Foreign trade via China-Laos Railway up 31.5 pct in first 8 months of 2026

The China-Laos Railway, a 1,035-kilometer rai line connecting Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province with Vientiane in Laos, handled 3.82 million tonnes of import and export cargo worth 23.38 billion yuan (about 3.48 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year, with cargo value up 31.5 percent year on year, according to Kunming Customs.

Export value reached 11.24 billion yuan and import value 12.14 billion yuan, both increasing 31.5 percent compared with the same period last year, underscoring the railway's growing role as a "golden route" for regional trade.

Fresh tropical fruit, including durian and mangosteen, accounted for a major share of inbound trade, with imports valued at 5.26 billion yuan, up 12.3 percent year over year and making up 43.4-percent of the railway's total import value.

Imports of bulk commodities such as metal ores reached 2.49 billion yuan, an increase of 28.7 percent year on year.

On the export side, mechanical and electrical products totaled 7.42 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 58.4 and accounting for 66 percent of the railway's total export value. Among them, solar panels, new energy vehicles and lithium batteries posted standout growth. Photovoltaic product exports reached 2.04 billion yuan, up 245.3 percent, while new energy vehicle exports hit 690 million yuan, up 326.1 percent, reflecting the accelerating overseas expansion of China's smart manufacturing.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, began operations in December 2021.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, with all three major indexes closing in the red as investors digested the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates for the first time in three years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 631.21 points, or 1.21 percent, to 51,461.9. The S and P 500 sank 33.92 points, or 0.45 percent, to 7,551.81. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 3.15 points, or 0.01 percent, to 25,978.43.

Eight of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors ended in the red, with energy and financials leading the laggards by dropping 2.97 percent and 1.63 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, technology and health led the gainers by adding 0.1 percent and 0.04 percent, respectively.

The Fed on Wednesday raised its target federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent, marking its first rate hike since July 2023 as it battles stubborn inflation.