由 caicai8478 - Comparison of the core features of the three modes of transportation
Indicators China-Europe Express Ocean Freight Air Freight
Transportation time 12-20 days 35-50 days 1-5 days
Transportation cost Medium (1.5-2 times of ocean freight) Lowest Highest (5-10 times of ocean freight)
Transportation capacity 40-50 containers per train Thousands of containers per ship Limited single machine
Temperature control conditions Refrigerated box option Refrigerated box but long cycle Most accurate temperature control
Carbon emissions Medium Lowest Highest - Recommendations for matching food types with transportation methods
- High-value perishable foods (such as seafood, high-end dairy products)
Preferred choice: air transport (to ensure freshness)
Second choice: China-Europe Express refrigerated box (cost savings of 30-50%)
Typical case: Norwegian salmon exports to China, high-end products are transported by air, and mid-range products begin to try railways
- Medium-value storable foods (e.g. chocolate, red wine)
Best choice: China-Europe Express (balance speed and cost)
Alternative: Ocean freight (cheaper but slow market response)
Industry trend: 60% of French wine exports to China have shifted to rail transport
- Bulk low-priced foods (e.g. grains, edible oil)
Necessary choice: Ocean freight (cost-sensitive)
Exception: Urgent orders due to political factors may consider rail
III. Decision-making key factor matrix
Time sensitivity:
Shelf life <15 days → Air freight
Shelf life 15-90 days → China-Europe Express
Shelf life >90 days → Ocean freight
Value density:
Unit price >$50/kg → Air freight
$10-50/kg → China-Europe Express
<$10/kg → Ocean freight
Order size:
<2 tons → Air freight consolidation
2-20 containers → China-Europe Express
20 containers → Full container shipping
IV. Key points of risk control
Special precautions for China-Europe Express:
Wide-gauge/standard-gauge switching may add 1-2 days
Extreme weather in winter may affect the punctuality of trains (about 15% of trains will be delayed)
It is recommended to purchase full-time temperature monitoring equipment (additional cost of about $200/container)
Risk prevention for shipping:
20% time buffer is required for emergencies such as the Red Sea crisis
Power failure insurance needs to be purchased for refrigerated containers
Emergency plan for air transport:
Lock belly capacity in advance (need to be increased in peak season) 21 days in advance)
Consider the transit plan of hub airports such as Hong Kong/Dubai
V. Cost simulation calculation (taking Shanghai→Hamburg as an example)
Case: Transporting 10 tons of black truffles (value $300/kg, shelf life 30 days)
Air transport: $85,000, 3 days
China-Europe Express: $32,000, 18 days (refrigerated container)
Sea transport: $11,000, 42 days (high risk of spoilage)
Decision suggestion: Choose China-Europe Express, which can save 62% of costs and control quality, and shorten 24 days compared with sea transport.
VI. Emerging Solutions
Intermodal transport combination:
Southeast Asia → China (sea transport) + China → Europe (railway)
The overall cost is 25% higher than pure sea transport, but saves 15 days
Seasonal hybrid strategy:
Increase the proportion of air transport during the peak season (November-January)
Increase the proportion of rail transport during the off-season
Application of digital tools:
Use blockchain temperature traceability system (increase cost by 1.5% but the premium can reach 5%)
Dynamic routing adjustment system to deal with emergencies
Enterprises should flexibly combine transportation methods according to product characteristics, market positioning and supply chain strategy. It is recommended that the first attempt can adopt a mixed mode of 30% China-Europe train + 50% sea transport + 20% air transport, and then optimize the proportion according to actual operating data.