On June 8, a Zhejiang China-Europe freight train officially set off from Yiwuxi Railway Station in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, heading straight for Afghanistan. Loaded with a full range of commodities including daily necessities, hardware supplies, home appliances and household goods, this new rail shipment marks another solid step for Yiwu’s cross-border rail transport to expand into Central Asian markets.

This outbound China-Europe freight train adopts a mature market-oriented procurement customs clearance mode, a well-optimized logistics solution widely applied in Yiwu’s foreign trade business. The streamlined clearance process effectively cuts down comprehensive logistics expenses, shortens the overall transit cycle and greatly improves the cost-effectiveness of cargo transportation. By launching this direct route, a stable and efficient trade corridor has been formally built between Zhejiang Province and Afghanistan. Given the relatively underdeveloped light industry in Afghanistan, the country has strong demand for imported daily consumer goods and general merchandise. The new freight train service will reliably deliver high-quality Chinese goods to meet local market needs, while also creating new export opportunities for manufacturers and merchants across Zhejiang.

Benefiting from Yiwu’s world-famous small commodity market and sound international trade ecosystem, the Zhejiang China-Europe freight train network has achieved remarkable growth over the past decade. Up to now, the service has launched 27 international rail routes, covering more than 160 cities across 50 countries and regions throughout Eurasia. As a core departure hub for China-Europe freight trains, Yiwu leverages its complete industrial chain, abundant commodity resources and mature foreign trade experience to keep the rail freight operation stable, efficient and scalable.

Looking ahead, Zhejiang will further combine China-Europe freight trains, market procurement trade and cross-border e-commerce to form an integrated cross-border trade system. The local government and related operators will continue to convert Yiwu’s unique industrial, market and logistics strengths into real gains for international trade. This will not only drive sustained growth of cross-border cargo volumes but also strongly support Zhejiang’s pursuit of high-standard opening-up and deepen economic and trade cooperation between China and countries along the Eurasian rail routes.