The cumulative number of Lianyungang international freight trains has exceeded 18,000.

On the morning of July 15, accompanied by a long whistle, an international train loaded with 62 carriages of Kazakh sunflower seeds slowly entered the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base. As of this moment, the cumulative number of international trains departing from Lianyungang, Jiangsu, since their inception in 1992, officially surpassed 18,000.

As the gantry crane moved up and down, containers filled with sunflower seeds were unloaded in an orderly manner and subsequently distributed to processing enterprises across the country. This marks another distinctive return cargo of agricultural products for Lianyungang international trains, following Kazakh wheat, wheat flour, and kidney beans.

These sunflower seeds, which have traveled thousands of miles, represent a maturing channel for Central Asian agricultural products entering China. Kazakhstan is one of the world's major producers of sunflower seeds, known for their plump kernels and high oil content, which are highly favored by domestic grain and oil processing enterprises.

It is reported that this business is a key project under the strategic cooperation between Lianyungang Port Holding Group and China Logistics Group, jointly developed by the China-Kazakhstan Logistics Company and Zhongchu Zhiyun. The plan is to operate two trains per month. The successful launch of this sunflower seed special train signifies the further expansion of the major channel for high-quality Central Asian agricultural products entering the Chinese market through Lianyungang. The regular operation of new cargo types will provide domestic grain and oil processing enterprises with a stable and efficient source of imported raw materials, inject new momentum into the continuous enrichment of return cargo, and elevate the operational efficiency of the channel to a new level.

From the vast farmlands of Kazakhstan to the bustling docks of Lianyungang, this "steel silk road" spanning thousands of miles is continuously delivering the harvests of Central Asia to the Chinese market. 18,000 trains are a testament to the 33 years of perseverance of Lianyungang international trains and a new starting point for the future. Standing at the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan," Lianyungang Port will continue to consolidate the advantages of the New Eurasian Land-Sea Transport Corridor, expand the transportation volume of the Trans-Caspian Corridor, accelerate the construction of the "Three Hubs and One Integration" operational framework, and build the Lianyungang-Xuzhou China-Europe train assembly center to ensure this "steel silk road" plays a greater role in the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.