China-Laos Railway tops 100 billion yuan in cumulative import and export cargo value

According to Yunnan Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the China-Laos Railway has recorded more than 25,000 international freight services by 7 October. Cumulative import and export cargo volumes exceeded 20.77 million tonnes, with total cargo value surpassing 100.4 billion yuan. Annual average growth of cargo volumes stands above 24 per cent, as the corridor functions as a vital trade artery and delivers fresh momentum for regional economic cooperation.

Refrigerated rail transport and streamlined customs clearance procedures enable tropical produce from Southeast Asia to reach consumers in China more rapidly. By 7 October, the cumulative value of tropical fruit imports via the railway had exceeded 16 billion yuan.

Exports of high-value and technology-intensive goods, including smartphones, industrial robots, new energy vehicles and their spare parts, have taken an expanding share of outbound shipments. In the first eight months of 2026, mechanical and electrical products exported on the route were worth 7.42 billion yuan, a year-on-year rise of 58.4 per cent and accounting for 66 per cent of all exports through the railway. 

Exports of China’s new three key foreign trade products reached 2.73 billion yuan, rising by 245.2 per cent from the same period a year earlier. A two-way trading pattern, with Southeast Asian commodities moving northwards and Chinese smart manufactured goods heading south, is taking shape at a quicker pace.

Ongoing upgrades to supporting infrastructure and deeper cross-border trade cooperation will connect regional markets, resources and industrial chains more closely. The railway will carry greater weight in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.