Horgos Port, a major railway hub in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, handled a record high of 8,730 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train trips in 2024, up 12.5 percent year on year, local customs data showed.
More than 12 million tons of goods were handled by China-Europe freight trains last year at the port, marking a 10.9 percent increase over the previous year and setting another record, local customs revealed.
The port in 2024 maintained an daily average of over 22 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train trips, facilitating the transportation of an increasing number of "Made in China" products such as daily necessities, mechanical and electrical equipment, electronic products as well as agricultural and sideline products to Central Asian and European markets.
"After the implementation of fast customs clearance, the trains can now leave China immediately upon reaching the port. In 2024, our company, operating as a freight forwarder, managed over 2,000 China-Europe freight trains, up 25 percent year on year," said Wang Kai, a business manager at Xinjiang Zhonglian Haitong International Freight Forwarders Co., Ltd.
To improve train operation efficiency, Horgos Port customs has established dedicated service counters for China-Europe freight train clearance, available around the clock.
In addition, the process for outbound freight trains have also been streamlined, allowing both customs clearance and border inspections to be completed during a single stop.
"When trains stop, customs and border checks are efficiently carried out together in a single area, saving 30 minutes in inspection and clearance for each train," said Zhao Yuanfeng, a customs officer.
To date, over 41,000 China-Europe (Central Asia) freight trains have passed through the Horgos Port, with 85 rail routes in operation worldwide, covering 18 countries, regions, and 46 cities.
Xinjiang's Horgos Port sees record China-Europe freight trains in 2024
