Ezhou goes whole hog to boost cross-border e-commerce sector

Ezhou in Central China's Hubei province is fast emerging as a new hub for cross-border e-commerce, leveraging air logistics and digital trade to better integrate into global value chains.

At the livestreaming center of the China (Ezhou) Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park, a Pakistani host was recently seen promoting Shenzhen-made drones to North American consumers via TikTok — a snapshot of how global trade is increasingly taking off in the city.

Behind the business are two entrepreneurs from Wuhan — Qian Ling and Zhang Lei — who arrived in Ezhou in May. In less than two months, their team has grown to 15 members, with sales already exceeding $200,000.

They have already set up overseas warehouses in the United States, while their self-owned e-commerce website under development is targeting markets in Europe, Australia and Africa.

"The first few days after Qian and Zhang arrived, they came to see me three times in a row. From explaining policies and clarifying directions to finalizing their business plan, my colleagues and I provided them with one-stop services," said Chen Si, a member of the coordination service team at the industrial park.

Their story reflects the rapid rise of the industrial park. Since officially starting operations on April 30, the park has received 3,371 visits, engaged with more than 600 companies, and successfully registered and signed contracts with 258 firms. Among these, 62 enterprises have already moved in.

The park has also hosted 12 training sessions and matchmaking events, generating trade worth over $310 million, with an initial clustering effect beginning to take shape.

Designed to develop cross-border e-commerce, smart logistics and digital trade, the park serves as a key platform for Ezhou's new model of integrating "cross-border e-commerce + industrial clusters + airport economy", according to the park's management.

The development of the industrial park has been strongly supported by the air cargo hub at Ezhou Huahu International Airport, which has significantly lowered logistics costs and reached overseas markets more efficiently, making it increasingly attractive to businesses, said Bi Wei, head of the China (Ezhou) Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park.

As of Sunday, the airport had launched 104 cargo routes, including 59 domestic and 45 international and regional routes. Its total cargo throughput reached 923,900 metric tons, including 731,600 tons of airfreight and mail — with 320,800 tons from international services.

"This morning, a batch of mud crabs from India arrived at around 8 am. From unloading to delivery, the whole process takes as little as two hours," said Liu Chenlu, head of the cargo terminal management department at Ezhou Aviation Cargo Co Ltd.

Liu said that the shipment was then trucked to East China, meaning the crabs could go from plane to dining table in less than half a day.

The rapid growth of the airport has made "a world within reach "a reality, with air logistics enabling the swift delivery of goods from overseas fields to Chinese households.

Meanwhile, the airport's hub function is unleashing strong appeal, fueling the rise of airport-oriented industries. By July, the airport economic zone had attracted 288 projects each worth over 100 million yuan ($13.8 million), according to the airport.