A crane loads containers on the first Hai'an-ASEAN freight train for the Year of the Tiger from Hai'an. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A freight train loaded with 38 containers departed from the Hai'an railway logistics base in the county-level city of Hai'an of Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province on Feb 13.

Bound for Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, it is the first China-Europe train from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region bound to the ASEAN area in the Year of the Tiger.

The goods carried by the freight train included polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin, PVC processing aids, carpets, and more. Over 90 percent of these goods were made by Nantong-based enterprises, showing the vigor of Nantong's export-oriented economy.

The Hai'an-ASEAN freight train now operates once a week since it was included in the national railway operations map last October. The trip takes five to seven days to reach Hanoi, nearly half the time compared to sea freight shipping.

This provides a more efficient and stable logistics channel for foreign trade firms in the YRD region.

"Moving forward, the Nantong Customs will continue to commit itself into optimizing the process of customs clearance, help Hai'an grow into a national logistics hub, and boost the high-quality economic development of Belt and Road Initiative," said Yang Zhanchen, an official from Nantong Customs.