The port city of Quanzhou in eastern Fujian province recently received approval to establish its first Type B bonded logistics center,  according to information from Quanzhou customs on Jan 22.

The decision was jointly released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Officials said that Fujian Shishi Port Development and Construction Co will be in charge of the construction and operation of the newly approved bonded logistics center.

Construction of the logistics center will last about one year, they said.

A Type B bonded logistics center is a customs-supervised area operated by a legal corporate representative in China, with many companies engaged in the bonded warehousing and logistics business then settling in.

“In a sense, the Type B bonded logistics center is a small free trade zone,” a customs official said.

To enhance the service functions for bonded storage, international logistics and distribution in Quanzhou Port, it was decided to build the new center in the Shihu Port logistics area.

On completion, its storage area will exceed 75,000 square meters and the annual cargo turnover is expected to reach 2 million metric tons.

It will perform multiple functions including bonded storage, global procurement and international distribution, the re-export trade and international transits.

The facility will also provide a new type of international business service support for local industrial clusters -- such as footwear and textiles, building materials and home furnishings, food and beverages and arts and crafts.

To date, logistics companies such as Pacific Containers and Pan-Asian Pana have signaled their intention to settle in the new bonded logistics center. It is estimated that more than 100 enterprises will eventually relocate there.

Shishi is an important manufacturing hub and source of foreign trade in Fujian province, with a developed industrial foundation and logistics system. 

Relying on Shihu Port – as well as Quanzhou Jinjiang Airport, the China-Europe freight train routes and Shihu International Express Center – an international logistics system covering air, road and sea is gradually taken shape in Quanzhou.

Last year, Shihu Port opened another six new shipping routes along the Maritime Silk Road, including destinations in the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam.