Fruit from ASEAN countries, such as durian and mangosteen, are delivered to Qinzhou Port of Guangxi by sea liners and are then transported to Central and Western China by rail-sea intermodal trains. Motorcycles, silicon steel and other goods from Shandong, Yunnan and other places are gathered in Beibu Gulf Port by rail and then transported to India and elsewhere by sea. These are typical daily occurrences on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC). 4,596 ILSTC trains were operated in 2020, reaching a new record high with an increase of 104.9% year-on-year.

In 2020, facing the Covid-19 pandemic, Guangxi Coastal Railway Co., Ltd. and Beibu Gulf Port Group joined forces to introduce policies to reduce container handling charges, offer exemptions for container loading/unloading charges for trucks at terminals, extend the free storage period, and broaden the station and cargo categories covered by the preferential policies. They have made 18 applications for reduced freight rates for goods transported on the ILSTC. ILSTC train services with fixed prices now cover the main provinces in Central and Western China, optimising the advantages of the ILSTC and helping companies to resume work and production. In 2020, the number of operated ILSTC trains exceeded the total for the previous three years.

(Source: CR)