China's Logistics Volume Soars... Surpasses 30 Billion Transactions in 3 Months

China's logistics volume has surged sharply this year, reaching 30 billion shipments in just over three months.

According to the China National Postal Administration on the 17th, China's domestic logistics volume surpassed 30 billion shipments as of the 6th of this month. This record was achieved 18 days earlier than last year and 99 days earlier than in 2019, before the spread of COVID-19. On a daily basis, this means handling an average of more than 300 million shipments.

China's logistics industry is one of the nation's core industries repeatedly emphasized by President Xi Jinping. In particular, alongside smart transportation, smart logistics have been promoted to grow together, urging efficiency improvements supported by intelligent networks.

China's courier system operates such that when a business ships goods, they pass through collection centers, relay terminals, and sales offices before a courier delivers them to the recipient's home. By the end of last year, China had strengthened its delivery network by establishing 990 county-level public delivery centers and 278,000 village-level outlets. Logistics hubs such as Shanghai Pudong, Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Xi'an in Shaanxi Province have seen increased shipments of Chinese electronic products and arrivals of overseas steel and seafood, indicating active international freight transportation.

Until the end of last year, many courier facilities across large parts of China were locked down due to the spread of COVID-19, causing frequent delays in shipments. Goods often stayed for extended periods at collection centers or terminals before being returned or damaged. Major logistics and courier companies include SF Express, Zhongtong, Yunda, Yuantong, Cainiao, and JD Logistics.

China Economic Net explained, "To handle the vast volume, the courier industry is becoming digitalized and intelligent," adding, "In this process, traditional warehouse sorting models are being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and other technologies."