Largest China-Russia Land Port Inner Mongolia
Region Reinvents Itself as Industrial Hub
·
As
the raw materials clear customs, we go straight into production, operating
around the clock
·
Russian
rapeseed oil, prized for its low acid value and high smoke point, is
particularly popular among domestic downstream enterprises.
·
Russian
supply, Chinese processing" model
·
Residents
in border areas to conduct small-scale cross-border trade under simplified
customs procedures, we save an average of 500 yuan (about 69.5 U.S. dollars)
per tonne.
·
Located
in the Inner Mongolia Manzhouli border economic
cooperation zone, the import-export resource processing industrial park
processes up to 5.6 million cubic meters of timber annually.
·
In
2023, the city's timber import reached 1.88 million cubic meters, demonstrating
the strong momentum of the industry's growth.
·
Manzhouli
has planned the development of a 2.74-square-kilometer chemical industry
cluster within the import-export resource processing industrial park. This
cluster will primarily rely on the import of large quantities of liquefied
petroleum gas, methanol, and alkanes from Russia to drive integrated new energy
chemical utilization and related projects.
·
The
cluster will provide high-end, premium chemical intermediates for domestic
advanced polymer materials and engineering plastics
·
Development
of the port-based processing model.
· The value of imports and exports handled by the Manzhouli port reached 47.67 billion yuan, up 6.1 percent year on year.
As China's largest
land port, Manzhouli is expanding beyond its traditional
role as a "transit station." By promoting local processing of grain, oil
and timber, the city is steadily evolving into a regional industrial hub.
An aerial drone
photo shows trains for China-Europe freight service at Manzhouli
Railway Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
At Manzhouli Xinfeng Grain and Oil Industry
Co., Ltd., freshly imported rapeseed from Russia is processed on intelligent production
lines. From dehulling to pressing, the procedures run smoothly, as golden rapeseed
oil gently streams into storage tanks.
"As soon as the raw materials clear customs, we go straight into production,
operating around the clock," said Yang Zhihong, deputy general manager
of the company. He noted that Russian rapeseed oil, prized
for its low acid value and high smoke point, is particularly popular among domestic
downstream enterprises.
This "Russian supply, Chinese processing" model is fueling a growing shift among local businesses, pushing them
beyond mere trade toward more advanced, value-added processing.
Yang crunched the
numbers. "By importing raw materials through 'border trade', a special policy
that allows residents in border areas to conduct small-scale
cross-border trade under simplified customs procedures, we save an average of 500
yuan (about 69.5 U.S. dollars) per tonne. Since last year, that's added up to
savings of over 8 million yuan," he explained.
This model cuts
traditional trade taxes and fees from around 18 percent to less than 4 percent of
total costs. It enables enterprises to source raw materials at lower prices, while
border residents earn income from the price difference, creating a win-win supply
chain involving border residents, cooperatives and enterprises.
As of April 2025,
"border trade" in Manzhouli has surpassed 100
million yuan this year, with more than 3,600 border residents taking part, generating
nearly 2 million yuan in tax revenue to the city.
The roaring development
of Manzhouli's timber processing industry goes hand in
hand with the grain and oil sector. Since establishing an imported timber processing
base in 2003, Manzhouli has continuously focused on deep
and fine processing, showcasing the strong potential of its timber manufacturing
industry.
Located
in the Inner Mongolia Manzhouli
border economic cooperation zone, the import-export resource processing industrial
park processes up to 5.6 million cubic meters of timber annually. It has developed a diverse product lineup,
including solid wood furniture, doors and windows, wood pellets, and solid wood
flooring.
An aerial drone
photo shows containers being loaded at Manzhouli Railway
Port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Meanwhile, Manzhouli has
planned the development of a 2.74-square-kilometer chemical industry cluster within
the import-export resource processing industrial park. This cluster will primarily rely on the import
of large quantities of liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, and alkanes from Russia
to drive integrated new energy chemical utilization and related projects.
The
cluster will provide high-end, premium chemical intermediates for domestic advanced
polymer materials and engineering plastics, injecting new momentum into the city's economic development.
Bai Zhiping, an official from the Manzhouli
municipal commerce bureau, said that Manzhouli's transformation
from a "transit station" to an "industrial hub" reflects the
development of the port-based processing model.
An increasing number
of enterprises are moving beyond the traditional "transit economy" and
are leveraging the advantages of the border to create a new industrial ecosystem
focused on deep processing.
In the first quarter
of this year, Manzhouli's import
and export freight volume reached 6.53 million tonnes, a year-on-year increase of
10.6 percent. The value of imports and exports handled by
the Manzhouli port reached 47.67 billion yuan, up 6.1 percent
year on year.