A China-Europe freight train, loaded with goods for cross-border e-commerce business departed on Wednesday from Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, marking the launch of the city's first dedicated China-Europe e-commerce express line.
The goods carried by the train include daily necessities produced in multiple cities of east China's Guangdong Province, such as clothing from Guangzhou, small home appliances from Foshan, and kitchenware from Zhongshan.
The train is set to exit China via Xinjiang's Horgos in the northwest of the country and arrive in Italy in 13 days.
This cargo route features advantages including short transit time and low costs, meeting the transportation needs of cross-border e-commerce business for small but frequent shipments and tight delivery schedules.
"Previously, our cross-border e-commerce goods were mainly transported to Europe via sea or air freight. Sea freight took over 30 days, while air freight was relatively expensive. Now, with the new China-Europe e-commerce freight train service, cross-border goods can reach Europe in just 13 days -- more than twice as fast as sea transport, and at only one-fifth of the cost of air freight," said Zhang Junmei, an executive of a logistics company.
Following the launch of this route, about 40 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cross-border e-commerce goods are expected to be exported weekly.
China adds another China-Europe freight train route for e-commerce goods
A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Monday that the situation in waters near the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile, urging vessels in the area to take maximum caution.
"The situation continues to be volatile. Ships should take maximum caution and not take risks without security guarantees," the spokesperson said in a statement.
According to the information released on the IMO website, as of April 19, a total of 24 attacks on ships in the affected waters had been confirmed, resulting in the deaths of 10 seafarers.
The IMO, the United Nations specialized agency responsible for maritime safety and security, as well as the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships, has called for de-escalation, dialogue, and multilateral cooperation regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday that with the U.S. repeatedly violating ceasefire deals and posing threats to Iran’s ports and vessels, a unilateral return to normal shipping remains out of reach.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Central Command claimed in a social media post that the U.S. forces have directed 27 vessels to turn around or return to Iranian ports since its blockade on navigation through the Strait starting April 13.
However, according to a report released from Lloyd's List on Monday, at least 26 vessels involved in Iranian shipping had managed to break through the U.S. blockade.
IMO urges ships near Strait of Hormuz to be on maximum alert
