China-Kazakhstan Visa Exemption Delivers Results: Khorgos Tops One Million Annual Passengers and Sets a New Rail Freight Record

The number of people entering and exiting the highway port exceeded 1 million, and the freight volume from January to July was 27.01 million tons, ranking first among Xinjiang ports.

August 26, 2026 by

According to CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency and other reports: With the implementation of the 30-day mutual visa exemption policy between China and Kazakhstan and the upgrade of smart ports, the inbound and outbound passenger flow at the Horgos Highway Port has hit new highs since 2026 - as of August 4, it exceeded 1 million, 15 days earlier than last year, with an average daily number of about 4,900 and a single-day peak of more than 8,000; the port has been opened for 9 On this China-Kazakhstan international passenger transport line, "holding your passport and leaving as you please" has become the norm. Among the passengers, there are not only tourists, but also foreign trade merchants and cross-border practitioners traveling between the two countries.

Horgos Port is booming in terms of both passenger and cargo traffic

Both passengers and cargo are booming: cargo volume ranks first among Xinjiang ports

Horgos Customs data shows that from January to July 2026, the import and export freight volume at the port was 27.012 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%, ranking first among Xinjiang ports; the number of China-Europe (Central Asia) trains at the railway port exceeded 6,000, and the cargo volume exceeded 10 million tons. The customs has implemented smart measures such as 7×24-hour customs clearance, "one-code access", and direct local access, improving customs clearance efficiency by about 80%.

What does it mean for Qingdao enterprises?

Horgos is one of the main ports for Qingdao trains and TIR road transportation outbound Central Asia. Facilitating the flow of merchants and improving customs clearance efficiency means that it is cheaper and more efficient for Qingdao furniture companies to go to Central Asia to inspect the market, visit customers, and participate in local exhibitions in Horgos (such as the Central Asia Home Building Materials Expo in September).

Source of information: CCTV News/China Economic Net (2026-08-05), Xinhua News Agency·Xinhua Silk Road (2026-08-25) and other public reports.

Connect with Central Asia overseas resources Consult Qingdao Furniture Association

Behind Tencent's Investment in Kaspi: Why Kazakhstan's E-Commerce Is a Blue Ocean for Chinese Home Brands

Kaspi accounts for about 60% of Kazakhstan’s e-commerce share, and Tencent invested US$518 million in shares; household products and home textiles are the platform’s best-selling categories.