Staff members from Guangzhou Customs inspect cargo from a China-Europe freight train. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Guangzhou has conducted a total of 79 China-Europe freight trains, with 7,412 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo weighing 38,557 metric tons in the first three quarters of 2020.

These figures have surpassed the total of those in 2019, reflecting the rapid development of the city's China-Europe freight train operations.

The China-Europe freight trains cover a vast area alongside the Belt and Road and boast a variety of advantages, such as large transport capacity, lower logistics costs than aviation transport, as well as shorter transportation time than shipping transport.

Household appliances manufactured by companies in the Pearl River Delta have been popular among European customers, which are distributed to European markets through the China-Europe freight trains.

At present, the China-Europe freight trains in Guangzhou have been conducted four to five times a week instead of the previous schedule of once to twice a week, setting a historic high since the start of its operations in 2016.

"The China-Europe freight train has played a vital role in smoothing international logistic channels since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). It has not only become a major channel for cargo transportation between China and Europe, but has also become the best choice for the export of Guangzhou-made products," said Xie Wanlin, a staff member from Guangzhou Customs.

Four new export routes, as well as two new import routes for the China-Europe freight train have been opened this year, further expanding the international trade channels between China, Europe, and Central Asia.