China-Laos Railway Opens Up a New Import Channel for Lao Fluorite, Achieving Monthly Shipment of 3,000 Tons in May

Following the arrival of the first special Lao fluorite freight train at Kunming International Logistics Port in March, the new transportation route achieved normalized and stable operation in May, with 4 regular trains and about 3,000 tons of fluorite shipped monthly. The fluorite ore is transported from Laos’ Jiaxi Mine to Kunming via the China-Laos Railway, and then delivered to fluorine chemical industrial clusters in Shandong, Jiangsu and other regions through intermodal transportation. Compared with traditional sea transportation, the whole logistics time is shortened by 15 days, and the comprehensive transportation cost is reduced by 12%. Lao fluorite features a grade of 88%-93% and ultra-low impurities, which is suitable for the production of high-end hydrogen fluoride and new energy materials. It has become another core import source of fluorite resources in China after Mongolia and South Africa, effectively optimizing the domestic fluorite supply chain and ensuring the stable operation of the downstream new energy and fine chemical industries.