Express delivery sector thriving in Tonglu

Express delivery equipment on display in Tonglu county, East Chinas Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The express delivery sector has been booming in Tonglu county in East China's Zhejiang province.

Tonglu is renowned in China as the birthplace of founders of domestic express giants like STO Express, YTO Express, ZTO Express, and Yunda Express.

Incomplete statistics show that more than 2,500 express companies across the nation are founded or managed by Tonglu natives, and over 12,000 people from the county are involved in the express delivery sector.

The local government has set a goal of turning express delivery into a local economic pillar.

Since 2020, the county has introduced 100 investment projects related to express delivery with a combined value of 31.98 billion yuan ($4.92 billion).

The aforementioned four express giants have all relocated their headquarters or R&D centers to Tonglu.

The nation's first centralized procurement and trading center for express logistics equipment and materials was put into operation in Tonglu in May 2020.

The center attracted 64 new companies in 2021, bringing the total number of suppliers in the facility to 260, with an aggregate turnover of 11.26 billion yuan

As of 2021, the county had introduced or cultivated 311 express enterprises. Last year, express delivery related industries in Tonglu generated 32.06 billion yuan in revenue and paid 1.28 billion yuan in taxes.

In addition, local authorities have been striving to establish an urban-rural integrated express delivery system since 2020. Tonglu has established express delivery stations in all 184 villages under its jurisdiction.

It has also hosted a series of events including conferences and contests to cultivate more talents in the sector. The county has been designated a permanent venue for the China (Hangzhou) International Express Delivery Conference.