# China Opens New Waterway: Pinglu Canal Shortens Route to Southeast Asia **Category:** Industry News | **Source:** Xinhua | **Published:** 2026-09-10 | **Updated:** 2026-09-12 **Tags:** Pinglu-Kanal, China, Südostasien, ASEAN, Qinzhou, Beibu Gulf Port, Binnenschifffahrt, Seefracht, Westchina, Nanning, Chongqing, Chengdu, Logistikkosten, New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Digitalisierung > The new Pinglu Canal connects China's hinterland directly to the Gulf of Beibu. Transports toward Southeast Asia are expected to become shorter and more cost-effective as a result. --- China will open the new Pinglu Canal on September 16, 2026. The 134.2-kilometer-long waterway connects the Xijiang river system with the Gulf of Beibu, creating a shorter route from western China to the sea. Construction has been underway since August 2022. The investment amounts to approximately 72.7 billion yuan, which equates to roughly 10.4 to 10.8 billion US dollars, depending on the exchange rate. The canal begins at Hengzhou near Nanning and runs via Qinzhou to the Gulf of Beibu. It is designed for vessels with a carrying capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes. For logistics, the route shortening is particularly important. Goods from southwestern China previously had to take a detour via Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta. Via the Pinglu Canal, the route to the sea is expected to be reduced by approximately 560 kilometers. Transports from Guangxi as well as from the inland regions around Chongqing, Chengdu, and Guiyang can benefit from this, among others. At the southern end of the canal lies Qinzhou, an important part of the Beibu Gulf Port harbor complex. From there, sea connections exist to major markets in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Chinese authorities expect the canal to reduce logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent. This should result in annual savings of more than five billion yuan in transport costs. Whether these figures will actually be achieved in practice remains to be seen. Decisive factors include not only the route distance but also lock transit times, schedules, capacity utilization, pre- and post-transport operations, and cargo handling at the port. The canal features three major lock systems at Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian. Together, they overcome an elevation difference of approximately 65 meters. The planned transport capacity is up to 89 million tonnes per year. At launch, China is also offering a price incentive. Commercial vessels are to pay no fees for lock passage until the end of 2026. From January 2027 onwards, an initial tariff of one yuan per registered gross tonne per lock transit is planned. This creates new competition for ports in the Pearl River Delta. Cargo from western and southwestern China will no longer necessarily have to route through Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Hong Kong. This does not mean the Pinglu Canal will suddenly replace these major container ports. However, it provides shippers and freight forwarders with an additional route via Qinzhou and the Gulf of Beibu. This could be particularly attractive for transports to Southeast Asia. --- For us freight forwarders, the Pinglu Canal is not simply a new construction project. It can change the question of which Chinese port is best for routing a shipment. For suppliers in Guangxi or western China, one should in future check whether routing via Qinzhou is more cost-effective or faster than the previous route via Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or another port in the Pearl River Delta. The route can be particularly interesting for heavy and less time-critical cargo. After all, a 5,000-ton inland vessel replaces a considerable number of trucks. This can significantly reduce costs in Chinese pre-carriage. However, you should not blindly incorporate the promised 18 to 30 percent savings into your calculation. These are currently planning figures from Chinese authorities. Only after the start will it become clear how reliably the locks operate and how well the connections at Beibu Gulf Port function. For specific shipments, I would therefore compare ocean freight rates, inland transport, handling, departure frequency, and total transit time with one another. Just because the route becomes shorter does not automatically mean the complete transport chain is faster. In short: For transports from western China to Southeast Asia, a serious new alternative is available. The first schedules and actual transit times should be examined more closely from the end of September onwards. --- The Pinglu Canal is scheduled to open for shipping traffic on September 16, 2026. The waterway is 134.2 kilometers long. Construction began on August 28, 2022. The investment amounts to approximately 72.7 billion yuan. Depending on the exchange rate, this corresponds to approximately 10.4 to 10.8 billion US dollars. The canal connects the Xijiang river system with the Beibu Gulf. The route runs from Hengzhou via Qinzhou to the sea. Vessels with a carrying capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes are permitted. The transport route from Southwest China to the sea is shortened by approximately 560 kilometers. Chinese authorities expect logistics costs to decrease by 18 to 30 percent. The expected annual savings amount to more than five billion yuan. The planned annual transport capacity is up to 89 million tonnes. Three lock facilities overcome a height difference of approximately 65 meters. Commercial vessels are to be exempt from lock fees through the end of 2026. The canal is part of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor connecting Western China with international markets. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Thailand](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/th) - [Malaysia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/my) - [Singapore](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/sg) - [China](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/cn) - [Vietnam](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/vn) - [Brunei Darussalam](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/bn) - [Indonesia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/id) - [Cambodia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/kh) - [Philippines](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ph) ### Seaports - [Qinzhou (CN QZH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/qinzhou-port-cn-qzh) - [Beihai (CN BIH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/beihai-port-cn-bih) - [Guangzhou (CN GGZ)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/guangzhou-port-cn-ggz) - [Hong Kong (HK HKG)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/hong-kong-port-hk-hkg) - [Hai Phong (VN HPH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/hai-phong-port-vn-hph) - [Ho Chi Minh City (VN SGN)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/thanh-ho-chi-minh-port-vn-sgn) - [Laem Chabang (TH LCH)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/laem-chabang-port-th-lch) - [Port Klang (MY PKG)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/port-klang-port-my-pkg) - [Tanjung Pelepas (MYTPP)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/tanjung-pelepas-port-mytpp) ### Glossary - [Port](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port) - [Intermodal Transportation](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/intermodal-transportation) - [logistics costs](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/logistics-costs) - [Sea freight](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/sea-freight) - [Freight forwarder](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-forwarder) - [Transit time](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/transit-time) - [Transport capacity](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/transport-capacity) - [transport costs](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/transport-costs) - [Cargo handling](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/cargo-handling) - [Goods](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/goods) - [Inland Waterway Transport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/inland-waterway-transport) - [Port infrastructure](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/port-infrastructure) - [Short Sea Shipping](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/short-sea-shipping) - [ASEAN](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/asean) - [Beibu Gulf Port](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/beibu-gulf-port) - [Hinterland Transport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/hinterland-transport-2) - [Canal](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/canal) - [Supply Chain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/supply-chain-3) - [Pre-carriage](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/pre-carriage) - [Waterway](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/waterway) - [Western China](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/western-china) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/china-eroeffnet-neue-wasserstrasse-pinglu-kanal-verkuerzt-weg-nach-suedostasien-20260909203331](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/china-eroeffnet-neue-wasserstrasse-pinglu-kanal-verkuerzt-weg-nach-suedostasien-20260909203331)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/china-eroeffnet-neue-wasserstrasse-pinglu-kanal-verkuerzt-weg-nach-suedostasien-20260909203331](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/china-eroeffnet-neue-wasserstrasse-pinglu-kanal-verkuerzt-weg-nach-suedostasien-20260909203331)*