Guangzhou Notebooks Ride China-Europe Railway Express to Gain Ground in Europe

China Inspection and Quarantine Times-Recently, a batch of high-quality notebooks worth approximately 400,000 yuan from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was loaded onto China-Europe Railway Express at Zengcheng West Station of the Guangzhou Eastern Road-rail Intermodal Transport Hub under the supervision of Zengcheng Customs, a subsidiary of Huangpu Customs. The shipment is expected to reach Europe in 15 days.

As European consumers show growing interest in stationery made from recycled materials and low-carbon packaging, products from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are gaining increasing popularity in overseas markets thanks to their eco-friendly attributes. A trans-Eurasian “relay race” of stationery supply is being efficiently facilitated through the China-Europe Railway Express service.

"Currently, a wide variety of notebooks with distinctive designs are being exported via the China-Europe Railway Express. These include traditional leather-bound notebooks, paperback notebooks, as well as grid, pocket-sized, and themed editions," said Li Siqiang, the head of the Train Operations Department of GCI International Train Operation Management Co., Ltd. "Ocean freight often takes over 30 days, which can cause enterprises to miss optimal sales windows. While air freight is faster, its high cost eats into profit margins. The services provided by China-Europe Railway Express cuts transit time by more than half compared to sea shipping, at just a quarter of the air freight cost, making it an increasingly preferred logistics solution for stationery enterprises expanding overseas."

In response to the surge in exports of various stationery products during the back-to-school season, Zengcheng Customs has launched “fast track" to guide enterprises in utilizing facilitation measures such as "advance declaration" and appointment-based clearance. The Customs authority provides round-the-clock (24/7) support to enable immediate inspection and efficient release of goods upon arrival. Furthermore, to address cross-border transportation challenges related to stationery products, such as their small size, wide variety, and susceptibility to damage, the Customs has actively promoted the use of the Railway Express Clearance Model. By continuously streamlining business processes, the Customs has helped reduce the overall clearance time for the Railway Express service by 1 to 2 days, ensuring efficient delivery of stationery products to international markets.

In June of this year, Zengcheng West Station launched Guangzhou’s first dedicated E-commerce service on the China-Europe Railway Express, which integrates the "China-Europe Railway Express + Cross-border E-commerce" model. This route shortens the transportation time from Guangzhou to Europe to approximately 13 days. Zengcheng Customs has enhanced policy promotion and declaration guidance, assisting enterprises in exporting stationery via dedicated E-commerce service on the China-Europe Railway Express and creating a new pathway for stationery products from the Greater Bay Area to reach global markets aboard the "Iron Camel Fleet".

According to statistics, in the first seven months of this year, the export value of stationery products, including notebooks, school bags, ballpoint pens, and pen holders, via international freight trains from Zengcheng West Station reached approximately 21 millionyuan, a year-on-year increase of 59%.

(Correspondents: Ouyang Liping)