7月9日，记者从重庆市政府口岸办获悉，国务院已批准重庆设立汽车整车进口口岸。这是继重庆铁路口岸开放后，国务院批准重庆设立的又一重大开放功能平台，这也是国家首次在西部内陆地区设立整车口岸。

汽车整车进口口岸是指享有开展从国外进口汽车整体业务范围的进口口岸。此前，全国的汽车整车进口口岸共14个，其中11个主要分布于沿海一线，包括北京、天津、大连、上海、黄埔、钦州、福州、青岛、张家港、宁波、深圳等地，此外还有满洲里、新疆阿拉山口、霍尔果斯3个沿边口岸。虽然口岸为数众多，但实际上全国进口汽车基本集中在天津、上海、广州3个口岸。

此次，国务院新批复的三个汽车整车进口口岸，除重庆外，还有河南郑州和湖南岳阳，均为内陆城市。有分析人士认为，这是汽车整车进口口岸首次布局在中西部内陆，且重庆和岳阳都在长江经济带上，加上之前的上海、张家港、宁波，就串起了长江经济带的五个城市。重庆又是渝新欧的起点，又连起了丝绸之路经济带，战略意义颇有深意。

重庆市政府口岸办相关人士介绍，之前汽车整车进口口岸设在沿海、延边，是因为内陆还不具备设立整车进口口岸的条件。而渝新欧的开通运行，为汽车整车进口的陆路运输提供了基础和条件。此次重庆获批，最直接的影响，也将是解决渝新欧的回程货物问题。

Chongqing Automobile Import Port Approved

On July 9, it is learned from Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Port Office that the State Council had authorized Chongqing to set up an automobile import port. It is another major functional platform for opening-up established by Chongqing under the authorization of the State Council since the opening of Chongqing Railway Port. It is also the fi rst automobile import port authorized by the State Council in inland areas of West China.

Automobile import port refers to an import port entitled to such business as importing cars from other counties.Previously, there were in all 14 such ports in China, 11 of which were distributed along the coastal line of China, including Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Huangpu, Qinzhou, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Zhangjiagang, Ningbo and Shenzhen, while the rest were in Manzhouli, Alataw Pass and Khorgos Ports distributed along the borderline. Despite the sheer number, the imported cars in China are primarily in Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

This time, the State Council approved three automobile import ports in inland cities of Zhengzhou, Henan Province and Yueyang, Hunan Province in addition to Chongqing. Some analysts hold that it is the fi rst time that the automobile import ports have been confi gured in inland areas of Central and West China, and Chongqing and Yueyang, which are located in the Yangtze River Economic Zone, together with Shanghai, Zhangjiagang and Ningbo that have been approved before, form the fi ve cities in this Belt. It is of great strategic signifi cance considering that Chongqing is the starting point of Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway as well as connects with Silk Road Economic Belt.

As introduced by offi cers from Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Port Offi ce, for lack of relevant conditions in inland areas, all previous automobile import ports are based along the coastal areas and borderline of China. The launch of Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway, however, lays foundations and offers conditions for land transportation of cars from other countries into China. The most direct infl uence of Chongqing’s approval is that it ensures the backhaul cargo via Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe Railway.