According to the data released by Kunming Customs on September 17, since the opening of the China Laos Railway on December 3, 2021, as of September 16, 2024, the accumulated supervision, inspection and release of goods imported and exported by the China Laos Railway have reached 10.02 million tons, with a value of 40.77 billion yuan. Mechanical and electrical products and agricultural products made in China, as well as natural rubber and tropical fruits from Laos and Thailand, have “two-way travel” through the China Laos railway, effectively promoting economic and trade exchanges along the line.
Since the opening of the China Laos Railway, the structure of goods carried has been continuously optimized, and the categories of import and export commodities have expanded from more than 500 at the beginning to more than 3000 at present. In the first eight months of this year, the import and export freight volume of China Laos railway reached 3.584 million tons, up 22.8% year on year; The import and export value was 12.38 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 56%. Among them, imports and exports to Laos and Thailand amounted to 8.37 billion and 3.98 billion yuan respectively, with year-on-year growth of 57.5% and 79.4%, respectively.
At present, international intermodal transport modes such as “China Laos Railway+China Europe Express” are operating well. In the first eight months of this year, a total of 30.627 million yuan worth of goods were carried through the border by the “China Laos Railway+China Europe Express” freight train.
“The daily average number of international freight trains operated by the China Laos Railway has grown from 2 in the early days to 17 now, and cross-border freight transport has covered 12 countries jointly built along the the Belt and Road, including Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and major cities in 31 provinces in China. The cumulative volume of goods transported by the China Laos Railway international freight trains has exceeded 10 million tons, highlighting the deep potential and broad prospects for economic and trade cooperation between China, Laos, and Southeast Asian countries.” said Li Hongxing, deputy director of Kunming Logistics Center of China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. (Reporter Ding Yiquan)