(Economic Observer) Where does the foreign trade growth momentum of Chongqing High-tech Zone in Western Science City come from?

In the production workshop of the Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone located in the Chongqing High-tech Zone of the Western Science City (hereinafter referred to as the "Chongqing High-tech Zone"), the automated production line is running at high speed, and each laptop computer has been assembled and tested, and is neatly stacked waiting to be shipped out of the warehouse. Soon, these products will take international cargo flights to the European market.

In the first three quarters of 2026, Chongqing High-tech Zone delivered an impressive foreign trade report card, with foreign trade import and export value exceeding 350 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of nearly 60%. Against the background of profound adjustments to the global trade pattern and a complex and ever-changing external environment, what kind of open code is hidden behind the heavy data of Chongqing High-tech Zone?

New and old business formats build diversified support for foreign trade

As an important intelligent terminal manufacturing base in Chongqing, Chongqing High-tech Zone has gathered a group of leading chain owners to keep up with the iterative trends of the global consumer market and promote the transformation of products into high value-added products.

"The foreign trade of Chongqing High-tech Zone has formed a new and old resonance pattern of 'traditional advantages underpinned and emerging business formats bursting out'." The relevant person in charge of the Reform and Development Bureau of Chongqing High-tech Zone said that while smart terminals have established a solid foundation, new business formats such as aviation equipment bonded maintenance have opened up space for growth.

Walking into the Swissair (Chongqing) aircraft engine maintenance base, several aircraft engines are suspended at maintenance stations in the factory, and technicians are dismantling, testing, and repairing parts. "Recently, there have been continuous orders from overseas airlines, and our work station is operating at full capacity." The relevant person in charge of the Swissair (Chongqing) aircraft engine maintenance base said that relying on the advantages of the bonded policy of the Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the company has implemented innovative models of bonded maintenance and bonded leasing of aircraft engines, realizing the "transfer of cargo rights and non-stop flight operations" of engines, filling the gap in Chongqing's aviation equipment maintenance trade field.

In the past, aircraft engine maintenance required traveling to and from coastal ports, which required long transportation cycles and high costs. After landing in Chongqing High-tech Zone, overseas engines can be directly brought into the zone for maintenance and then shipped out of the country after repair. A single piece of equipment can save hundreds of thousands of yuan in transportation costs.

Traditional intelligent terminal products have maintained stable exports, and new business formats such as bonded maintenance of aviation equipment have been added. New and old drivers have worked together to consolidate the foreign trade base.

Open hub connects "factory door to the whole world"

If the channel is smooth, trade will be prosperous. At the aviation pre-cargo station in the Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, a batch of laptop computers that had just come off the production line were completed with one-stop security inspection, inspection, board assembly, and declaration. They were then closed and transferred to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport for direct installation and departure, and flew directly to Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

"In the past, after the production of the enterprise was completed, the goods had to be transported more than ten kilometers by themselves to the main cargo station of the airport to wait in line, and the waiting time was even longer during peak freight periods." Xiyong Customs on-site staff introduced that as the first aviation pre-cargo station in the west, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Port Supervision The management function is moved forward to the fence of the comprehensive security zone to achieve the same quality and equivalent supervision as the main cargo station of the airport. There is no need to queue for secondary transshipment. The customs clearance time for a single ticket of goods is saved by 5 to 8 hours. The comprehensive logistics cost is reduced by more than 20%, truly realizing that "the production line is the port, and the offline is taken off".

The convenient and three-dimensional international logistics channel network expands the "circle of friends" of corporate trade. Chongqing High-tech Zone gives full play to the advantages of the Xiyong Comprehensive Free Trade Zone platform, links China-Europe freight trains and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and builds an air and railway multimodal transport system. A large number of complete terminal machines and parts take the China-Europe trains heading west to Europe and Asia; some parts and components are transported southward through the new Western Land-Sea Corridor to connect with the ASEAN and African markets.

Precise policies activate the vitality of market entities

Not long ago, a batch of game console motherboards shipped back from the Czech Republic arrived at the Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone. The company carried out bonded maintenance operations here. After the maintenance and inspection were completed, they were re-shipped out of the country and delivered to overseas customers. The implementation of this business is due to the customs’ innovative bonded maintenance supervision model, which supports enterprises to carry out export products returned to the region for maintenance and solves overseas after-sales pain points.

"Wherever the industrial chain enterprises demand, our services will be followed." The relevant person in charge of Xiyong Customs said that in view of the characteristics of the high-tech zone's electronic information industry chain, we will implement the convenience of customs clearance for advanced certification enterprises, implement the "one enterprise, one specialist" service mechanism for key industrial chains, connect enterprise orders, production capacity, and logistics plans in advance, and establish a rapid response mechanism for enterprises that encounter difficulties in customs clearance, bonding, and inspection processes.

Focusing on innovative businesses such as aviation forward cargo terminals and aviation engine bonded leasing, the customs has proactively carried out process reengineering, linked up with local and port customs to open up off-site supervision processes, and promoted innovative businesses from plan implementation to normal operation.

The continued release of institutional dividends continues to reduce the institutional transaction costs of cross-border trade, and the vitality of market entities continues to burst out. In the next step, Chongqing High-tech Zone will continue to amplify the dividends of the comprehensive bonded zone system, promote the upgrading of products to high-end, optimize the cross-border trade business environment, and guide enterprises to continue to explore diversified international markets. (over)