URUMQI, June 7 (Xinhua) – The number of China-Europe freight trains via Alataw Pass, the largest inland port in Northwest China, has topped 5,000, hinting accelerated trade exchanges between China and countries in Asia and Europe.
Alataw Pass in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is one of the busiest land ports on the modern Silk Road and connects the East Asia economic rim and the European economic circle.
According to local customs, 816 westbound freight trains have travelled through the pass in 2018, bringing the total number of trains passing through the transport hub to 5,000, since 2011 when the Yuxinou Railway linking southwest China’s Chongqing with Duisburg of Germany was opened.
As of the end of May, 10 China-Europe cargo train routes pass through Alataw, reaching 36 cities in 13 European countries.
To improve customs clearance efficiency, the Alataw Customs House offers 24-hour services. What’s more, it prioritizes inspection of goods on China-Europe cargo trains during working hours and requires clearance reservation during the non-working time. At night, the customs house gives a release to China-Europe cargo train upon arrival and after inspection.
It is estimated that transporting via the China-Europe railway costs one-fifth of the expense of the air freight and takes one-third of the time of shipping.
Earlier statistics show that in the first four months of 2018, imports via the pass reached 6.29 million tonnes, up 10 percent year on year, while exports reached 947,000 tonnes, up 5.7 percent. (Contributed by Duan Jing, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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