China-Europe Railway Express (Changsha) sees surge in high-value hunan-made exports

The China-Europe Railway Express (Changsha) has run approximately 6,800 trains carrying $18.1 billion worth of goods since its launch, ranking among China's top performers for seven consecutive years.

In the first half of 2026, 629 trains were operated a 49.41 percent year-on-year increase. The proportion of Hunan-local cargo has risen from 10–20 percent in 2020 to 55 percent today, marking a clear shift from low-cost daily goods to high-tech and high value-added products.

China-Europe Railway Express (Changsha). [Photo/ xxcb.cn]

Operated by Hunan Central South International Land Port, a 2018 joint venture between Sinotrans and Changsha Communications Investment Group, the service is backed by strong government support. Local authorities organized matchmaking events across all 14 prefecture-level divisions in Hunan, connecting the operator with over 100 export enterprises in half a year. Customized block trains serve leading local firms such as Zoomlion, Sunward Intelligent and Geely Auto, offering direct through-transport to destination cities.

Surging cargo volume has driven infrastructure expansion. Changsha North Station's warehouse has grown from 4,500 to 40,000 square meters, with two to four trains departing daily on a regular basis. Official data shows Hunan's total foreign trade hit 295.81 billion yuan in the first half of 2026, up 12.7 percent. Exports of the "new three" pillars — electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products — reached 11.98 billion yuan, up 35.5 percent, while high-tech exports rose 31 percent to 23.29 billion yuan.

Hunan's robust industrial chain underpins the export growth. Changsha hosts five of the world's top 50 construction machinery firms, holding a leading global position. The province is also moving from individual product exports to coordinated industrial chain expansion. The Hunan New Energy Africa Industry Alliance was launched in July to promote clustered development in African markets.