CHONGQING : An international rail-sea freight train left southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Saturday (May 21) for Vientiane in Laos, with customs clearance faster than ever.

The train loaded with local food from Chongqing and agricultural machinery is expected to arrive in Vientiane along the China-Laos Railway in four days.

It is the first rail-sea freight train along the railway to adopt a new clearance mode launched by the General Administration of Customs in recent years, whereby clearance efficiency is much improved, especially for trains carrying containers.

"In the past, after customs declaration and release at the departure, outbound trains had to undergo checks and other procedures, which increased the detention time by one to two days," said You Xiaoyong, a staff member with the transport service's operating company.

"But with the new mode, the trains can be released directly at the border port, which also saves over 200 yuan (about US$30) for each twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container," said You.

A total of 54 international rail-sea freight trains left Chongqing for Laos in the first four months of this year, carrying 1,422 TEU containers worth more than 250 million yuan, according to Chongqing Customs.

  - Xinhua