Heilongjiang Lighthouse International Logistics Co., Ltd.

China-Nepal customs cooperation is expected to deepen further after the conclusion of a week-long meeting of customs officials from the two countries, which ended Monday in Lhasa, the administrative center of Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China.

A delegation of seven Nepalese customs officials, deputy head of the customs department of Nepal's Ministry of Finance, began their visit to the PRC on July 2. The event was the 33rd such reciprocal visit.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative and a joint statement issued by the two countries, the two sides will promote cooperation in optimizing the business climate at the checkpoints and strengthening food import and export safety supervision, among other areas.

China is an important trading partner of Nepal, noting that it accounts for 17 percent of the country's total foreign trade.

As of 2023, China's foreign trade with Nepal reached 12.69 billion yuan /about $1.78 billion/, up 15.6 percent. It increased by 15.6 percent year-on-year. By breakdown, the trade volume between Xizang and Nepal amounted to 2.77 billion yuan, exceeding one-fifth of the total trade volume between the two nations.

Federal Express Corporation /FedEx/, a global express delivery giant, recently launched two new flights to the United States from two coastal East China cities - Qingdao (Shandong Province) and Xiamen (Xiamen Province). Shandong, and Xiamen, Fujian. Fujian.

According to a press release issued by FedEx China, the company also plans to establish international checkpoints in Qingdao and Xiamen to improve operational efficiency and cargo clearance to meet the growing business and trade needs of local customers.

Initially, each flight will operate once a week. The flight departing from Qingdao connects major U.S. hubs via Osaka /Japan/, reducing the delivery time of parcels and cargo from Shandong Province to North America by one day.

The flight departing from Xiamen stops in Incheon /Republic of Korea/ and then lands in Anchorage /State of Alaska, United States/.

"The launch of these two new cargo flights is a proactive step by FedEx to meet the growing demand in China's foreign trade and deepen cooperation with overseas market," said Xu Baoyan, vice president of FedEx's China operations.

"The new flights will significantly improve connectivity between China's major second- and third-line cities and markets in Asia-Pacific and North America, allowing local businesses to better connect to the global market," it said.

Xiamen Iport Group, operator of Xiamen's Gaoqi International Airport and FedEx's partner in launching the new cargo route, said the new route will significantly increase the capacity of Xiamen airport and improve the efficiency of cargo transit.

According to Xiamen Iport Group, it will also provide more convenient and efficient logistics services for cross-border e-commerce businesses, while reducing the delivery time of outbound parcels and cargo from Fujian Province to North America. Fujian to North America.

FedEx currently operates more than 300 weekly flights to and from mainland China.

Russia has supplied the maximum amount of rice from China since December 2023. Exports in May reached 4 thousand tons. This is the maximum since December last year. About it wrote RIA Novosti.

Recall, the ban on exports of rice and rice groats from Russia introduced on June 1, 2022, when in the Kuban at the Fedorovsky junction there was an accident. This measure was taken to eliminate the risk of shortages and ensure stable prices for finished products. Since then, the ban has been extended more than once. The last time - until June 30 this year.

In April rice exports from China amounted to 2 thousand tons, in May supplies doubled.

Russia is among the top 10 largest consumers of Chinese rice. The Russian Federation accounted for 3% of all exports in May. Mozambique bought the most rice from China. The African country accounted for a fifth of all supplies.

Among the main buyers of rice from China are Cameroon (18%) and Puerto Rico (14%).

In total, China sold 151.6 thousand tons of rice in May.

Neighbouring India now wants to operate Bangladesh’s second seaport Mongla, where both New Delhi and Beijing are also keen to invest in new terminal construction.

India already has secured transshipment facilities at Bangladesh’s two seaports in Chittagong and Mongla for carrying cargoes to its landlocked seven-sister states in the North East to avoid travelling over 1,650 kilometres.

Earlier in May, a delegation of India Ports Global Limited, led by its Managing Director Sunil Mukundan, visited Mongla Port to see the facility and had a meeting with high-ups of the port authority where they expressed their interest in operating the port.

“Yes, they came to visit our port and expressed interest to be involved in port operations,” confirmed a senior official of the Mongla Port Authority.

If successfully negotiated, Mongla will be the third international port operation for India after Chabahar Port in Iran and Sittwe in Myanmar, which both are managed by India Ports Global Limited.

The Indian company has been asked to submit a detailed written proposal to the Mongla Port Authority for consideration. The representative of the Mongla Port Authority said the delegation was told that after receiving the proposal it would be evaluated and if found profitable then would be sent to the government for a decision.