China-Europe freight train trips surge in Qingdao

Customs officers inspect a China-Europe freight train in Qingdao. [Photo by Zhou Shichao/For chinadaily.com.cn]

In the first seven months of the year, the China-Europe freight train service made 625 trips from the port city of Qingdao in East China's Shandong province, up 30.5 percent year-on-year, according to official statistics.

Local authorities said that the strong demand for cross-border goods in the post-pandemic era, as well the train service's competitive advantages - all-weather operations, large capacity, eco-friendly properties, low carbon footprint and smooth and secure services - had contributed to the surging numbers of China-Europe freight train trips.

As a result, the service has become an important international logistics channel to promote trade between China and Europe. Since it started operating in October 2018, the international freight train service in Qingdao has made more than 2,800 trips.

What's more, the service has connected to 54 cities and 23 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

That's helped shape an international logistics channel covering Shandong province, radiating out along the Yellow River basin, linking Europe and Asia, as well as connecting Japan, South Korea and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Qingdao China-Europe freight train service only carries domestic products to SCO countries. This is said to help the raw materials and quality commodities of the SCO countries - such as coal, plate and wine - enter the Chinese market.