CHONGQING — Southwest China's Chongqing municipality saw 7,596 truck departures via its cross-border highway freight service by the end of September since its launch, said local authorities.

The service had delivered 17,091 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers by Sept 30, with a total cargo weight of some 123,600 tons worth about 4.47 billion yuan (about $698 million), said the Chongqing highway logistics base.

Launched in April 2016, Chongqing's cross-border highway freight service mainly caters to countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It massively reduced transportation time compared with sea freight.

Via the service, auto and motorcycle parts made in Chongqing and surrounding regions are transported directly to Southeast Asia. Grain, oil, and timber produced in Southeast Asia are transported to Chongqing before reaching other parts of China.

The freight service currently operates nine routes to ASEAN countries and Central Asia.