Is Import in Hunan Still Using Sea Freight? Railway Transportation Saves Time and Money!

When most people think of import transportation, what often comes to mind are sea freight containers or air cargo planes. But do you know? In Hunan, railway transportation is quietly becoming the new favorite of import agencies. Mr. Zhang recently imported a batch of precision instruments from Europe by railway. Not only did they arrive a week earlier than expected, but also saved 15% of the logistics cost. What's the mystery behind this? This article will take you to have an in-depth understanding of the unique advantages and operation points of railway transportation import agency in Hunan.

In Hunan, an inland province, railway transportation has unique advantages. First of all, stable timeliness is the biggest highlight. Compared with sea freight which is easily affected by the weather, railway trains can basically guarantee a fixed schedule. It usually takes only 12 - 18 days from Europe to Hunan. Secondly, the cost advantage is obvious: the freight is about 1/4 of that of air freight, while the speed is twice that of sea freight.

Take the German auto parts represented by Ms. Li as an example:

• Sea freight takes 35 days and costs 80,000 yuan
• Air freight only takes 3 days, but the cost is as high as 320,000 yuan
• Railway transportation takes 18 days and the cost is only 100,000 yuan

Hunan has two major railway hubs, Changsha and Zhuzhou. Among them, Changsha North Station is an important node station of the China-Europe Railway Express. The import process mainly consists of three steps:

• Pick-up of Goods Overseas: The agency company completes customs declaration and loading in the country of departure
• International Transportation: Directly reach Hunan through fixed trains
• Customs Clearance in China: Complete inspection and quarantine and tariff payment at the railway port

It is worth noting that the "Railway Express Clearance" mode launched by Hunan Customs enables goods to complete declaration during transportation, and they can be picked up within 24 hours after arriving at the station. This innovation has greatly improved the customs clearance efficiency.

For temperature-controlled goods (such as medicine, food), Hunan railways have been equipped with constant temperature containers, and the temperature fluctuation throughout the process is controlled within ±2℃. The breakage rate of French red wine imported by railway last year was 90% lower than that of sea freight. For fragile items such as precision instruments, professional agency companies will adopt a combination solution of double shockproof packaging + real-time positioning monitoring.

Master Wang, an engineer from Zhongshitong, shared: "We recently transported a Swiss machine tool. Six vibration sensors were installed in the carriage. Any abnormal vibration will trigger an alarm to ensure the safety of the equipment worth tens of millions."

With the in-depth development of the "Belt and Road Initiative", the railway import routes in Hunan are expanding rapidly. It is expected that in 2024, there will be new cold chain special trains to Southeast Asia and timber special trains to Russia. For importers, now is the best time to layout railway transportation.

Have you ever considered railway transportation? Or have you already had relevant experience? Welcome to share your opinions in the comment area. Maybe the next one who creates an import miracle through railway is you!