Express rail service boosts China, Kazakhstan trade

The China-Europe Railway Express train Urad Rear Banner has boosted trade between China and the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan, injecting new vitality into regional economic development.

The train, which was launched on Jan 12, departs from Urad Rear Banner — administered by Bayannuur, Inner Mongolia autonomous region — heads to destinations in Central Asia and Europe.

Its opening is said to have played an essential role in boosting sunflower seed processing and trade in Bayannuur. Bayannuur imports oil-rich sunflower seeds from Kazakhstan for oil extraction and exports instant food made from sunflower seeds to that country.

As the largest sunflower oil production center in China, dozens of grain and oil production enterprises in Bayannuur are involved in the processing business. From January to August, 17 trains traveling from Semey, Kazakhstan, to Bayannuur shipped 24,592 metric tons of oil sunflower seeds valued at 168.81 million yuan ($25.33 million).

During the same period, a total of 9,035 tons of goods, such as small commodities, were exported to Central Asia and Eastern Europe by the express line, generating trade valued at 69.23 million yuan.

Moving forward, Urad Rear Banner is planning to build itself up as an international land port by taking full advantage of the train.