Sea Freight + Air Freight + China-Europe Railway Express: How to Choose the Golden Transportation Combination for Brand Globalization?

Introduction: Transportation Combination – Solving the “Timeliness-Cost” Dilemma in Brand Globalization

In the process of brand globalization, the choice of transportation methods always faces the core contradiction between “timeliness and cost”: while air freight is fast (3-7 days), its cost is 5-8 times that of sea freight; sea freight has low costs (unit price is only 1/5 of air freight) but takes a long time (30-45 days); as the main land transportation method, the China-Europe Railway Express (CER Express) has moderate timeliness (12-18 days) and cost (1/3 of air freight, twice that of sea freight), but is limited by route coverage. According to the 2025 Global Cross-Border Logistics Report, brands not using transportation combinations have an average logistics cost accounting for 18% of revenue, with an order fulfillment delay rate exceeding 25%; in contrast, brands that skillfully use the “sea freight + air freight + CER Express” combination not only reduce costs by 12% but also increase on-time fulfillment rates to 92%.

This article will start with the core characteristics of the three transportation methods, break down “single transportation adaptation scenarios,” “dual-transportation combination strategies,” and “triple-transportation linkage solutions,” and provide actionable transportation combination decision-making frameworks combined with practical cases of brands in different industries to help brands balance timeliness, costs, and risks.

I. Core Characteristics of the Three Transportation Methods: Adaptation Boundaries of Single Routes

Before designing combination plans, it is necessary to clarify the “capability boundaries” of sea freight, air freight, and CER Express – including timeliness, costs, shipment volume adaptation, route coverage, etc. This is the basis for choosing combinations.

(1) Air Freight: A “Emergency Supply Channel” with High Timeliness

1. Core Advantages and Limitations

• Timeliness: Direct delivery to major global routes in 3-7 days (e.g., 3 days from Shenzhen, China to Los Angeles, USA; 5 days to Frankfurt, Germany), suitable for emergency replenishment and inventory rush before peak seasons (Black Friday, Christmas).
• Cost: High unit price (approximately RMB 60-80/kg for US dedicated routes in 2025), with “fuel surcharges” (accounting for about 15% of freight) and “peak season premiums” (30% premium in November each year). It is only suitable for high-value, small-batch shipments (less than 500kg per shipment).
• Shipment Volume and Product Categories: Strict restrictions – single-piece weight ≤80kg, volume ≤1.5m³; flammable and explosive goods are prohibited (e.g., lithium batteries require separate application for “dangerous goods air freight qualification”).

2. Adaptation Scenarios

• High-Value Categories: 3C products (mobile phones, laptops), luxury goods (luggage, watches), medical equipment (ventilators, detectors) – these products have high unit prices, low transportation cost ratios (usually ≤5%), and are sensitive to timeliness.
• Emergency Needs: For example, a clothing brand needs to replenish 500 popular hoodies (approximately 150kg) in Amazon FBA warehouses within 7 days due to stockouts; choosing air freight can avoid ranking declines caused by store stockouts.

(2) Sea Freight: A “Bulk Transportation Main Force” with Low Costs

1. Core Advantages and Limitations

• Cost: Low unit price (approximately RMB 12-15/kg for the US West Coast, RMB 15-18/kg for Rotterdam, Europe in 2025), and supports large shipment volumes (a 40HQ container can hold 20-25 tons), suitable for long-term, stable bulk transportation.
• Timeliness: Slow and unstable – 25-30 days for trans-Pacific routes, 35-40 days for trans-Atlantic routes; prone to delays due to port congestion during peak seasons (June-August, November) (average detention of 10 days at the Port of Long Beach, USA during peak seasons in 2025).
• Shipment Volume and Product Categories: Suitable for oversized and overweight goods (e.g., furniture, mechanical equipment), but has low compatibility with time-sensitive goods (fresh food, FMCG).

2. Adaptation Scenarios

• Bulk Goods: Home appliances (refrigerators, washing machines), building materials (ceramic tiles, boards), industrial raw materials (plastic pellets, steel) – these goods have large shipment volumes and low unit prices, with high transportation cost ratios (usually 10%-15%), requiring sea freight to control costs.
• Advance Stocking: For example, a cross-border e-commerce brand shipped 20 40HQ containers of daily necessities (approximately 400 tons) to US warehouses via sea freight in September to prepare for “Black Friday.” Although it took 30 days, the cost was only 1/6 of air freight.

