A cargo flight returned to Yiwu, Jinhua from Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, capital of the Philippines, at 6 pm on March 2, marking the official operation of the Yiwu-Manila cargo flight.

This is Yiwu Airport's second international cargo route following the one to Osaka, Japan which was opened in 2019 and the first to Southeast Asia.

The newly-launched flight mainly carries cross-border e-commerce goods, trade goods and anti-epidemic supplies. The Yiwu-Manila flight, serviced by Hangzhou YTO Cargo Airlines, operates on Wednesdays and Fridays. The frequency will eventually be increased to three flights per week.

The Philippines is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). In 2020, Yiwu's trade with ASEAN surged 16.9 percent year-on-year to 35.21 billion yuan ($5.45 billion).

The cross-border e-commerce trade industry in Yiwu has experienced rapid development in recent years. Two Southeast Asian countries-oriented cross-border e-commerce platforms, Shopee and Lazada, have established warehouses in the city. These platforms have daily shipments of 10 to 20 metric tons and 8 to 10 tons respectively.

The flight will promote the efficiency of Yiwu's cross-border e-commerce exports to Southeast Asian countries, reduce local companies' logistics costs, and improve Yiwu Airport's capability to stabilize foreign trade and supply chain.