Pinglu Canal launches first cross-border freight route

(ECNS) -- The first cross-border river-sea freight route on the Pinglu Canal linking Laos and Vietnam with Guigang in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is now in service.

Its maiden shipment, carrying 3,012.66 metric tons of potassium chloride, is bound for a fertilizer company's base in Guigang.

According to Pinglu Canal Group, the route is designed to help the company establish a two-way logistics chain, transporting raw materials north to its factory and finished products south to overseas markets.

Compared with traditional routes, transporting potassium chloride imported through Vietnam’s Vung Ang Port via the Pinglu Canal shortens the journey by nearly 500 kilometers and cuts transit time by five to seven days. Fewer transfers and handling operations are expected to lower costs and reduce cargo losses.

The new route also provides companies along the Xijiang River with two routes to the sea, strengthening supply-chain resilience and supporting stable fertilizer production and agricultural supply.

(By Helen Mo & intern Lin Qiaochu)