China's railway department on Sunday implemented a new train timetable for railways across the country, after which 13,028 passenger trains are scheduled, 230 more from the previous one.
After the adjustment, cross-border trains increased significantly, with the number of daily cross-border EMU trains on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway increasing to 242.
The new timetable also strengthened the link between mainland and Hong Kong. For the first time, EMU trains from Xi'an North Station, Wuhan Station, and Jieyang Station to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station were put into operation. The round-trip travel time of high-speed trains and EMU sleeper trains between Beijing West and Hong Kong West Kowloon was shortened by 33 minutes and 59 minutes respectively.
The running time of trains heading south from north has been greatly shortened under the new timetable. For example, the fastest time between Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China, and Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province will be shortened to 10 hours and 43 minutes, about 13 hours shorter than before.
"We will upgrade 10 pairs of high-speed trains, including the G920 from Shenyang to Beijing and the G3603 from Changbaishan station to Beijing's Chaoyang station, into Fuxing intelligent EMUs, which will provide a more comfortable and quieter riding environment," said Guo Shuang, a staff member of the National Railway Shenyang Bureau.
After the adjustment, the total number of freight trains running on railways nationwide will reach 22,859, an increase of 91 from before, to ensure the transportation of key materials during the Spring Festival travel rush.
Additional freight trains will run on multiple railways linking Lanzhou in northwest China's Gansu Province to improve the transportation capacity of coal from Xinjiang. The total number of freight trains for direct bulk delivery will exceed 400, providing strong support for winter energy supply and the smooth operation of the national economy.
China updates train timetable for railways across country
A 25 percent import tariff on all foreign-built vehicles entering the United States has raised serious concerns for manufacturers in South Africa.
Automotive giants like Mercedes and BMW have long used South Africa as a base for global exports -- but those plans may be shifting into reverse gear after the U.S. announced the punitive measures.
"If you take, for example, BMW, 97 percent of the X3 that we are producing in Rosslyn is exported out of the country. We only sell 3 percent in South Africa, and there's a huge number of those vehicles that also go into the U.S. So there are companies in South Africa that are purely here not because they are selling vehicles in South Africa; they are here to produce vehicles for the global market, and it's important for them to remain globally competitive," said Mike Mabasa, CEO of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa.
U.S. automaker Ford, which has deep roots in South Africa, is also in the crosshairs.
The company recently invested over 300 million U.S. dollars to upgrade its Silverton plant in Pretoria, South Africa, for the production of the world's only plug-in hybrid Ranger, which has just entered production but could face delays or restrictions.
"If an American citizen wants to buy specifically a Ford Ranger that is a plug-in hybrid, they can only place an order in South Africa, nowhere else in the world. So, that means, obviously, the capacity of Ford to be able to produce those vehicles in big volumes is going to be constrained, because Americans are going be looking at another Ford that is produced in another country, or even in the United States," said Mabasa.
South Africa has long enjoyed duty-free automotive exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, but that relationship now hangs in the balance.
A sharp shift in U.S. foreign policy threatens to derail an industry that employs thousands and contributes around 5 percent to the country's economy.
"We produce less than 1 percent of global automotive vehicles, so to say. So, in reality, the impact on us is likely to be more disproportionate than those of our peers that produce at the same level. And the risk is actually created -- a concentration risk -- in countries that have greater capacity and are building more; in those countries will be able to absorb some of this," said Parks Tau, South Africa's minister of trade and industry.
Amid growing concerns about overreliance on the U.S. market, Amith Singh, national manager for manufacturing at Nedbank Commercial Bank, emphasized the importance of tapping into regional trade opportunities.
"I think we need to make better use of some of our local agreements, our African continental agreements. How do we leverage that? How do we partner with the government and private sector to start benefiting the countries and the economies aside from the United States? So, those could be the catalyst to drive our localization projects; it could be what we need to drive the African economy as opposed to being completely reliant on the States (United States)," he said.
South Africa is for now standing firm in its decision not to retaliate against steep U.S. import tariffs, set to take effect in just a few days.
Officials in Pretoria acknowledge the challenges posed by the current U.S. administration but are pursuing a diplomatic approach in hopes of maintaining stable relations and preserving the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
US tariffs rock South Africa’s auto industry
