South China's Shenzhen City has launched a new route linking its Shekou and Yantian ports to streamline cargo transit among APEC economies.
The route spans about 60 kilometers and uses four expressways or major arterial roads, allowing trucks to complete the journey in just over an hour.
Cargo data has been integrated into the route's operations to support the transport and management of goods, according to customs officials.
"Our 60-kilometer green channel for international logistics transit is actually also a data corridor. We bring together over a dozen types of data, covering areas like customs clearance, port operations and road transport, and keep the information flowing. In some cases, the data can arrive before the cargo itself," said Pan Feng, deputy director of the port supervision division at Shenzhen Customs.
Along the 60-kilometer route, cargo is moving rapidly toward its destination.
"This container holds computer mice made in Thailand and recently imported via Shekou Port, along with keyboards from Vietnam and computer cases made in China. The shipment is headed to customers in the United States and will leave through Yantian Port," said Chen Kunpeng, a staff member at Yuehai Global Supply Chain Company.
Combining goods from different sources in a single container or shipment has become more common as businesses seek to cut costs and improve efficiency. For example, a shipment might pair clothing and bags from six different APEC economies with Chinese-made home appliances, all bound for the same destination. High-value AI components could also be shipped alongside Chinese consumer electronics to Southeast Asia for further processing and distribution.
"Components and finished products from different countries and origins can be efficiently transferred and reconsolidated in Shenzhen to meet specific demands. This roughly 60-kilometer green channel for cargo transit effectively connects supply chains and industrial chains across the Asia-Pacific region," said Sun Huijun, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen Logistics and Supply Chain Management Association.
In the first half of 2026, Shenzhen's trade with other APEC economies rose 33 percent to 1.98 trillion yuan (about 296.8 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 68.8 percent of its total foreign trade.
Shenzhen is scheduled to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov 18-19. This will be China's third time hosting the annual event, following meetings in Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
Shenzhen launches new route to streamline cargo transit among APEC economies
