Guangzhou marks decade of China-Europe freight trains with 2,364th departure

Guangzhou marked a decade of China-Europe freight train operations on Friday, with the 2,364th train supervised by Guangzhou Customs departing from Guangzhou International Port in Guangdong province on Thursday, loaded with small household appliances bound for Europe via Manzhouli Port.

Over the past 10 years, import and export rail freight through Guangzhou ports has recorded a combined cargo value exceeding 110 billion yuan ($16.62 billion), according to a statement from Guangzhou Customs.

The service has expanded significantly from its initial single outbound route and exit port to 24 routes operating from Guangzhou International Port and Nansha Port, covering more than 40 cities across over 20 countries in Eurasia. Operations are now coordinated across seven ports via three domestic corridors spanning western, central, and eastern China.

The cargo mix has shifted just as markedly. Early shipments centered on garments, footwear, and toys; today electronics, new‑energy vehicles, and precision machinery lead outbound freight.

"High‑value‑added products can now make up 70 percent of outbound cargo from Guangzhou International Port via the rail service," said Cheng Jie, director of the supervision division at Guangzhou Station Customs. Year-to-date figures cover 3,480 export vehicles and around 2.4 billion yuan worth of smart home appliances, including coffee machines and smart speakers.

The service now supports more than 5,000 foreign trade firms spanning home appliances, electronics, machinery, textiles and new energy industries, Chen said.