Is the international railway freight cost 75% lower than air freight?

When cross-border e-commerce packages are sent from Shijiazhuang to Moscow in only 12 days, and when the trains of the "Belt and Road" carry Hebei-made products to the hinterland of Europe - International railway transportation is rewriting the logistics rules of traditional foreign trade. As an important railway hub in North China, how can Shijiazhuang take advantage of the China-Europe Railway Express to overtake on a curve? Today we will uncover the operational code of international railway export agencies.

Compared with the high cost of air freight and the long cycle of sea freight, railway transportation is becoming a "golden option" that balances time and cost. Taking the route from Shijiazhuang to Hamburg as an example:

• Fast time: Saves 20-25 days compared to sea freight, and the freight is only 1/4 of that of air freight
• Strong stability: Fixed trains, fixed customs clearance, maintaining a punctuality rate of 95% even during the epidemic
• Policy dividends: Enjoy the pilot project of the ownership of railway waybills, and export enterprises can finance with the waybill

The Shijiazhuang International Land Port has opened 12 international lines, and its core competitiveness is reflected in:

• Geographical radiation: The 500-kilometer radius covers the main industrial belts in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei
• Multi-modal transportation: Realizes "one declaration, one box to the end" through sea-rail intermodal transportation with Tianjin Port
• Professional services: Agents such as Zhongshitong provide whole-process door-to-door solutions

"The first batch of goods sent via the railway agent to Belarus was cleared 3 days earlier than originally planned," shared Ms. Li from a Shijiazhuang medical equipment company. "The agency company helped us solve professional problems such as the conversion of Russian labels and the declaration of dangerous chemicals. Now we send 3 containers every month."

Behind such successful cases are three key links of agency services:

• Pre-examine the materials to avoid the risk of return shipments
• Track the train dynamics in real time
• Compliance consultation in the destination country

Facing the uneven service providers in the market, it is recommended to focus on investigating:

• Whether it has AEO advanced certification qualifications
• Whether there is a local customs clearance team in the Russian-speaking region/Central Asia
• Whether it can provide whole-process insurance and emergency handling plans

If you are Mr. Zhang, who is trying railway exports for the first time, you can start like this:

1. Provide the HS code of the product and destination information to obtain freight calculations
2. Make an appointment for the agency company to conduct on-site inspection of the compliance of the cargo packaging
3. Lock the cabin space of the nearest train (it is recommended to book 15 days in advance)

As more and more "Hebei-made" products go to the world through the steel camel train, are you ready to board this logistics express? Welcome to share your insights on international railway transportation in the comment area, or send a private message to obtain a customized route plan.