Chongqing - The first China-Vietnam (Guoyuan Port-Hanoi) international freight train of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor departed on March 26, from Chongqing Guoyuan Port in southwestern China to Haiphong Industrial Zone in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

The freight train carried 43 containers exported from Chongqing with a total value exceeding 3.9 million U.S. dollars. Productions are locally made and include gasoline engines, tires, and printer paper.

The corridor is an international transport passage launched by western Chinese provincial regions and Singapore. It integrates railway, maritime, and road transportation and connects major inland cities in southwestern China with the rest of the world via Beibu Gulf in southern China.

It used to take more than 20 days for cargo shipped from Chongqing and Sichuan in Southwest China to Vietnam via ports in East China. The new freight train reduces the transport time to four to five days.

Wang Yupei, CEO of the operating company of the corridor, said that with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) took effect this January, Chongqing sees more frequent trade and exchange with economies of the ASEAN, for cities in Southwest China and countries along the corridor, the logistics cost is declining, and demand of international transport is increasing.

RCEP established the world's largest free trade zone by population. The free trade agreement links ASEAN countries and their six FTA partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India. 

According to Wang, in 2021, 30 thousand TEU of cargoes valued at over 5 billion RMB (785 million U.S. dollars) were delivered to members of RCEP via the corridor. Under the RCEP, the corridor will better connect markets, resources, and industries of countries along the route and create favorable opportunities for industry development for China and south-east Asia.

In the first two months of 2022, the data shows that 107.8 thousand Twenty-foot Equivalent Units were delivered via the corridor, with a year-on-year growth of 64.8%.

The operation of the freight train is believed to be a positive factor for Guoyuan Port to enhance its regional impact. Wang said the improvement of the special rail line in Guoyuan Port would improve the capability of Chongqing to serve West-East China and connect the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Guoyuan Port is China's largest inland river logistic port with multi-modal transportation linking major ports globally.

Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Liangjiang New Area's Free Trade Zone Office, said the China-Vietnam (Guoyuan Port-Hanoi) international freight train could deepen the economic cooperation between Chongqing and the ASEAN countries and invigorate the import and export of Liangjiang New Area.

(This article is written by Guo Shuyu, Liangjiang New Area Media Center.)