In the last month, products of Angel Yeast Co. Ltd. packed in more than 20 containers were shipped to Wuhan, so as to be soldin European markets such as Russia via China Railway Express with the support of Yichang Free Trade Zone Management Committee and Yichang Customs.

　　Products produced in Yichang can be sold to countries and regions along “the Belt and Road” through multiple channels like Wuhan, Chongqing which connect with China Railway Express. Previously, these products are exported mainly by water to the European market with an average transit time of 45 days. However, railway transportation increasingly plays a constructive role in export trade as a result of blocked water transport during the epidemic prevention and control. As Yichang Free Trade Zone Management Committee and Yichang Customs have learned, many enterprises hope that their products can be timely transported by rail to EU market for a consolidation of their market share after the resumption of work.

　　Yichang Customs has issued comprehensive measures to focus on promoting a positive operation in Yichang-EU trade while stabilizing foreign trade and boosting economic growth in an attempt to mitigate adverse effects of epidemic prevention and control on imports and exports of foreign trade. At the same time, besides positively communicating with major international logistics enterprises such as COSCO Shipping and Sino Trans, Yichang Free Trade Zone Management Committee and Yichang Customs pay special attention to guiding local import and export trade to change modes of transportation, and suggesting that relevant departments timely introduce support policies to minimize enterprises’ running costs.

　　Recently, relevant departments directly under the municipal government call on mutual cooperation among enterprises in the form of joint bargaining to negotiate with railway department. Finally, rail freight decreases by about 20%. “products of Yichang transported by railway to Europe can save more than 20 days compared with former transportation by ship, to Moscow can save 30 days compared with the combined sea and land transport and to Southeast Asia through southern maritime transport can save about 15 days”, Yichang customs officials said.

　　Yichang foreign trade goods that are mainly exported to EU total about 100 standard containers per month according to statistics. During the epidemic prevention and control, more than 10 enterprises send their products to Europe via China Railway Express such as Angel Yeast Co. Ltd., HubeiHongyuNew Packaging Materials Co.,Ltd., Hubei Yizhi Konjac Biotechnology Co., Ltd.,AllmedMedicalProducts Co.,Ltd,Yidu Tongxin Precision Forging Co., Ltd.,As a result, various products occupying 45 railway carriages, including yeasts, , composite packaging film, konjac gum, medical gauze and auto parts, a total of 90 standard containers, 1380 tons were transported. Officials from the Yichang Free Trade Zone Management Committee said, “We will come up with more measures that can stable foreign trade and advance economic growth to ensure a positive operation of China Railway Express in order to benefit more local enterprises”.（Reporter He Guanying, Correspondent Zhou Tingting）