Recently, a "Tianma" international freight train carrying 106 containers slowly departed from the Wuwei South Railway Freight Yard in Gansu under customs supervision. This train is loaded with ceramic products worth 11.1714 million yuan. After completing customs clearance at the Wuwei Bonded Logistics Center, it exits through the Alashankou Port and ultimately arrives in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

This is the first international freight train to depart from Gansu in the year of the Horse on the third day of the lunar calendar in 2026, achieving a good start in foreign trade. Under the guarantee of 24/7 customs appointment clearance service, the efficiency of train clearance has been significantly improved, and logistics costs have been effectively reduced.

New hub of the Silk Road

Wuwei, a historic city in the Hexi Corridor, has now become an important node for international logistics in western China. Gansu (Wuwei) International Land Port, as a regional international logistics hub, has gradually built a train transportation network covering Central Asia and radiating to Europe.

This network has currently reached 46 cities and regions in 22 countries. The smooth operation of the first train in the Lunar Year of the Horse has further consolidated the economic and trade channels between Gansu and Central Asia.

The customs appointment clearance service during the Spring Festival holiday was very timely. Our batch of goods was cleared and shipped in one stop at the Wuwei Bonded Logistics Center, "said Cao Ke, the person in charge of the operation of this train, at the departure site. Behind him, neatly arranged standard shipping containers shimmered with metallic luster in the morning light.

106 standard containers and 1245.21 tons of cargo, these figures represent the firm steps of Chinese manufacturing towards the Central Asian market. Ceramic tiles, ceramic tableware and other products will enter the homes of ordinary people in Central Asia along the ancient Silk Road, carried by modern steel camel caravans.

Customs escort record

To ensure the efficient clearance of the first train in the Year of the Horse, Jinchang Customs has taken a series of innovative measures. They continue to optimize their regulatory model, proactively connect with China Europe freight train operators, and promote "7 × 24" 24-hour appointment customs clearance services.

The convenient measures of "reporting and inspecting immediately, and releasing immediately upon qualification" have been fully implemented. Customs strengthens risk assessment, opens up the "green channel", and ensures smooth customs clearance of international freight trains.

At the departure ceremony, Li Zhengfu, the director of Jinchang Customs, said, "2026 is the beginning year of the implementation of the 15th Five Year Plan. We will continue to focus on the needs of enterprises, improve regulatory efficiency and service levels

The refined services provided by customs have significantly reduced the logistics and time costs of enterprises. The entire process from product manufacturing to loading and shipping is seamlessly connected under the efficient supervision of customs, reflecting the professional ability of Chinese customs to serve the development of foreign trade.

New Journey of the the Belt and Road

The successful debut of the "Tianma" train is not only the departure of a train, but also a new starting point for Gansu's deep integration into the the Belt and Road construction. The train departs from the Alashankou Port, passes through Kazakhstan, and goes directly to the hinterland of Central Asia.

This route has become a golden channel for economic and trade exchanges between China and Central Asian countries. With the deepening of the construction of the the Belt and Road, international freight trains like the "Tianma" will travel more frequently between China and countries along the route.

Li Zhengfu, Director of Jinchang Customs, looks forward to the future: "We will help more goods carry China Europe and Central Asia trains out of the country to serve the export-oriented economic development of Gansu Province and the construction of the the Belt and Road."

From Wuwei to Central Asia, from Gansu to the world, freight trains are like steel camel caravans on the modern Silk Road, carrying high-quality products made in China and the concept of mutually beneficial cooperation.Editor/Yang Meiling