Located off the coast of Fujian and facing the Taiwan Straits, Pingtan is China's second international tourism island and an emerging hub for cross-Straits trade and logistics. The island recorded steady foreign trade growth in the first quarter of 2026, driven in part by expanding cross-border e-commerce activity.

Imports and exports handled in the first quarter reached 4.95 billion yuan ($684 million), up 3.1 percent year on year.

Cross-border e-commerce remained a major growth driver. Bonded imports through online retail platforms totaled 9.22 million parcels during the period, a year-on-year increase of 58.5 percent. The port also handled 10,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of import and export containers, up 18.5 percent from a year earlier.

Workers sort goods at the Pingtan Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Park.

At Bonded Warehouse No. 3 in the Pingtan Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Park, workers sorted products, checked orders and packed parcels as conveyor belts moved goods through the facility. Outside, trucks waited to transport imported products to destinations across the country.

"Since the beginning of the year, orders have risen steadily, with daily processing volume now exceeding 60,000 parcels," said Lin Bingbing, operations manager at Fujian Lanhe Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.

To meet growing demand, the company adjusted operations across receiving, shipping and storage while launching next-day delivery routes to cities including Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Dedicated production lines were also reorganized to improve delivery efficiency.

Lin said improvements in logistics coordination and customs processing helped raise outbound efficiency, contributing to nearly 60 percent business growth. The company also expanded operations to cope with rising order volumes during peak periods.

Businesses in the logistics park have benefited from streamlined customs procedures and more centralized inspection arrangements, helping reduce cargo handling time and improve turnover efficiency.

Li Jie, deputy head of the inspection section at the Jinjing office of Pingtan Customs, said the adoption of an in-port container consolidation model has shortened processing times by reducing repeated unpacking procedures.

As cross-border e-commerce and logistics activity continue to expand, Pingtan is further developing its role as a regional trade gateway, supported by growing demand for faster international delivery services.