A special freight train loaded with 40 TEUs of Lao fresh cassava flour weighing 520 tons left Luang Prabang, Laos, on March 11th local time, bound for Changsha. It was the first inbound train carrying imports from Laos to Changsha along the China-Laos Railway.

The cassava flour was imported by Hunan Agricultural Development and Investment Group Co., Ltd. After arriving at China Mohan Port via the China-Laos Railway, the goods will be shipped to Changsha North Railway Station directly and then be distributed to cities and prefecture across the province.

Cassava is the best alternative to corn, wheat and other higher-priced energy feed. Hunan Agricultural Development and Investment Group used to import cassava flour mainly via land and sea transport, which took about a month. The time of freight transportation via railway is only one-third of the previous time. In addition, implementing the business model of “rapid customs clearance for entry and exit by rail” in China-Laos Railway has cut costs and significantly improved customs clearance efficiency. This will effectively reduce costs, increase efficiency for enterprises, and facilitate the economic and trade exchanges between Hunan enterprises and the ASEAN region.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The China-Laos Railway is a flagship project between China and Laos within the framework of BRI. Launching the special train marks a new chapter in the strategic cooperation between Sinotrans Limited and Hunan Agricultural Development and Investment Group. It is the first time that Sinotrans' China-Europe Freight Train (Changsha) Central South China International Land Port Platform has imported goods from Laos via the China-Laos Railway. It also marks the smooth opening of Changsha's direct cross-border railway channel to Laos, which lays a foundation for Changsha to open regular freight trains for imports from and exports to Southeast Asia and will help elevate Hunan's foreign trade to a new level.