Long-haul cargo train turns popular among exporters

Export of home appliances from Shenyang and surrounding areas picks up pace amid rising geopolitical tensions affecting maritime trade

Recently, drivers of forklift trucks were seen busy loading boxes containing 400 televisions into a rail container at the assembly center of China-Europe freight train services in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

The TVs were scheduled to arrive in Moscow in early June, where they will be distributed and sold at various department stores and e-commerce platforms across the country.

"We mainly export home appliances to Europe. There is a risk of component corrosion with maritime transport, and the cost of airfreight for home appliances is too high," said Guan Jun, vice-president of Shenyang Zhicheng Trading Co Ltd, a Shenyang-based foreign trade company.