Produced by | Huabo Business Review

On the morning of January 20, the fourth session of the 14th Sichuan Provincial People's Congress commenced in Chengdu. The extensive, over 20,000-word provincial government work report presented at the meeting was substantial, encapsulating not only a review of Sichuan's accomplishments in 2024 but also outlining the strategic direction for 2025.

Remarkably, the word "salmon" emerged twice in this comprehensive report: "In 2024, salmon from Northern Europe reached Chengdu's dining tables in as little as 48 hours; by 2025, Sichuan aims to further increase imports of high-quality consumer goods and strive to establish a national distribution hub for special products such as salmon and durians."

This prompts the question: Why is this seemingly small fish held in such high regard by inland Sichuan, a region lacking coastal or border advantages, that it has been featured twice in the government work report? And as the capital, what opportunities and challenges does this present for Chengdu?

From Import Weakness to Growth Engine: The Salmon Microcosm

Once considered a "significant bottleneck" for Sichuan's foreign trade, imports have undergone a remarkable transformation, now serving as the "primary driver" fueling the growth of the province's international commerce.

According to data released by Chengdu Customs on January 19, Sichuan's total foreign trade volume in 2024 amounted to a staggering 1,045.72 billion yuan, marking a 9.4% year-on-year increase. This growth rate not only surpassed the national average by 4.4 percentage points but also set a new record for Sichuan's foreign trade in terms of scale, contributing to the national peak in foreign trade growth. Concurrently, the number of foreign trade enterprises has reached unprecedented levels.

A representative from Chengdu Customs stated, "Since 2022, Sichuan's foreign trade has once again surpassed the trillion-yuan mark, with new record highs achieved in import and export volumes, exports, and imports."

Within these impressive statistics, imports shone particularly brightly. In 2024, Sichuan's import scale surpassed the 400 billion yuan mark for the first time, with the growth rate ranking second nationally and the increment also setting a new record, contributing 18.5% to national import growth, ranking third nationwide.

From the perspective of import commodity structure, consumer goods imports exhibited a booming trend, with a year-on-year increase of 31.7%, ranking second nationally in both growth rate and net increase. Notably, the import growth of fresh durians, fresh cherries, and chilled salmon was particularly significant, with respective year-on-year increases of 145.8%, 69%, and 507.5%.

This surge does not indicate a fundamental shift in Sichuan consumers' tastes but rather underscores Chengdu's ambition to establish itself as a national distribution hub for specialty products.

Data reveals that the import value of chilled salmon in Sichuan reached 1.19 billion yuan in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of over fivefold. Chengdu Port's salmon import volume has risen to second place nationally, trailing only Shanghai. Approximately 90% of these imported salmon are distributed to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing via airports or truck transportation, with only 10% sold locally.

A representative from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce also noted that they will continue to leverage Sichuan's unique advantages as a bridgehead for western opening-up and promote the import of more high-quality specialty products through Chengdu, with nationwide辐射.

What Fuels Chengdu's Confidence?

What gives Chengdu the confidence to serve as a gateway for foreign goods entering the country? Firstly, it is Chengdu's aviation prowess. The pioneering advantage of having two international airports serves as a potent engine driving the rapid development of Chengdu's aviation industry. In 2024, Chengdu International Aviation Hub completed 589,000 transport flights, handled 87.336 million passengers, and processed 1.028 million tons of cargo and mail, all setting new records.

More impressively, Chengdu's air passenger traffic surpassed that of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, ranking third nationally; cargo and mail throughput increased by 33% year-on-year, demonstrating a strong momentum of catch-up. Additionally, Chengdu Airport boasts the largest number and most comprehensive types of designated inbound supervision sites in central and western China, enabling the swift transfer of numerous perishable agricultural products and foods to major cities across the country, with salmon being a prime example.

Secondly, Chengdu's strategic location cannot be overlooked. Sichuan, situated at the geometric center of the Eurasian continent, is accelerating the construction of a strategic highland for western opening-up and actively engaging in international competition. In 2024, various transport indicators of Chengdu International Aviation Hub set new records, not only showcasing the vitality of inland openness but also marking a solid step for Sichuan to leverage its geographical, policy, industrial, and market advantages to forge a comprehensive opening-up pattern. Sichuan has particularly emphasized Chengdu's proximity to Europe, aiming to create an 11-hour "Asia-Europe Air Cargo Corridor" to reduce logistics costs and attract more enterprises to settle, thereby shaping a unique competitive edge. Currently, Chengdu Airport has opened 34 international all-cargo routes, with cargo volume reaching the million-ton level, significantly enhancing its "distribution function".

Building on the successful experience of salmon imports, Sichuan plans to replicate this model by expanding specialty ports for durians, beauty products, pharmaceuticals, etc., to further boost the import of high-quality consumer goods and contribute to Chengdu's development as an international consumer hub city.