(3) China-Europe Railway Express (CER Express): A “Eurasian Land Transportation Hub” with Moderate Timeliness

1. Core Advantages and Limitations

• Timeliness: Between sea freight and air freight – 12-15 days from Chongqing, China to Duisburg, Germany; 10-12 days to Malaszewicze, Poland. It is less affected by weather (no icing delays in winter) and has better stability than sea freight.
• Cost: Unit price of approximately RMB 20-25/kg (USD 8,000-10,000 for a 40HQ container), which is 1/3 of air freight and twice that of sea freight. It is suitable for goods on Eurasian routes with “non-urgent timeliness but need cost control.”
• Route Coverage: Mainly covers 30 European countries and 5 Central Asian countries; does not directly reach the Americas or Africa for now. Due to railway capacity limitations, booking is required 2 weeks in advance during peak seasons (March-May, September-November).

2. Adaptation Scenarios

• Goods on Eurasian Routes: For example, an auto parts brand supplies 5,000 engine parts (approximately 50 tons) to Volkswagen factories in Germany every month. Choosing CER Express (12 days) not only avoids the 35-day delay risk of sea freight but also saves 60% of costs compared to air freight.
• Sensitive Categories: Some chemicals and electronic products with batteries (e.g., robotic vacuum cleaners) – due to strict “dangerous goods review” for sea freight and “difficult qualification application” for air freight, CER Express becomes the optimal choice (only requiring a “Railway Transportation Condition Assessment Report”).

(4) Core Data Comparison of the Three Transportation Methods (2025 Eurasian/American Routes)

II. Dual-Transportation Combination Strategies: “Golden Matches” Balancing Timeliness and Costs

A single transportation method cannot meet complex needs. Brands need to use dual combinations of “air freight + sea freight,” “CER Express + sea freight,” and “air freight + CER Express” to achieve complementarity between “emergency + bulk” and “regional + global.”

(1) Combination 1: Air Freight + Sea Freight – The Standard for Cross-Border E-Commerce for “Emergency Replenishment + Bulk Stocking”

1. Combination Logic

Using “sea freight for long-term bulk needs and air freight for short-term emergency needs,” it is suitable for cross-border e-commerce and FMCG brands – sea freight ships main inventory 2-3 months in advance, and air freight replenishes popular stockouts 1-2 weeks before peak seasons, both controlling costs and avoiding stockouts.

2. Practical Case: “Black Friday” Transportation Plan for a Clothing DTC Brand

• Background: The brand focuses on women’s clothing, with the US as its target market. It plans to sell 100,000 pieces (approximately 30 tons) during “Black Friday” in 2025, including 5,000 popular dresses (approximately 1.5 tons) that must arrive before “Black Friday,” and the remaining 95,000 pieces (approximately 28.5 tons) that can be stocked in advance.
• Combination Plan:

1. Sea Freight: Shipped 28.5 tons of regular styles in 2 40HQ containers on September 15 (arrival in approximately 25 days), with a cost of approximately RMB 15/kg and total freight of RMB 427,500;
2. Air Freight: Shipped 1.5 tons of popular dresses via air freight on November 1 (arrival in 3 days), with a cost of approximately RMB 70/kg and total freight of RMB 105,000;

• Implementation Result: Total freight was RMB 532,500, saving 74.6% compared to full air freight (30 tons × 70 = RMB 2.1 million). There were no stockouts of popular styles, and “Black Friday” sales reached RMB 8 million, an increase of 35% compared to the previous year (when full sea freight caused popular style stockouts).

3. Adaptation Scenarios and Operation Points

• Adapted Brands: Cross-border e-commerce (Amazon, Shopee), FMCG (clothing, daily necessities), seasonal products (Christmas decorations, swimwear) – these brands have clear sales peak seasons and large demand fluctuations for popular products.
• Operation Points:

1. Timing: Sea freight must be shipped 2-3 months before peak seasons (reserving time for customs clearance and warehousing), and air freight must be shipped 1-2 weeks before peak seasons (avoiding peak season premiums);
2. Shipment Volume Allocation: Air freight accounts for 10%-20% (only covering popular/stockout products), and sea freight accounts for 80%-90% (covering regular/long-tail products);
3. Warehouse Coordination: A “transit warehouse” must be set up in the destination country – sea freight goods first enter the transit warehouse, and air freight goods directly enter the FBA warehouse to avoid repeated warehousing costs.

(2) Combination 2: CER Express + Sea Freight – Manufacturing Coverage for “Eurasian Regions + Global Coastal Areas”

1. Combination Logic

Using “CER Express to cover inland Eurasian countries and sea freight to radiate global coastal ports,” it is suitable for manufacturing brands (e.g., home appliances, auto parts) – CER Express connects to inland European factories (e.g., Munich, Germany; Warsaw, Poland), and sea freight covers customers in coastal America and Africa, achieving “regional deep cultivation + global expansion.”

