The volume of freight transport via China's New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor cross-border highways saw "robust growth" in January — with a significant increase in the number of trucks involved.

In January, a total of 488 trucks carried goods worth about 174.29 million yuan (about 25.7 million US dollars) via the highways, up 838 percent and 384 percent year on year, respectively, Chinese state media reported, citing report from the Banan District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

It added that since January 31, a total of 12,161 truck trips had delivered goods worth over 7.3 billion yuan (US$1.06 billion )to Southeast Asia, Central Asia and South Asia, since the service was launched in April 2016.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by provincial-level regions of western China and ASEAN countries.

The freight service currently offers 11 highway routes to Southeast Asia, Central Asia and South Asia, with more than 30 overseas distribution warehouses operational in Southeast Asian countries, including Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.