China-Vietnam freight train cargo volume sees sharp growth in H1

NANNING -- In the first half of 2025, freight trains departing from South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region heading to Vietnam, transported a total of 18,870 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of export goods, marking a year-on-year surge of 283 percent, according to the China Railway Nanning Group.

Staff with the Nanning Railway Logistics Center of China Railway Nanning Group said that during this period, outbound shipments of auto parts and fiberboard carried by these China-Vietnam freight trains from Guangxi had reached 2,528 TEUs and 4,580 TEUs, respectively, representing respective year-on-year growth of 100 percent and 398 percent.

Notably, auto parts and motorcycle parts from provinces such as Jiangsu in East China and Guangdong in South China, are transported by rail to Nanning International Railway Port before being shipped to Vietnam via China-Vietnam freight trains, thereby forming a new growth point for transport.

This year, the frequency of scheduled China-Vietnam freight trains has increased from five trips per week to 14, providing more transport options for China's goods exports. Currently, the fastest end-to-end transit time for China-Vietnam trains from Nanning, capital of Guangxi, to Yen Vien in Vietnam is only 14 hours.

To date, China-Vietnam trains departing from Guangxi have transported over 380 varieties of export goods. Cargo sources span 25 Chinese provincial regions -- including Jiangsu, Guangdong and North China's Hebei.

The cross-border freight transport network now covers multiple ASEAN countries, such as Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, creating a "fast track" for promoting economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN.