A freight train carrying 86 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods worth $8.68 million departed Suzhou recently. The train will leave the country via Manzhouli and arrive at Russia's Vorsino Station in 15 days. This is the first international freight train from Suzhou that has adopted the business model of "Expedited Clearance" since the implementation of the model in the city.
"Expedited Clearance" is rolled out by the General Administration of Customs to facilitate the development of China-Europe railway express. The model optimizes business processes and supervisory systems, allowing Customs, railway and companies to share their data and jointly supervise the operation.
"The model can shorten clearance time by 24 hours and transport time by one to two days, saving over 200 yuan for one container," said Shou Ting, customs manager of Suzhou Datian International Freight Agency Co., Ltd.
In the first two months of this year, Suzhou saw 96 China-Europe train trips transporting 3,947 forty-foot equivalent units and 80,400 tons of goods, up 11.11 percent, 24.59 percent and 74.78 percent year-on-year, respectively. Going forward, trains adopting "Expedited Clearance" model will depart on a regular basis, further smoothing the westward international logistics channel and promoting high-quality development of China-Europe freight trains.
