KUNMING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway has recorded robust growth in cross-border cargo trade, with its first-quarter value rising 62.7 percent year on year to 6.81 billion yuan (about 992 million U.S. dollars), a record high for the period.

From January to March this year, exports of photovoltaic products surged 43.2 times year on year to 1.19 billion yuan, while imports of fresh and dried fruits doubled to 500 million yuan, according to Kunming Customs in the border province of Yunnan in southwest China.

The railway is emerging as an efficient two-way corridor for "Chinese manufactured goods heading south and Southeast Asian specialties heading north," the customs noted.

Since its launch, the total value of imports and exports via the railway had exceeded 80 billion yuan as of Tuesday.

The railway now serves over 6,000 enterprises across China, with its trade influence extending to 19 countries and regions, including Laos and Thailand. The range of traded goods has expanded from around 500 categories at the start of operations to more than 3,800.

Kunming Customs has introduced various measures to facilitate border trade along the railway.

The China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, began operations in December 2021. The 1,035-km railway connects China's Kunming with Vientiane in Laos. ■