The first train loaded with imported fruit from ASEAN countries since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect Jan 1 arrives in Pingxiang. [Photo by Li Yi/Guangxi Daily]

The first train loaded with imported fruit from ASEAN countries since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect on Jan 1 arrived in Pingxiang, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Jan 6.

The train was loaded with 288 metric tons of Thai durian worth a total of 11 million yuan ($2 million). 

Pingxiang Railway Port, located near Vietnam, is vital for cargo transportation on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Measures have been taken to increase the efficiency of rail transport.

The train was the first to be inspected using the H986 inspection system for large containers, allowing it to go through clearance without stopping and to finish the whole process in less than a minute.

"The RCEP has further reduced tariffs on imported cargo, and the increasingly convenient customs clearance procedures have greatly cut down on transportation costs," said Fang Peng, who works at a local international logistics company.

Guangxi handled 346 China-Vietnam freight train trips in 2021, up 108.4 percent year-on-year, and 19,400 tons of fruit were shipped, a year-on-year growth of 14.66 percent. RCEP is expected to further expand the types of cargo delivered by the train, and 400 trains are set to operate in 2022.