Cross-border freight traffic on the China-Laos Railway saw continued growth in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting stronger trade ties between China and Laos, with significant year-on-year increases in both volume and value, according to Kunming Customs.
In the first three months of this year, import and export volume grew 9.2 percent to 1.508 million tons, with the value of goods transported rising 17.5 percent to 4.19 billion yuan (over 570 million U.S. dollars), the customs data shows.
The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan Province with Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The 1,035-km railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, started operation on Dec 3, 2021.
Since its opening, the China-Laos Railway has become a key trade conduit, with import and export volumes surpassing 12 million tons to date.