200 trillion yuan logistics rush! Industry accounts for over 80% of the high-end manufacturing upgrade core engine

The flow and mode of logistics serve as a window for observing regional economic vitality and industrial competitiveness.
Recently, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing released logistics operation data for July. From January to July this year, the total amount of social logistics in China reached 201.9 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. During the same period, the total amount of industrial logistics increased by 5.7% year-on-year. Among them, the performance of manufacturing logistics is particularly outstanding, 0.5 percentage points higher than the total logistics of all industrial products during the same period. Especially in 35 industries, logistics demand has achieved year-on-year growth, with a growth rate exceeding 85%.
Lin Tan, a researcher at the China Academy of Transportation Studies at Tongji University and director of the Transportation Industry and Logistics Center, analyzed to 21st Century Business Herald reporters that the steady growth of industrial logistics demand reflects that China’s industrial economic fundamentals are still very stable, production demand continues to grow, and macroeconomic resilience is strong.
From the perspective of segmented fields, the collaborative efforts of high-end manufacturing, digital intelligence, green and low-carbon industries are becoming important engines leading the upgrading of logistics demand. With the implementation of the “Artificial Intelligence+” initiative and the construction of national logistics hubs and channels, the constantly upgrading logistics industry is also contributing to regional economic development and the construction of industrial clusters.
In recent years, the continuous upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry has given rise to a huge demand for high-end manufacturing logistics.
According to data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the logistics demand related to high-tech manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.3% year-on-year in July. The growth rate of high-end products such as analog chips, 3D printing equipment, industrial control computers and systems has exceeded 20%; The logistics demand for digital product manufacturing above a certain scale increased by 8.4%, and the logistics volume related to the robotics industry increased by over 10%; The volume of new energy products such as new energy vehicles and lithium-ion batteries has increased by around 20%.
According to IDC research, the proportion of Chinese industrial enterprises using large models and intelligent agents has increased from 9.6% in 2024 to 47.5% in 2025. There are 85 “lighthouse factories” listed by the World Economic Forum, accounting for 45% of the global total, and the level of intelligent manufacturing is leading globally.
At the end of August, the State Council issued the “Opinions on Deepening the Implementation of the ‘Artificial Intelligence+’ Action, ‘proposing to promote the development of all factor intelligence in industries. The reporter learned from the Ministry of Transport that the “Implementation Opinions on ‘Artificial Intelligence+Transportation'” have been reviewed and approved by the Ministry’s executive committee and will be issued for implementation in the near future. The Ministry of Transport will organize and implement a number of landmark innovation demonstration projects for a transportation powerhouse, focusing on five major systems including smart logistics, to drive the formation of an “artificial intelligence+transportation” industrial cluster.
In terms of artificial intelligence applications, the Transportation Big Model Innovation and Industry Alliance is accelerating the construction of the “1+N+X” comprehensive transportation big model. The relevant person in charge introduced that based on a set of universal technology base for large models, “N” type vertical domain models are created, and “X” typical application scenarios are served. Through the three-level linkage of “foundation vertical domain intelligent agent”, it supports the integration of business applications across the entire industry.
Lin Tan stated that with the development of large-scale models and the introduction of policies such as “artificial intelligence+”, the role and value of smart logistics and data elements will become more prominent. New operating methods such as supply chain digital platforms, smart warehousing, and intelligent driving will effectively improve resource allocation efficiency and accelerate the intelligent transformation and digital transformation of the logistics industry.
Behind the rapid growth in demand for high-end manufacturing logistics is the flourishing development of regional economy.
According to data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, in terms of regional structure, the total business volume index in the western region in July was 52.3%, while that in the central region was 50.9%, which was 1.8 and 0.4 percentage points higher than the national level, respectively. This indicates that the growth momentum of logistics demand in the central and western regions continues to strengthen. The index of the eastern region is 50.3%, maintaining a steady growth trend, and a regional coordinated development pattern is taking shape.
In recent years, the central and western regions have compensated for their geographical disadvantages and promoted the development of high-end manufacturing through innovative logistics models. In February of this year, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the “Plan for Optimizing and Adjusting the Layout of National Logistics Hubs”. The 26 newly added national logistics hubs are all located in important channels such as the “Four Horizontal and Five Vertical, Two Along and Ten Corridor” logistics corridor and the “Ten Vertical and Ten Horizontal” comprehensive transportation corridor, with nearly 60% located in the central and western regions.
Taking Chongqing as an example, in the past, it mainly relied on traditional manufacturing industries such as military, steel, and machinery. Compared with the eastern coastal areas, Chongqing lacked the advantage of open logistics channels and had shortcomings in both high-end manufacturing and logistics fields.
In 2008, Chongqing began to lay out the laptop industry, with many companies such as HP, Acer, Asus, Foxconn, Guangda, and Yingyeda gradually expanding into Chongqing, forming an industrial cluster of “brand+OEM+components”. In 2011, Chongqing achieved a large-scale production of laptops and became an important global production base for laptops.
