Questions and Answers

China is one of the most sought after destinations when it comes to international transportation services. Goods from China are the choice of many companies, especially as the country is considered to be the world’s factory and the local market is also the constantly developing. However, the companies’ dilemma is which type of transport is the best solution when we talk about the route between China andEurope. There is no wrong answer- it just depends on your priorities. If you are handling perishable, sensitive goods or if the speed of delivery is crucial for your business, and the price is affordable, the plane has an advantage. The goods are quickly available for collection, and the processing time of the shipment is significantly shorter compared to other types of transport. But speed is not the only reason to choose air transport: in addition, precision and safety make it a good choice too. High value goods are an ideal candidate, due to the significantly reduced risk of theft, but also the possibility of courier shipments (OBC). This way, pharmaceutical and organic products are transported from China and during business negotiations, testers of various types of goods are also sent by plane. When we talk about the Far East, we are often talking about transporting cheap goods from China. It is important to notice that when the price of goods is low, low transport costs are equally important. Air transport is known for its high price, but due to its speed, it consequently leads to less need for storage, packaging, repackaging, and also gives the possibility of lower insurance rates, so if it the shipment that is not of too big, this type of transport can result in a very favorable purchase price. Like other forms, air transport offers the possibility of full or partial filling of aircraft. In many situations, the plane may be your only choice, which is why the services are classified into three groups: Economy, Priority, Emergency. In order to fully use the benefits of air transport from China, it is necessary to not only know a number of regulations and procedures, but also build relationships with global airlines. cargo-partner will gladly help you, which transport modality is the best for your business and allows your shipments to get to you safely and quickly. Contact cargo-partner experts for more information!  

Depending on the type of goods and the urgency of the shipment, there are a range of possible transport options for importing cargo from China to Serbia.

Sea freight is the most economical choice with the longest transit times. At the moment, there are significant backlogs and container shortages on the global sea freight market due to the after-effects of COVID-19 as well as the Suez Canal blockage. This means that sea freight transports should be planned at least several weeks in advance.

To speed up sea freight transports from Asia, cargo-partner offers FCL and LCL solutions via the Adriatic ports of Koper, Rijeka and Trieste. For shipments to Central and Eastern Europe, transport via the Adriatic ports enables significant time savings compared to routings via northern ports, like Hamburg or Bremerhaven.

For time-critical shipments, airfreight remains the fastest and most reliable option. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of passenger flights has been drastically reduced, leading to a lack of available cargo space. To compensate for this lack of capacities and provide a reliable alternative, cargo-partner offers several weekly cargo charter flights from China to Europe and vice versa.

If you are looking for a solution that’s faster than sea freight and less expensive than airfreight, you can make use of weekly FCL and LCL rail transport connections across the Silk Road. Rail transport is on average 50% faster than ocean freight and 60% more cost-efficient than airfreight. The low CO2 footprint is a welcome side-effect.

cargo-partner provides a wide range of transport solutions from China to Serbia by air, sea and rail transport. Our door-to-door service includes pre-carriage, customs clearance and distribution throughout Central and Eastern Europe. With our network of selected road carriers and modern warehouses, we can ensure fast delivery and high-quality storage for your goods.

We will be glad to advise you about which option is best for your shipments!

Best regards,

cargo-partner | transport + iLogistics