China Southern Airlines is launching Boeing 777F service between Los Angeles International Airport and Tianjin, China.
The 13-hour direct service marks the only dedicated freighter route linking Tianjin and North America.
China Southern Cargo will also launch Los Angeles-Tianjin-Shanghai cargo service starting Friday.
The new Los Angeles-Tianjin-Guangzhou service operates twice weekly, departing from Los Angeles International Airport at midnight, direct to Tianjin, before continuing onward to Baiyun International Airport Guangzhou and then returning to Los Angeles.
China Southern can now offer 135 tonnes of cargo capacity from Los Angeles to Tianjin per week. Approximately 200 tonnes of online shopping is being moved from the U.S. to Tianjin each month and 85 percent of online shipping is being moved through Los Angeles to Tianjin.
After arriving in Tianjin, cargo can be transported via ground, same day, to 24 cities in China, including Beijing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Xi’an and Urumqi.
Tianjin is a newly named city for customs clearance. All imported and exported goods from Tianjin use simplified customs procedures.