On October 8th, Guangzhou International Commercial Port officially broke ground. That afternoon, representatives of more than 460 companies and institutions from 48 countries and regions gathered in Guangzhou as the city launched a global investment promotion campaign for the project.

With a planned total area of 9.86 square kilometers, Guangzhou International Commercial Port is located in the northwestern area of Baiyun International Airport in Huadu District. It benefits from the dual transport hubs of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Guangzhou North Railway Station, with a 10-minute connection to the airport, access to downtown Guangzhou in 30 minutes, reach across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) within an hour, and air passenger and cargo connections to destinations worldwide within 12 hours. The project will adopt a "One Core, Four Zones" layout, creating a full industrial chain spanning trade, design, manufacturing and logistics. The trade core area, which has begun construction, involves an investment of 32.5 billion yuan and covers 3.2 million square meters. It is scheduled to open in 2028.

Guangzhou currently has 508 specialized markets and around 160,000 merchants, with annual transaction value exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan. The sector directly and indirectly supports 1.81 million jobs. However, despite its large scale, the city's trade sector remains relatively weak in overall competitiveness and urgently needs transformation and upgrading. The 12th Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee explicitly called for the accelerated preparation of Guangzhou International Commercial Port.

The global investment promotion event secured 154 strategic cooperation projects, with 71 representative projects signed on site. They span platform-based businesses, fashion consumption, electronic consumer products, digital trade, trade in services, exhibitions and conventions, supply chains, logistics, time-honored brands, banking syndicates and innovative financial services. Leading companies including Vipshop, SHEIN, JD.com and Meituan are among those being brought together.

In a video address, World Trade Organization Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen said Guangzhou International Commercial Port would mean more than building a new trade center. It would also serve as a platform to explore future-oriented international trade infrastructure and greater openness.

全球客商“用脚投票”，广州国际商业港为何“未建先热”？

10月8日，广州国际商业港正式开工。同日下午，来自48个国家和地区的460多家企业和机构代表齐聚广州，广州启动广州国际商业港全球招商。

广州国际商业港规划总面积9.86平方公里，位于花都区、白云国际机场西北片区，坐拥白云机场与广州北站“空铁双枢纽”，10分钟直达白云机场，30分钟连接中心城区，1小时辐射大湾区，航空客货运12小时通达全球。项目构建“一核四片”格局，形成“商贸—设计—制造—物流”全产业链闭环。目前开工的商贸核心区投资325亿元，开发面积320万平方米，计划2028年投入使用。

广州现有专业市场508家，商户约16万家，年交易总额超1.5万亿元，直接与间接带动就业181万人。但商贸业存在“大而不强”问题，亟需转型升级。广州市委十二届十二次全会明确提出“抓紧筹建广州国际商业港”。

全球招商活动达成战略合作项目154个，现场签约代表性项目71个，覆盖平台经济、时尚消费、电子消费、数贸、服贸、会展、供应链、物流、老字号、银团和金融创新服务等领域，集聚唯品会、希音、京东、美团等头部企业。

世界贸易组织副总干事张向晨在视频致辞中表示，广州国际商业港的意义不仅在于建设一个新的商贸中心，更在于探索面向未来的国际贸易基础设施和开放平台。

文｜记者 罗仕 李焕坤
图｜记者 周巍
译｜郑书悦
审｜曾敏