Intl parcel volume exceeds 20 million at Alataw Pass port in NW China

A China-Europe freight train loaded with 162,900 international parcels departed from Alataw Pass, an important port in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on June 30, an event that marked the first time the volume of international parcels exported from the port exceeded 20 million.

According to port Customs, it only took 160 days to reach that volume since the region launched its cross-border e-commerce business on Jan 21. And it means the daily average of cross-border e-commerce parcels inspected at the port is 125,000 since business was initiated.

Most cross-border e-commerce parcels are toys, furniture, clothes, household products and electronic products, and the parcels are mainly carried by the China-Europe freight train, since it has the advantages of providing reliable transport and its freight costs are more than one-third less than that of air transportation.

A staff member with Alashankou International Express Co Ltd in Alataw Pass said goods exported through the port can arrive in Europe within 15 days, which is 80 percent shorter than the time it takes to ship products by sea, while the price is about 20 percent of that by air.

Alataw Pass, which was established by the State Council in 1990, is the largest port in the region on the border with Kazakhstan and is playing an important role as the region becomes better connected with the international community through the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Last year, nearly 70 percent of China-Europe freight trains went through Alataw Pass, data showed.