RailFreight.com — 2023-02-03
Land transportation
From January 30, new energy vehicles transported in China will no longer be included in the category of dangerous goods. Transport was already possible and happening, but with this latest backing of the Chinese government it is official, inclusive of a detailed list of what can and cannot be done.
The new rules were announced by the State Railway Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the China State Railway Group on 30 January, reports our sister publication RailFreight.cn. They apply to hybrid and fully electric cars powered by lithium-ion batteries.
The rules apply only to transport carried within China, whereas the transport across its borders falls under different rules. Outside China, the cars may still be classified as dangerous goods. However, the transport of electric vehicles was until now only restricted in China, and not in other countries on the New Silk Road.
The rules
The document also issued the corresponding standard railway transport conditions, specifically the following three:
At expense of other cargo
Since the Ministry of Commerce issued a document in September last year to support the export of new energy vehicles, there has been a boom of electric vehicles made in China and transported by rail with the China Railway Express. With a measure such as the exemption of having the ex-factory certificate for export products, the Chinese government is showing its backing of this new trade product. This is especially true considering that acquiring such a certificate was not such a difficult task, industry experts explain.
The preferential treatment is not welcomed by everyone. As electric vehicles are prioritised in terms of space as well, it comes with less capacity for other, less valuable cargo, which has fought for its position on rail, says Bria Liu, the general manager of TopRail. “It is not worthwhile to give up all the spaces to large and medium-sized goods."