Freight trains carry export goods from Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Five freight trains loaded with cosmetics departed on March 15 from Qingyuan Railway Station in Qingyuan county, Lishui, Zhejiang province for the Beilun Port of Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

The cargo, manufactured by Zhejiang Jiuling Pencil & Brush Co, is being exported to Italy and Finland.

According to the Lishui municipal bureau of commerce, the city's export volume grew by 17.4 percent in 2024, ranking it second in the province.

Located in the mountainous area in Zhejiang, Lishui has established and is operating a dry port to efficiently cut logistics costs – serving as a fast-track channel for local exporters.

Since 2017, the dry port has opened several sea-rail intermodal routes from railway stations in Lishui to Ningbo Zhoushan Port – and a new multimodal logistics route from Lishui via Wenzhou Port to Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

By March 13, the dry port had handled 2,690 standard containers in total, with 1,746 standard containers through sea-rail intermodal routes – up 72 percent year-on-year.

Chen Feng, chairman of Lishui City Construction Investment Group's Inland Port International Logistics Company, said that exports primarily includes steel products, wooden toys, and outdoor goods – topping 20,000 containers annually.