The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao saw a much busier China-Europe freight train service in the first half of 2022.

Chinese state media said the demonstration area handled 430 outbound and inbound China-Europe freight trains in the period, up 44.8% year on year, citing data from the Jiaozhou Customs in Qingdao.

The inbound trains carried 17,000 containers of goods while the outbound trains sent 18,000 containers of goods in the six months, Xinhua said.

The report noted that as local customs authorities have rolled out policies to facilitate freight train service, the freight trains just go through a one-stop customs declaration and inspection in Jiaozhou Customs and can leave the Chinese border ports of Horgos and Alataw without stopping for further customs procedures.

It added that the demonstration area operates 16 international freight train routes, reaching 49 cities in 20 countries, including Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members and some along the Belt and Road.