Freight trains to Europe key to GBA expansion

The China-Europe freight trains originating in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, have become an important bridge allowing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to further expand its opening-up and achieve high-quality development.

Meanwhile, the operation of the trains has injected new energy into the GBA's participation in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a statement released by Guangzhou Customs on Wednesday.

Customs departments in the southern metropolis have supervised the operation of 1,193 China-Europe freight trains, with a total declared import and export value of 31.5 billion yuan ($4.38 billion) over the past seven years, the statement said.

On Monday morning, a train loaded with household appliances, LED lamps and related items made in GBA, departed from Guangzhou for destinations in Europe, marking the seventh anniversary of the operation of China-Europe freight trains from Guangzhou.

The China-Europe freight trains have linked Guangzhou to more than 40 cities in 20 countries, forming an international logistics network covering the Eurasian continent, the statement said.

From 2016 to 2022, the annual number of China-Europe freight trains supervised by Guangzhou Customs increased from 13 to 339, an average annual growth rate of more than 70 percent.

The rapid development has continued. In the first seven months of this year, 383 China-Europe freight trains carrying 36,600 TEUs, exited and entered Guangzhou, up year-on-year 133.54 percent.

Guangzhou has seen more than 30 China-Europe freight trains departing in a single month for 13 consecutive months. In addition, the categories of goods shipped by China-Europe freight trains have expanded.

During the initial phase, exported commodities were mainly goods of low value-added, including clothing, shoes, hats, kitchenware and hardware accessories. In recent years, however, the export of products of high value-added, including electronic equipment, mechanical equipment and new energy vehicles, is growing.

In the first half of the year, the export of high-tech products via China-Europe freight trains has increased significantly — by 1.8 times year-on-year — with exports of computers and communication technology more than doubling year-on-year and exports of household appliances increasing by 1.2 times year-on-year.

Zeng Qi, deputy director of the port supervision division of Guangzhou Customs, said the authorities will further optimize services to better serve the high-quality development of the BRI in the months to come.