The development of the electronic information industry has given rise to a huge demand for logistics. In 2011, the first China Europe freight train route, “Chongqing Xinjiang Europe,” was launched from Tuanjie Village Station in Chongqing. The opening of “Chongqing New Europe” has shortened the transportation time from Chongqing to Europe to 16 days and reduced the cost to one-fifth of air freight.
The Chengdu Chongqing Economic Circle has achieved innovative operation mode of “logistics+trade+industry” through outward oriented logistics service systems such as the China Europe freight train, the Western Land Sea New Corridor, the Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and the Cross border E-commerce Pilot Zone. Attracted and cultivated a group of high-end manufacturing enterprises, achieving industrial agglomeration and output value growth in electronic products, pharmaceuticals, and other industries.
According to data released by Chongqing, by 2024, one out of every three laptops in the electronic information manufacturing industry worldwide will be “made in Chongqing”. In 2024, the production of integrated circuits and LCD displays will increase by 110% and 22.1% respectively. In the field of intelligent equipment and intelligent manufacturing, the installed capacity of industrial robots will exceed 21000 units in 2024, and the intelligent manufacturing index will leap to the top in the western region. The production of new energy vehicles in Chongqing reached 953200 units, a year-on-year increase of 90.5%, and the value of each vehicle increased to 236000 yuan.
In the intelligent unmanned logistics port of Chongqing Sailis Super Factory, technologies such as the Internet of Things, autonomous driving, and digital twins have been integrated into various aspects of logistics. The fully automatic mobile crane equipment grabs and stores containers, and 18 unmanned electric trucks operate 24 hours a day to distribute containers to various workshops, with a delivery efficiency of 32 containers per hour.
High end manufacturing and logistics industries mutually empower each other, achieving interconnectivity between people, vehicles, and goods. This scenario is a microcosm of the current symbiotic development between high-end manufacturing and logistics.
Under the multiple support of strategy and technology, Chongqing’s logistics industry continues to strengthen and costs continue to decrease. The 14th Five Year Plan for the Development of Modern Logistics Industry in Chongqing mentions that the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP will be reduced by 2 percentage points to 14.5% during the 13th Five Year Plan period, and will be lower than the national average for the first time in 2020.
Zhao Xiaomin, an expert in express logistics and CEO of Guanshuo Capital, told 21st Century Business Herald reporters that the relationship between high-end manufacturing and logistics is a “one body, two sides, deep synergy” relationship. In recent years, these two industries have shown a trend of mutual infiltration, with increasing technological content and deepening specialization.
In terms of specialization, with the upgrading and development of the manufacturing industry, the self circulation mode of traditional manufacturing logistics has high costs, and the efficiency of fragmented links is difficult to improve. In this context, value-added services, customized services, and integrated supply chains have become opportunities for professional logistics service providers.
For example, SF Express acquired DHL’s supply chain business in China in 2018 in response to the comprehensive logistics outsourcing and supply chain integration needs of its group customers. At the same time, manufacturing enterprises are actively extending into the logistics field, such as Long Term Logistics in the automotive industry, Guanghui Logistics, and Haier’s “Daily Shun”.
Zhao Xiaomin stated that the government encourages mergers and acquisitions, creating opportunities for manufacturing to penetrate the logistics industry. In addition, manufacturing logistics has high profits, but the investment cycle is long and the threshold is high. Once successful, it can reduce costs internally and increase revenue externally, and also form professional barriers, becoming a driving force for the integrated development of logistics and manufacturing industries.
In 2024, the total logistics volume of industrial products will account for 88% of the total logistics volume of the whole society, which means that for every 10 yuan of logistics value, 8.8 yuan comes from the manufacturing industry. Reducing logistics costs and improving logistics quality are crucial for economic and social development. In this context, the “Logistics National Team” has also emerged.
In 2021 and 2024, China Logistics Group and the first central enterprise in data technology, China Digital Logistics, were successively established. Both companies are part of the ‘Logistics National Team’, with the goal of reducing social logistics costs, but with different focuses. China Digital Logistics emphasizes the sharing and development of data resources such as highways, railways, waterways, aviation, and ports as the core, and aims to build a national level logistics big data platform to enhance operational capabilities.
In Zhao Xiaomin’s view, logistics groups such as China Digital Logistics and China Logistics Group play different roles, breaking through regional and industry limitations, and will have a profound impact on the industry. He said, “Big data and a unified national market are important opportunities for the high-quality development of the logistics industry. The unified national market solves the problem of unfair competition and policy barriers in investment attraction in various regions, while big data technology solves the problems of information silos and data blind spots, and can turn data centers into profit centers
Lin Tan added that the new round of technological changes led by artificial intelligence models has also brought new opportunities for the development of the logistics industry. With the increasingly sound new generation of logistics information infrastructure such as cloud computing, big data, and the Internet of Things, new digital logistics models such as autonomous driving, drone delivery, and heavy truck battery swapping have been cultivated. These changes will help achieve the goal of reducing the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP from 14.4% in 2023 to around 13.5% in 2027, as proposed in the Action Plan for Effectively Reducing Logistics Costs in the Whole Society