8 | HKFOCUS Friday, February 1, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY 9 HZMB cargo fl ow — turning the page in the near future HZMB’s Tra c Volume 1.64% 17,670 Oct 24-31, 2018 Freight Volume Total Volume Hong Kong-Zhuhai- 3.27% 103,344 Nov 2018 Macao Bridge main bridge 4.41% 118,993 Dec 2018 Zhuhai and Macao boundary crossing facilities Hong Kong 6.40% 95,055 Jan 1-28, 2019 boundary crossing facilities Source: Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority The mega Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has brought the western Bay Area within an hour’s drive from Hong Kong, but cargo traffic on the bridge since its opening remains at a snail’s pace. Industry players, however, see a HZ B silver lining and expect the flow of freight and capital to pick up significantly in the near future, stimulating development in delta west. He Shusi reports. ung Chung — Hong Kong’s new “west- land told China Daily they remain optimistic ern downtown” — brings shoppers that freight tra c on the 120-billion-yuan ($17.8 from the Pearl River Delta and beyond, billion) bridge will catch on in the near future. GDPs of Bay Area cities in 2017 traveling across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Experts say the root cause is the geographical (billion yuan) 2,150 MacaoT Bridge. But where are all the trucks? distribution of industries across the Bay Area. Trucks are a rare sight traversing the newly- Most of the industries are to the east, Shen- 383 opened cross-border infrastructure. zhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, in particular. The answer to the question is that the west- Manufacturing development in the west, around 220 ern part of the delta remains less developed Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen is still sparse. 955 758 than the eastern part. HZMB opens the door for investors to develop the western part of the Major global production base now Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Forty years ago, Guangdong province became Bay Area, and promote cross-border commerce the launch pad for the country’s reform and among the 11-city cluster. opening-up. The delta, rebranded as the Bay The Hong Kong Immigration Department Area, underwent rapid economic development reports that the bridge opened on Oct 24 attract- and soon became one of the world’s leading 345 HZMB is seen as the ed more than 100,000 people a day during peak production bases. It is a key area carrying on 269 2,244 perfect conduit for periods. The fi gure doubled the government’s Chinese trade today. cargo transportation expectations of how popular the bridge would Since 1978, business experts from Hong between Hong be with travelers. Kong have been the backbone for the nascent 2,275 Kong and the delta Freight tra c, however, has been pretty lame. processing and manufacturing industries in west. The mega Data from the bridge operator, HZMB Author- Guangdong. Today, Hong Kong is still one of the 256 infrastructure has cut ity, showed that cargo shipments accounted mainland’s most important trading partners, the grueling four-hour for only 6.4 percent of the 55-kilometer bridge’s according to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics 336 trek of days past to daily tra c volume as of Jan 28. That’s about Department. less than an hour. 217 trucks a day. Capital from Hong Kong crossed the border JUSTIN CHIN / BLOOMBERG The percentage of truck tra c is climbing. and initiated blowout growth of cities reachable Right at the start, cargo comprised only 1.6 per- from the international fi nancial center in three cent of the daily tra c. Lately, it has reached 6 hours. Those cities are strategically located in the percent, and things are getting better. north and east of the delta. Today, that’s where Zhuhai can o er key network link Geographically, HZMB is considered the per- factories of the PRD predominate. fect channel for freight transportation between Development on the west of the delta has Source: relevant government departments By HE SHUSI in Hong Kong Rent and manpower costs in Shenzhen are no Hong Kong and the delta’s west. The bridge lagged, by comparison. Zhuhai, the coastal city [email protected] longer low for cargo storage and distribution,” — the first sea crossing over the Pearl River bordering Macao, is typical. In 1980, Zhuhai was from the west. That won’t change overnight just Growth (of bridge tra c) depends on winning focusing on convenience. He believes HZMB special administrative region government plans Yau remarked. Estuary — could replace the old route over the designated as one of the country’s fi rst four spe- because the bridge is open,” Yau said. over new clients from surrounding areas.” will attract more investment to