Photo: Courtesy of Baotou Customs

Mandula port in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region hit a new record for monthly freight transport volume, as Baotou Customs implemented measures to improve the business environment for cross-border trade companies at the port and simplified clearance procedures.

In October 2023, Mandula port overseen by Baotou Customs handled 595,000 tons of cargo, increasing by 55.05 percent year-on-year, and surging by 76.04 percent from the prior month, setting a new monthly high, Baotou Customs told the Global Times on Monday. 

Since the beginning of 2023, Baotou Customs has been making an effort to commence the construction of digital storage systems in stockyards to optimize the management mechanism for containers. 

From November 1, customs officials adjusted health declarations for cross-border passengers, shortened the total clearance time and also improved processes to facilitate cargo transport between China and Mongolia.

These measures have helped daily cargo transport volume of Mandula port surpass 30,000 tons since November and grow daily transport significantly, pushing the total cargo transport volume so far in 2023 to above four million tons. 

Photo: Courtesy of Baotou Customs

 
Baotou has a large demand for various minerals due to a large local steel industry. Local statistics showed that Baotou’s steel industry imports 12 million tons of coal, 10 million tons of iron ore and 800,000 tons of copper powder each year from Mongolia. 

Based on local stable and large amount of minerals, Baotou Customs vowed to further deepen cooperation with Mongolian enterprises under the Belt and Road Initiative, accelerate the construction of cross-border highway, railway and other infrastructure facilities, in a bid to lift the annual capacity of Mandula port to 15 million tons by 2025.

Global Times