The freight turnover of Sino-Europe trains departing from Shenzhen reached 22,200 metric tons in the first two months of this year, up by 103% year on year, Shenzhen Customs said Thursday.
In January and February, a total of 31 trains ran on the route, up by 40.9% year on year, the customs said.
In the latest departure March 6, a freight train carrying 110 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of goods worth 29.71 million yuan (US$4.3 million), including Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV bulk parts and kitchen wares, departed from Pinghu South National Logistics Hub for Minsk of Belarus.
The Sino-Europe railway service has become an important trade logistics mode between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Central and West Asia and Europe, as per the customs.
Shenzhen started the Sino-Europe freight train service in August 2020, when the first train carrying GBA-made industrial products left for Duisburg, Germany.
Sino-Europe trains have gained popularity among enterprises for its safety, convenience, low cost and being environmentally friendly, according to the customs. So far, over 3,000 enterprises in the GBA have used the service.
According to Wang Kan, deputy director of Guangdong Customs, the sustained increase in the number of Sino-foreign freight trains departing from Guangdong has helped build a dense and advanced transportation network. It has also created an efficient logistics channel for the province to further develop its foreign trade and expand its exchanges and cooperation with the rest of the world.
Guangdong has seven departure stations for international freight trains, mainly in GBA cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Jiangmen.
“Customs departments in Guangdong have introduced internet plus and online information platforms to help achieve integrated customs clearance and paperless declaration for local companies to ensure the efficient customs clearance of Sino-foreign freight trains,” Wang told China Daily in a recent interview.
As of 2022, Sino-Europe freight trains from China had run on 82 routes with 200 stops in 24 European countries. Over 50,000 kinds of goods have been transported through these trains, ranging from grain to clothing to automobile parts, according to a China Daily report.