The first China-Vietnam cross-border train passing clearance at Nanning International Railway Port's working area under customs supervision departs on May 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A China-Vietnam cross-border train departed from Nanning International Railway Port on May 30, marking the first operation of the port's working area under customs supervision.

The train, loaded with 24 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of products such as electronic components, mechanical accessories, cloth and rollpaper, left the Chinese border at Pingxiang Checkpoint and was scheduled to arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam within 24 hours. 

The operation of the working area at Nanning International Railway Port was of great importance to the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Belt Framework.

Wang Hongbin, deputy head of Yongzhou Customs, said that staff members at customs will finish supervision procedures such as inspection and clearance when loading the cargo. This can save around 72 hours, making China-Vietnam cross-border trains more attractive and competitive to foreign trade companies.

The working area at Nanning International Railway Port, covering a total area of 169 mu (11 hectares), started construction in July 2020 at a cost of about 240 million yuan ($38 million). It now has facilities including 30 inspection counters, four storage areas for TEUs and a 5,000 square meter supervised export warehouse. 

The working area is designed with an annual handling capacity of 600,000 TEUs and an annual inspection capacity of 65,000 TEUs.

The Nanning International Railway Port, a major hub of the BRI and New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, has seen growth in its operation of China-Vietnam cross-border trains for three consecutive years. A total of 126 China-Vietnam cross-border trains had been launched by May 30, 2021, an increase of 72.6 percent year-on-year.