URUMQI, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The customs at Alashankou Port has inspected over 10 million cross-border e-commerce packages since the inland port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region launched cross-border e-commerce business on Jan. 21.

The number of cross-border e-commerce packages exceeded 1 million about 82 days after the inauguration of the business. It soon hit 5.2 million in the following 26 days, and exceeded 10 million in just 13 days in May, according to data from Alashankou Customs.

This means the daily average of cross-border e-commerce packages inspected at Alashankou Port was 83,000 since the business was initiated.

As international air transport capacity has been shrinking due to the coronavirus epidemic, inland ports like Alashankou have become an important channel to boost China's foreign trade.

Goods exported through Alashankou Port can arrive in Europe within 15 days, which is 80 percent shorter than by sea, while the price is only about 20 percent of that by air, according to staff with Alashankou International Express Co., Ltd.

Alashankou Port is the nearest railway port in China to the European Union. Cross-border e-commerce packages exported through Alashankou Port are mainly toys, furniture, clothing and daily commodities. Enditem