The first ASEAN-Yueyang freight train, fully loaded with 1,200 tonnes of imported tropical fruits such as bananas and longans, arrived at the Chenglingji New Port in Yueyang at 11:08 am on January 6, 2025.
This China-Laos-Thailand cold-chain freight train for tropical fruits pulled out of the Vientiane Station in Laos, entering China through the Mohan Port in Yunnan Province. Utilizing road-rail intermodal transport service, these fruits traveled for more than 3,000 kilometers in six days, passing through Kunming and Huaihua before reaching Yueyang. This method saved 10 days compared with water transportation, and reduced costs by 10% compared to road transport.
This freight train marked that Yueyang has opened a cold-chain logistics channel for imports and exports to ASEAN countries. It will facilitate import of the high-quality products from Laos, Thailand, and other ASEAN countries, help promote Hunan's products to go global, and boost integrated development of logistics, industries, and trade along the route.
Yueyang will take this opportunity to vigorously implement international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. It will strive to ensure sufficient supply of goods and stable transport channels, introducing the fresh fruits from ASEAN while delivering Hunan and surrounding regions' vegetables and agricultural products to overseas markets. The cold-chain freight train operation will be further enhanced in a two-way and regular manner. It will contribute to Hunan's high-quality development of foreign trade and play a supporting role in facilitating the dual circulation of domestic and international markets.
