A Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train departs from Yiwu in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/ywcity.cn]

The Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train, carrying goods such as household items, hardware tools, and machinery equipment, left the Yiwu railway port on Dec 14, heading to the five Central Asian countries via the Xinjiang Horgos port.

According to official data, Yiwu operated 1,524 Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight trains in the first 11 months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 2.9 percent. The trains shipped 125,410 TEUs, an uptick of 2.77 percent year-on-year.

Yiwu is the world's largest small commodity distribution center, and its products are in high demand overseas. In the Yiwu International Trade Market, the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train has become the preferred logistics channel for small commodities being exported. According to some foreign businessmen in Yiwu, it is faster than sea and cheaper than air.

The Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train has also helped Yiwu small commodities become popular in Europe and Central Asia.

In Almaty, Kazakhstan, a supermarket called Yiwu Mart is thriving with the help of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train and the many products of the Yiwu market.

In Poland, a merchant named Zhao Dejin used the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe freight train to transport a batch of string lights from Yiwu to his customers. "It will take at least 20 days for the freight train to deliver the products from Yiwu to Malashevich in Poland, said Zhao. 

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past 10 years, the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe train has opened 19 routes to places such as Madrid, Spain, Russia, and Turkey, traveling to 101 overseas stations in more than 50 countries and 160 cities.