XIAMEN, June 25 (NNN-XINHUA) – At the transport hub of China-Europe freight trains in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, several container trailers were being loaded with goods bound for Hamburg, Germany.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken global economy and necessitated transportation restrictions, China-Europe freight trains in Xiamen are gaining steam, providing a safe and efficient logistics platform for enterprises.
“The pandemic had limited influence on our production. The stable operation of China-Europe cargo trains can guarantee timely delivery of our LCD panels to a Polish factory,” said Wang Weidi, manager of the logistics department of TPV Display Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd.
According to Wang, the company exported a total of 705 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU’s) of electronic products through the cargo train service, in the first five months of this year, 26 TEU’s less than the same period last year.
“It’s not easy to achieve such a result, especially amid the pandemic. The train service provided a solid foundation for our production and sales in the European market,” Wang said.
From Jan 1 to May 29, a total of 112 China-Europe cargo trains departed from Xiamen, transporting 10,206 TEU’s worth around 396 million U.S. dollars, up 84 percent, 119 percent and 120 percent year on year, respectively, according to Xiamen’s Haicang Customs House.
Chen Qi, head of Haicang Customs House, said, the China-Europe freight trains departing from the coastal city of Xiamen now make nine trips every week, compared with six trips in the past, to meet customers’ booming demand.
Nationwide, China-Europe freight trains hit a new high of 1,033 trips in May, up 43 percent year on year, transporting a record of 93,000 TEU’s of freight, data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. showed.
China’s foreign trade with the European Union (EU) totalled 1.6 trillion yuan (about 226 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months of this year, making the EU the largest trading partner of China during the period, according to the General Administration of Customs.
The freight trains have also been playing a crucial role in supporting Europe’s anti-pandemic fight, sending 1.86 million pieces of supplies totalling 12,524 tonnes to European countries, including Poland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands from Jan to May.
“The nonstop operation of China-Europe freight trains, amid the pandemic provided strong support in stabilising the global supply chain,” Li said.
“The China-Europe freight train service helps enhance the economic and trade cooperation between China and European countries, which aids the recovery of global economy,” Li added.– NNN-XINHUA
