China News reported on 2 November 2026 that two TEU of Loudi, Hunan strip coil steel weighing 59.1 tonnes and valued at about USD 38,000 were packed at the mill, railed from Loudi station to Huaihua International Land Port, then departed the same day on a China-Vietnam train via Pingxiang for Yen Vien station in Vietnam.
Huaihua International Land Port called it its first successful rack-type coil-steel special-container cross-border shipment. The boxes use saddle supports, rubber buffering and standardized tarp protection aimed at cutting edge damage, crush and moisture risk versus open-wagon loading.
Rail transit is described as about 15 days versus about 30 days on prior river-sea routings, with mechanized handling along the rail, border and overseas legs and one-box-to-end moves without mid-route unpacking or reloading.
Officials framed the run as a template for bulk industrial goods on the Western Land-Sea New Corridor toward ASEAN under RCEP intermediate-goods flows, and said Huaihua will push the rack-coil model toward regular scaled sailings.