Customs officers inspect containers at Hai'an Railway Logistics Base in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, ranked first nationwide in shipment volume on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan freight route in the first nine months of 2026, according to Nantong Customs.

The international freight service combines rail and road transport. Trains depart from Hai'an Railway Logistics Base and travel to Kashgar North Railway Station in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where containers are transferred to trucks. The route then passes through Irkeshtam Port and Kyrgyzstan before reaching Uzbekistan.

The service operates under a new customs supervision model introduced by the General Administration of Customs in September 2024. Under the model, goods can be declared, inspected and cleared at the point of departure, eliminating repeated declarations and transit procedures. Containers remain sealed throughout the transfer from rail to road transport.

Liu Dongning, chairman of Nantong International Freight Train, said the model saves two to three days in transit time per shipment compared with traditional arrangements.

The route provides a more efficient logistics link for exports from Hai'an and the Yangtze River Delta region to Central Asian markets, helping local businesses explore new overseas markets and expand international trade.