Harbin has seen strong growth in its e-commerce trade with Russia –– the second largest destination for China’s exports –– over the past 10 months.

According to information issued by Heilongjiang Airport Group on Oct 6, during the first 10 months of 2017, Harbin airport recorded 112 cargo aircraft transporting a total of 2,390 tons of goods to Russia, representing year-on-year growth of 58 percent and 67 percent respectively.

Heilongjiang, located near the northeast border of China and Russia, has become a core area for e-commerce trade between the two countries in recent years, highlighting economic and trade cooperation.

In 2016, the value of e-commerce between China and Russia reached $2.5 billion, making Russia the second largest destination for Chinese cross-border exports.

 Russian goods arrive at Harbin Taiping International Airport .[Photo/Chinanews.com]

Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, is a key node city for China-Russia trade due to its advantageous location and the Harbin-Yekaterinburg Air Channel, where all the goods sold through the cross-border e-commerce channel can be directly transported to Russia from Harbin airport.

Statistics from Heilongjiang Airport Group reveal that from November 2013 (the date of the first Harbin-Yekaterinburg cargo flight) to October 2017, Harbin operated 858 cargo flights to Russia, and the total weight of goods was 8,364 tons, representing a significant increase in China-Russia e-commerce trade.

The amount of cargo transported from Harbin to Russia through the e-commerce channel accounted for around 33 percent of the total amount of China-Russia e-commerce trade. Harbin has become the largest city in China conducting e-commerce trade with Russia.

To provide better logistics and warehousing for China-Russia cross-border e-commerce, the Heilongjiang Ruston Express Co has established large-scale warehouses in Russia and provides e-commerce businesses with a list of services such as brand maintenance, technical certification, safety certification, and after-sales services, which helps boost cross-border e-commerce business.

In addition, Heilongjiang Airport Group has set up a “green channel” for fast China-Russia customs clearance and provides favorable prices for services such as charter aircraft, according to Qiu Jian, a manager of Heilongjiang Airport Group.

Goods are loaded onto a cargo plane operating the Harbin-Yekaterinburg flight at Harbin Taiping International Airport. [Photo/Chinanews.com]