Songjiang CBZ Launches Regular Charter Flights for Cross-Border E-Commerce—Pre-Positioned Cargo Hub Shifts to Large-Scale Operations

China Inspection and Quarantine Times - Recently, in a landmark operation for cross-border logistics, a shipment of 234,000 e-commerce items, weighing 94.7 metric tons, underwent and passed both Customs inspection and aviation security checks at the Pre-positioned Cargo Hub within the Songjiang Comprehensive Bonded Zone (CBZ). It was then transported to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where it was loaded onto charter flight CK201 operated by China Cargo Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Air Logistics under China Eastern Airlines, and departed for Hungary. This successful operation constitutes the first charter flight export of cross-border e-commerce cargo cleared through such hub, marking the hub’s official entry into regular, large-scale operations.

The Pre-positioned Cargo Hub within the Songjiang CBZ was developed and is operated through a collaboration among the Shanghai Airport (Group) Co Ltd, China Eastern Air Logistics, the Songjiang CBZ, and Rongxin Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd. Spanning a total planned area of 22,700 square meters with an initial operational footprint of 6,000 square meters, the facility features dedicated processing zones for export air cargo: one for cross-border e-commerce and the other for general goods. It provides integrated, end-to-end services - including warehousing, palletization, freight booking, and bonded logistics - which facilitate “single declaration, single inspection, and single-location release”. This integrated model allows enterprises to complete the entire air export process for cross-border e-commerce shipments right at their doorstep.

"Previously, we had to go all the way to the airport for security screening. Now, everything can be completed 'in one stop' right here at the Pre-positioned Cargo Hub within the bonded zone.Once we get the green light from Customs here at the hub, the shipment goes straight to the airport for loading. This boosts our clearance efficiency by roughly 30 percent compared to the old way,” stated Liu Shijie, General Manager of Shanghai Hongshan Worldwide Express Co.,Ltd. "The whole process flows better, turnaround is faster, and you can really feel the difference that smart Customs supervision makes.”

At the Pre-positioned Cargo Hub, Songjiang Customs, a subsidiary of Shanghai Customs, has been at the forefront of testing new digital supervision methods. The deployment of an information-based management system and a smart gate-booking platform has automated vehicle checks and digitized the entire workflow.Building on this, the hub has launched an innovative pilot program for supervised transport: an "image-based authentication" system. This system, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for visual identification and data verification, is driving the transformation of the supervision model from reliance on “physical seals” to a “data-driven cargo monitoring” paradigm, thereby effectively enhancing both clearance efficiency and regulatory precision.

Prior to this milestone, the Pre-positioned Cargo Hub within Songjiang CBZ had completed a four-month trial of smooth operations, in which Songjiang Customs processed over 20,000 export shipments. These consignments, with a combined weight of 60.9 metric tons and value of US$636,000, spanned a diverse array of goods from apparel and cosmetics to small appliances and general merchandise, reaching markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, and beyond.

According to an official from Songjiang Customs, the agency will continue to provide full support for the development of the Pre-positioned Cargo Hub. This commitment includes deepening the application of intelligent supervision systems, elevating the level of trade facilitation, and thereby providing stronger Customs support for the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Delta G60 Science and Innovation Corridor.

(Correspondent:Zhang Caixia)