By 2020 China to triple rail freight in trade with Europe

Almaty. May 18. Silkroadnews – By 2020 China plans to triple the volume of rail traffic in trade with Europe, Nikkei reports.

Thus, the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China predicts that in 2020 5 thousand freight trains will be shipped along the route connecting China and Europe compared to 1.8 thousand in 2016. To ensure such growth rates it is necessary not only to increase exports to Europe, but also to develop trade with that states located along the routes of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB), Zhou Shulin, chairman of the supervisory board of the Chongqing-Duisburg railway route operator, told in his interview with Nikkei.

According to him, China also intends to increase imports from Europe. When the route just started operating back in 2011, there was no demand for such imports, he said.

Initially, the Chongqing-Duisburg railway route was launched to serve the export of computers, printers and other IT electronics. Since 2013, when China announced the launch of the SREB program, export shipments by rail started gaining popularity. This contributed to development of exports from other internal regions of China, for example, the growth of coffee supplies from Yunnan. The supply of machinery, clothing and household goods increased as well, and by 2016, IT electronics from Chongqing accounted for a half of the total transport volume.