A China-Europe freight train loaded with 55 containers of construction machinery, automobiles and auto parts departed from the Changsha International Railway Port at 00:25 a.m. on Feb. 19.

This batch of export goods was declared to the Xingsha Customs Authority through a rapid customs clearance mode for entry and exit by rail.

The train would exit China via Manzhouli Port. The port customs officials would directly review the electronic railway manifest data and complete verification process for customs transit. So that the operating enterprises do not need to go through the customs transit procedures separately.

"Thanks to the mode of rapid customs clearance for entry and exit by rail, the overall customs clearance time of goods is two to three days shorter than before. This helps save enterprises' customs transit declaration expenses and also reduce the cost of container lifting operations," said Cao Zhijuan, customs declarant of the Central South China International Land Port Co., Ltd.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Supervision Department of the Changsha Customs Authority, the mode connects the data of customs, railways, and operating enterprises, and the three sides cooperate to conduct joint supervision, further reducing the operating costs of China-Europe freight trains, which have the characteristics of "being fast and convenient".

Since the beginning of this year, the Changsha Customs Authority has established a special working mechanism with railways and operating enterprises to support regular implementation of the mode in China-Europe freight trains and accelerate the freight trains' development.

In January this year, Changsha handled 54 China-Europe freight trains, transporting 4,386 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of inbound and outbound cargo worth 1.288 billion USD. The exported commodities primarily include construction machinery, automobiles and parts, small home appliances, and daily necessities.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen

Chinese source: Chinanews