By Yuling Chen, EDITOR

This month, China Railway Express (Chongqing) will open regular special trains for cross-border e-commerce.

The State Council has included the China Railway Express (Chongqing) into the Report on the Implementation of the 2018 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2019 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as the Report).

China Railway Express (Chongqing) to Europe

The Report requires the priority go to the promotion of high-quality development of China Railway Express (Chongqing) and the acceleration of the global distribution of “Silk-Road E-Commerce”.

Open special trains for cross-border e-commerce

The year 2018 saw a total of 1,442 China Railway Express (Chongqing) trains dispatched, including 714 departures and 728 returns. The year-on-year increase of 1.17 times exceeds the annual goal of 1,000 trains. In the meantime, for the first time, the number of returning trains exceeded that of departing ones.

There is one special train to Poland for cross-border e-commerce per week, and it will launch this month.

The only pilot city for transporting international mails

The State Council has issued the Notice by the State Council Regarding Several Measures for Supporting Pilot Free Trade Zones in Deepening Reform and Innovation. It gives Chongqing two “privileges”, one of which is the right to transport mails by railway.

Approved by General Administration of Customs, therefore, Chongqing has become China’s first pilot city for transporting international mails through freight trains.

According to statistics, China Railway Express (Chongqing) has achieved normalization of transport mails via trains. From October 2017 to the end of November 2018, China Post Group shipped 790,000 mails by railway. With a total weight of about 240 tons, this mail is worth approximately USD 11.5 million.

Source: CQCB