Zhuhai, thus to build a high value-added logistics center on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge creates a He noted that coordinated customs arrange- Humen Pearl River Bridge between Dongguan cial economic zones in the south. With favorable Eddy Li Sau-hung is the managing director Jin said several manufacturing enterprises stimulating the economy and making it more Lantau, centered on the bridge and airport, to direct link between Hong Kong International ments on the mainland are also required to make and Guangzhou. The travel time over HZMB investment policies, these cities were able to kick of Hong Kong watch manufacturer, Campell from Jiangmen and Foshan had consulted him competitive with the rest of the PRD. promote development of trade with the main- Airport and the tari -free zone, as well as the Zhuhai stand out. cuts the grueling four-hour trek of days past to o the opening-up, and attract foreign capital for Holdings. Most of his factories are in Dongguan, to seek out brokerage fees for the service he pro- Jin estimated that after the Chinese New Year land. airport in Zhuhai. Experts believe Zhuhai can Each Hong Kong airline has its own custom- less than an hour. the nation-wide economic revolution. which borders Shenzhen to the south, and is just vides. So far, the discussions have been explor- break, some enterprises in Jiangmen and Zhong- Chen Haiquan, dean of the Guangdong make full use of the bridge by providing logistics ized packaging pallet, each pallet with a tracking Decision makers thought they had set up suf- The other special economic zone located in two hours away from major goods distribution atory and Jin says no new contracts have been shan will make up their minds on using HZMB Research Institute of Modern Logistics, said and cargo distribution for Hong Kong products. number. Freight is carried on these pallets before fi cient policies and facilities and they have. The the delta was Shenzhen. Over decades, the city centers in Hong Kong by driving. signed. “They need some time to change their and to settle contracts with him. He has made various sectors in Guangdong, including the Alice Tsang, assistant principal economist for being loaded onto airplanes. Customs authorities have introduced what’s con- bordering Hong Kong has become one of the The opening of the HZMB doesn’t really regular operation and trading routes. It’s been an optimistic prediction that the bridge’s daily government, are studying ways of introducing Greater China at the Hong Kong Trade Develop- But, there’s a problem. Empty pallets, called sidered to be the country’s most advanced goods country’s most developed metropolises. In 2017, change how goods are exchanged between Hong easier for companies in Zhuhai to do so from the truck volume can surpass 1,000 in the second more policy breakthroughs, such as qualifi ca- ment Council, thought cargo from the mainland Unit Load Devices, are prohibited from export to inspection machinery at the bridge’s Zhuhai it recorded an annual Gross Domestic Product Kong and Li’s factories. beginning,” he said. half of this year. tions and quotas for cross-border trucks and can be packed at Zhuhai airport before being the mainland. That means packaging is required Port. Procedures have been streamlined. The old of 2.24 trillion yuan — almost the same size as “But the bridge surely paints us a new picture,” Despite the demonstrated decrease in travel drivers, to encourage more vehicles to use the delivered to Hong Kong International Airport to be done in Hong Kong, Yau said. three-step procedure of quarantine, customs and Hong Kong’s in economic terms. he said. Ports in Shenzhen have become very time across HZMB, Jin said companies outside Macao on the way HZMB, Chen said. via the HZMB. If this restriction was removed, some packag- immigration clearance has now been replaced by Zhuhai has similar land area as Shenzhen. But crowded due to heavy tra c. Manpower and Zhuhai are hesitant. Changing their shipping There’s never been a direct land connection The country’s blueprint for the Bay Area is Vice-versa, international goods arriving at ing and distribution work could be transferred to a single, fully automated step. it recorded a GDP of only 256.47 billion yuan in rents in Shenzhen and Dongguan are not cheap routes poses questions about the new boundary between Hong Kong and Macao. Until HZMB expected to be released early this year. Accord- Hong Kong International Airport can be sent Zhuhai. The operational cost of air freight could As for access to the cross-border bridge, private 2017 — almost nine times smaller than that of anymore. The bridge presents Hong Kong busi- terminal and raises concerns about the depend- opened, trade between the cities traveled by ship.