China's Yangtze River Delta sees rise in China-Europe freight train trips

China-Europe freight train "Shanghai Express" is seen in Hamburg, Germany, on Oct. 26, 2021.(Xinhua/Wang Qing)

SHANGHAI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Yangtze River Delta region, China's foreign trade hub, handled 1,135 trips made by China-Europe freight trains in the first five months of this year, up 8.8 percent year on year, said China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

The trains carried 110,600 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 6.5 percent, year on year.

The number of China-Europe freight train trips departing from the region totaled 235 in May, up 12.4 percent month on month and 14.1 percent year on year. A total of 23,000 TEUs were delivered, up 15.8 percent month on month and 12.9 percent year on year.

"Our products are mainly sold to European countries. The trains guarantee transportation time and help us save logistics costs," said Zhu Weidong, manager of China Marine Shipping Agency Ningbo Co., Ltd.

Yiwu in east China, China's small commodity hub, delivered 23,700 TEUs of cargo via 486 China-Europe freight trains in the first five months of this year.

The outbound trains from Yiwu to some European countries carry mainly small commodities. Inbound trains to Yiwu bring in milk, red wine, raw materials, machinery and equipment, items for cross-border e-commerce, and wood furniture, among others.