and its foreign trade export products are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
After the Pinglu Canal is opened to navigation, it will bring new opportunities for export-oriented products such as Cenxi’s bulk building materials, rare earth processed products, textiles and clothing, to reduce logistics costs, shorten transportation cycles, and expand the ASEAN market.
The picture shows the production workshop of Wuzhou Huajing Electronics Co., Ltd. Photo by Yuan Siyang
At the production base of Guiyi Town, Cenxi City, Wuzhou Huajing Electronics Co., Ltd., multiple intelligent production lines are operating at full capacity to rush to produce orders. Workers are skilled in operating equipment, carefully checking product quality, and catching up on production progress. The company has continued to expand production this year and has 19 branches in Cenxi. Some branches have achieved full production after the Spring Festival this year, and overseas supporting orders have grown steadily.
Wang Yiliang, head of Wuzhou Huajing Electronics Co., Ltd., said that the opening of the Pinglu Canal will bring benefits to the company’s access to the ASEAN market. Many of the company's electronic components are supplied to the supporting supply chain in Southeast Asia. In the past, the company used to go east around the Pearl River Delta ports, which resulted in many transfers and high logistics pressure. Now it is connected directly to the Beibu Gulf Port through the Xijiang Pinglu Canal. Logistics costs are expected to decrease and delivery time will be improved.
According to local officials, after the Pinglu Canal is opened to navigation, the Xijiang-Pinglu Canal-Beibu Gulf Port river-sea intermodal transportation route will be shortened by about 560 kilometers compared with the traditional sea route, and the comprehensive logistics cost is expected to be reduced by 18% to 30%. For products such as electronic components, the container "one box to the end" transportation model not only shortens the cross-border delivery time, but also reduces the product loss caused by flipping, and enhances the competitiveness of Wuzhou electronic components in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) regional market.
The picture shows the production workshop of Guangxi Gaofeng Ceramics Co., Ltd. Photo by Lin Guanshi
Cenxi Ceramics Industry is also optimistic about the development dividends brought by the southbound passage. In recent years, Guangxi Gaofeng Ceramics Co., Ltd. has continued to promote intelligent technological transformation, continuously releasing ceramic production capacity, and its product quality has the basic conditions to connect with the Southeast Asian infrastructure market. It is planning to rely on the Pinglu Canal to deploy overseas business.
Ceramics are industrial products with large transportation volumes. High logistics costs have always been the main constraint for companies to expand overseas markets. The new river-sea combined transportation channel has created favorable conditions for local ceramic companies to "go global."
Wu Wenfang, deputy general manager of Guangxi Gaofeng Ceramics Co., Ltd., said that in the past, the high cost of southbound logistics restricted companies from exploring overseas markets. After the Pinglu Canal is opened to navigation, it is expected to significantly reduce shipping logistics costs and shorten transportation distances. Next, the company will increase its efforts to develop the ASEAN market and promote more Cenxi ceramic products to go abroad.
The Pinglu Canal has opened up the Xijiang River's southward sea channel, Wuzhou's open water transport pattern has been further expanded, and Cenxi's export-oriented industry has ushered in a new development situation. Local enterprises are no longer limited to going east to sea. They can leverage their industrial advantages and proactively connect with overseas markets such as ASEAN to tap the growth potential of foreign trade. (over)
