China-Laos Railway Booms in Q1, Boosting Two-Way Cross-Border Trade

With the long whistle echoing through mountains and valleys, the supervision operation area of Mohan Railway Port is already bustling in the early morning, where containers are neatly stacked and gantry cranes move slowly, painting a vivid picture of smooth cargo flow, according to People’s Network.

Data from Menla Customs, affiliated to Kunming Customs, shows that in the first quarter of this year, the import and export value of goods via the China-Laos Railway reached 6.81 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 62.7%, hitting a record high for the same period in history. For imports, the value of fresh and dried fruits imported through the railway reached 500 million yuan, doubling year-on-year, while bulk commodities such as grain, metal ores and mineral sands reached 1.13 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34.6%.

The daily number of trains has increased from 2 to 20, with cross-border freight volume and value rising year by year. Since its operation, the total import and export value of the China-Laos Railway has exceeded 8 billion yuan, with the number of commodity categories expanding from over 500 to 3,800, serving more than 6,000 enterprises nationwide and radiating 19 countries and regions including Laos and Thailand.

To facilitate cross-border trade, Kunming Customs has launched 16 specific measures to optimize the port business environment, implemented eight actions to promote high-quality foreign trade development in Yunnan, and reformed supervision models such as "Railway Express Clearance" and "Release First, Inspection Later".

"The railway cold chain maintains precise temperature control and convenient customs clearance—goods shipped on the same day can reach the domestic market the next day. Business is getting better with increasing demand in peak seasons," said Zhou Xiongkun, person in charge of Kunming Xingzhan Agricultural Co., Ltd. Mohan Railway Port has become China’s largest railway port for durian imports.

Feng Bing, deputy director of Menla Customs, introduced that the customs has adopted a "customs-enterprise dialogue" mechanism, strengthened supervision and services for key goods, and carried out rapid inspections to ensure food safety while facilitating fresh imports.

The railway also boosts exports of China’s "new three foreign trade products". In Q1, exports of these products reached 1.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year surge of 10.4 times, including 1.19 billion yuan of photovoltaic products. "The whole process is smooth, helping us seize market opportunities," said Zhang Xuekong, customs contact person of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd.

More than 80% of enterprises engaged in cross-border trade via the railway are private, sharing the dividends of opening-up. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan, the China-Laos Railway is moving towards smoother flow and higher quality, playing an important role in the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.