2. Practical Case: Global Transportation Plan for a Home Appliance Brand

• Background: The brand produces washing machines, with customers in Germany (inland), the USA (coastal), and South Africa (coastal). It needs to deliver 10,000 units (approximately 200 tons) in Q4 2025, including 3,000 units (60 tons) to Germany, 5,000 units (100 tons) to the USA, and 2,000 units (40 tons) to South Africa.
• Combination Plan:

1. CER Express: Shipped 2 40HQ containers to Duisburg, Germany on October 1 (arrival in approximately 15 days), then transported by land to Munich factories, with a cost of approximately RMB 22/kg and total freight of RMB 132,000;
2. Sea Freight: Shipped 3 40HQ containers (2 for the USA, 1 for South Africa) on October 5, with the US route arriving in 28 days and the South African route arriving in 35 days, at a cost of approximately RMB 16/kg and total freight of RMB 256,000;

• Implementation Result: Total freight was RMB 388,000, saving 70% compared to full air freight (200 tons × 65 = RMB 1.3 million). The arrival timeliness for German customers was shortened by 57% compared to sea freight (35 days), and customer satisfaction increased by 25%.

3. Adaptation Scenarios and Operation Points

• Adapted Brands: Manufacturing (home appliances, machinery, auto parts), B2B foreign trade enterprises – these brands have scattered customers, including both inland Eurasian customers and global coastal customers.
• Operation Points:

1. Route Division: CER Express prioritizes covering inland countries along the “Belt and Road” (e.g., Czech Republic, Hungary), and sea freight covers coastal countries in the Americas, Africa, and Oceania;
2. Booking Coordination: Booking for CER Express and sea freight must be made 1 month in advance, especially during peak seasons (March-May), to avoid delays due to insufficient capacity;
3. Customs Clearance Preparation: CER Express requires advance application for an “ATA Carnet” (avoiding customs clearance in multiple countries along the route), and sea freight requires preparation of a “Certificate of Origin” according to the destination country’s requirements (e.g., FORM A for the USA, FORM E for the EU).

(3) Combination 3: Air Freight + CER Express – A High-Value Goods Solution for “Eurasian Emergencies + Stable Supply”

1. Combination Logic

Using “air freight to solve emergency orders on Eurasian routes and CER Express to undertake regular stable supply needs,” it is suitable for high-value brands sensitive to timeliness on Eurasian routes (e.g., medical equipment, 3C products) – air freight responds to sudden orders (e.g., emergency hospital purchases), and CER Express ensures long-term stable supply, balancing timeliness and costs.

2. Practical Case: European Transportation Plan for a Medical Equipment Brand

• Background: The brand produces ventilators, with European customers mainly being hospitals. It needs to deliver 500 units (approximately 25 tons) in Q1 2025, including 10 units for emergency orders from German hospitals (needing arrival within 7 days) and 490 units for regular orders (needing arrival within 15 days).
• Combination Plan:

1. Air Freight: Shipped 10 ventilators (approximately 0.5 tons) to Frankfurt, Germany on January 5 (arrival in 5 days), with a cost of approximately RMB 80/kg and total freight of RMB 40,000;
2. CER Express: Shipped 490 ventilators (approximately 24.5 tons) to Duisburg, Germany on January 8 (arrival in 12 days), with a cost of approximately RMB 25/kg and total freight of RMB 612,500;

• Implementation Result: Total freight was RMB 652,500, saving 67.4% compared to full air freight (25 tons × 80 = RMB 2 million). Emergency orders were delivered on time, and regular orders had no delays, with the hospital renewal rate increasing to 90%.

3. Adaptation Scenarios and Operation Points

• Adapted Brands: Medical equipment, 3C products, luxury goods – these brands have high unit prices, rigid timeliness requirements, and their main markets are on Eurasian routes.
• Operation Points:

1. Emergency Judgment: Air freight is only used for “irreplaceable emergency needs” (e.g., medical first aid, high order breach penalties) to avoid cost overruns due to overuse;
2. Goods Protection: High-value goods require enhanced protection during transportation – CER Express can choose “temperature-controlled containers” (avoiding equipment failures caused by temperature differences), and air freight requires purchasing “cargo transportation all-risk insurance” (insurance rate 0.3%);
3. Priority Customs Clearance: Emergency air freight goods can apply for “priority customs clearance in the destination country” (e.g., in Germany, DHL’s “Priority Clearance” service can shorten customs clearance time from 3 days to 1 day).

III. Triple