The Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea intermodal transportation maintained robust growth momentum between January and August this year. A total of 428 train trips were made, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.25%. The Zhuzhou Customs Authority reported on October 7, 2025, that the container volume reached 35,000 containers, marking a year-on-year increase of 26.15% and achieving 71.22% of the annual target.

In terms of the structure of product sourcing, while traditional strengths like ceramics remain strong, a diverse array of categories, including construction machinery, chemicals, agricultural goods, furniture, tea, and glassware, have been significantly scaled up. From January to August, exports of non-ceramic goods reached 13,000 containers, reflecting Zhuzhou's export expansion from single-category dominance towards multi-sector growth.

"As African market demands grow increasingly diverse, we promptly publicize technical standards and market access rules to help enterprises precisely match their offerings with local needs," explained a Zhuzhou Customs official. Currently, several mineral-rich African nations urgently require green and environmentally friendly power-supply systems. The Zhuzhou Customs Authority has organized technical experts to guide photovoltaic storage product manufacturers through country-specific access certification requirements.

In the first eight months of the year, Zhuzhou's trade with Africa surged 130.8% year on year to 830 million CNY. Exports of the "new three" products—solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and electric vehicles—have totaled 104 million CNY, soaring 18.9 times compared to the same period last year.

The Zhuzhou Customs Authority remarked that it will actively participate in the development of the Zhuzhou Inland Port for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, exploring deep integration of "Smart Customs" with the "Digital Silk Road," and facilitating comprehensive participation of "Made in Zhuzhou" products in China-Africa economic and trade collaboration.

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

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunantoday