Suzhou bolsters trade with BRI partner countries

According to statistics released by Suzhou Customs, from January to July this year, the city's trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reached 554.09 billion yuan ($77.78 billion), marking a 15.1 percent increase.

Specifically, trade with the United Arab Emirates, five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries exhibited substantial growth, with respective increases of 60.3 percent, 27.9 percent, and 11.8 percent.

Suzhou is one of the departure stations for the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express), which significantly streamlines trade activities with BRI partner countries.

Wang Bingtao, department manager at Suzhou Long Yue Lithium-Power Vehicle, a leading national manufacturer of electric bikes which expanded to the Polish market last year, highlighted the efficiency of the CR Express, which greatly facilitates the company's business with Poland by taking just 25 to 35 days for delivery compared with sea transport, which usually takes over 60 days or even longer.