Huangpu Customs in south China's Guangdong Province handled 444 China-Europe freight trains in 2023, a 300 percent increase over the previous year, according to the customs authority.

Huangpu Customs is in charge of customs affairs in the province's important manufacturing and export sectors, including the city of Dongguan and the Huangpu and Zengcheng districts of the provincial capital, Guangzhou. It oversaw the launch of Guangdong's first China-Europe goods train in 2013.

According to the customs authorities, the China-Europe goods train service has grown into a vital logistics channel for cross-border trade in the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Guangdong has recently increased its train services to Europe, Central Asia, Laos, and Vietnam. Jin Zhenwu, deputy director of Huangpu Customs' supervisory branch, stated that its goods trains may now go to 23 cities in 12 nations.

The value of commodities transported via trains has also increased, as once-major exports such as toys and daily necessities are gradually being replaced by middle- and high-end products such as communication equipment, household appliances, and mechanical equipment, Jin added.

According to Jin, they are also looking into new business models using China-Europe goods trains, such as greater integration with market purchasing and cross-border e-commerce.