Guangxi's first China-Europe freight train of 2023 departs from Liuzhou for Moscow

Photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for the Russian capital Moscow from Liuzhou city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhou Yijie)

A China-Europe freight train departed from the Liuzhou railway port in Liuzhou city, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Jan. 15, 2023, carrying 55 containers of heavy machinery such as graders, loaders and rollers bound for the Russian capital Moscow. This marks the first trip made by the Liuzhou-Moscow freight train service this year.

Since China Railway Nanning Bureau Group Co., Ltd. launched the Liuzhou-Moscow freight train service in May 2021, Liuzhou railway port and the Nanning international railway port have continuously been launching freight trains carrying heavy machinery. As of Jan. 15, 2023, 21 such trains had been operated and 2,057 containers of construction machinery had been shipped. So far, heavy machinery from Guangxi, including loaders and rollers, has been sold to over 170 countries and regions.

China and Russia signed a customs agreement on mutual Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) to facilitate customs clearance for enterprises in February 2022. Chinese machinery manufacturer Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd. is one of the companies listed as an AEO enterprise.

A crane moves a container in Liuzhou city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Photo/Lin He)

“Our export volume through the China-Europe freight train service doubled year on year in 2022 to over 270 million yuan (about $40.35 million),” said Li Kailiang, an international business director of the company.

Li explained that Liugong will give full play to the AEO system between China and Russia and the company’s 120-plus outlets in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) regions to expand its overseas market.

Tang Guide, director of the Liuzhou freight center of China Railway Nanning Bureau Group Co., Ltd., said the Chinese railway department will leverage the AEO system between China and Russia and the driving force of the RCEP, guarantee the safe and smooth operations of the China-Europe freight train service, and encourage more local export enterprises to develop business in Belt and Road countries using China-Europe freight trains.