Speed and customs efficiency are attributed to a foreign commodities trade of 201.6 billion yuan ($31.53 billion) passing through Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Zhuhai Port as of April.

Statistics break it down to 128.63 billion yuan ($20.12 billion) in exports and 72.97 billion yuan ($11.41 billion) in imports. It took two years for the port to realize foreign trade of 100 billion yuan ($15.64 billion) since opening in October 2018, but only seven months to gain another 100 billion yuan.

Zhuhai Haimiao Aquatic Import & Export recorded an increase of 200 percent in export value last year. The survival rate of traded aquatic products has grown significantly due to 24-hour prioritized customs clearance services, while the business has expanded from fresh marine products to artificially bred aquatic products.

Haimiao's business volume demonstrates resilient growth despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Daily exports to Hong Kong have increased from 1.2 to 10 tons, according to person-in-charge Weng Xipeng.

HZMB Zhuhai Port [Photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Media Group]

Meanwhile, China's largest and highest-level maintenance base for civil aviation engines, MTU Maintenance in the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, is another beneficiary. More than 10,000 yuan ($1,564) can be saved at each link as transportation time has been cut from 4 days to one.

Benefits will become more evident when capacity increases by 50 percent with the operation of a third phase of plants, says Jaap Beijer, president and CEO of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai.

Zhang Jie, person-in-charge of Zhuhai Guangfeng Logistics, noted that the Hong Kong International Airport-HZMB-Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport multimodal transport mode cuts transportation time from three hours to 40 minutes, and saves costs by 30-40 percent.

Guangfeng now undertakes JD's international logistics business, and parcels can be sent anywhere in the country after clearing customs at HZMB. Import volume of Guangfeng Logistics exceeded 200 million yuan ($31.28 million) in the first four months of this year.

HZMB serves as a hub connecting Hengqin New Area, the Zhuhai FTZ, Gaolan Port Economic Zone, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao airports, Zhongshan Bonded Logistics Park, and Hong Kong's Kwai Chung Container Terminal.

Today, commodities of 219 countries and regions transit the bridge. Shipments to or from cities on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary have increased rapidly, accounting for about 80 percent of the total import and export value of the sea crossing.