由 caicai8478 Cross-border logistics from China to Southeast Asia primarily involve ocean freight, air freight, and land freight. Each method offers significant differences in cost, timeliness, and applicable cargo. Companies need to choose the optimal solution based on cargo characteristics, budget, and timeliness requirements. This article compares and analyzes these options from various perspectives, including price, timeliness, applicable scenarios, and pros and cons, to help you make the best decision.
I. Key Comparison of Three Transportation Methods
Comparison Dimensions: Ocean Freight, Air Freight, and Land Freight
Transport Time: 7-30 days (depending on destination), 2-7 days, and 5-15 days (Indochina countries)
Price (Example: 1 CBM/100kg): ¥300-¥800, ¥1500-¥4000, and ¥800-¥2000
Suitable Cargo Types: Bulk, heavy cargo, low-value, non-urgent, high-value, urgent, small items; Indochina countries (Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, etc.)
Biggest Advantages: Lowest cost, Fastest speed, Balanced cost and timeliness
Biggest Disadvantages: Slow timeliness, high price, and only applicable to neighboring countries
Door-to-Door Applicability: Suitable for long-term, stable inventory stocking, Suitable for urgent replenishment, Suitable for China-Vietnam, China-Laos, and China-Myanmar trade
II. Ocean Freight: Low Cost, Suitable for Bulk Cargo
- Application Scenarios
✅ Large, heavy cargo (such as furniture, machinery, and building materials)
✅ Low-value, non-urgent goods (such as daily necessities and textiles)
✅ Long-term, stable replenishment (such as e-commerce overseas warehouse stocking) - Major Routes and Timeframes
China → Singapore/Malaysia: 7-12 days
China → Thailand/Vietnam: 10-15 days
China → Indonesia/Philippines: 15-25 days
- Door-to-Door Process
🔹 China: Factory pickup → Domestic transportation → Port customs clearance → Shipment
🔹 International Ocean Freight: Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL)
🔹 Southeast Asia: Customs clearance at destination → Local truck delivery → Customer signature - Pros and Cons
✔ Pros:
Lowest cost (suitable for large-volume shipping)
Can transport oversized/heavy cargo (such as machinery and equipment)
Suitable for long-term, stable supply chains
❌ Disadvantages:
Slow delivery time (possible delays due to typhoons/port congestion)
Customs clearance is required, and documentation requirements are high.
III. Air Freight: Fastest delivery time, suitable for high-value/urgent shipments
- Suitable Applications
✅ High-value goods (e.g., electronics, luxury goods)
✅ Urgent stocking (e.g., out-of-stock e-commerce products)
✅ Small, lightweight shipments (e.g., samples, documents) - Major Routes and Delivery Times
China → Singapore/Malaysia: 2-3 days
China → Thailand/Vietnam: 3-4 days
China → Indonesia/Philippines: 4-7 days
- Door-to-Door Process
🔹 China: Factory pickup → Airport customs clearance → Installation
🔹 International Air Freight: Direct flight or transit
🔹 Southeast Asia: Airport customs clearance → Local courier/special vehicle delivery → Customer signature - Advantages and Disadvantages
✔ Advantages:
Fastest delivery time (suitable for urgent orders)
High security (low loss rate)
Suitable for small-volume, high-value shipments
❌ Disadvantages:
Highest price (3-5 times that of ocean freight)
Weight/size restrictions apply (oversized shipments require special arrangements)
IV. Land Transport: Balances cost and delivery time, suitable for countries in Indochina
- Applicable Scenario
✅ Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand (accessible by land)
✅ Medium delivery time requirements (faster than ocean freight, cheaper than air freight)
✅ Full truckload transport (such as auto parts, building materials) - Major Routes and Delivery Time
China-Vietnam (Pingxiang, Guangxi/Hekou, Yunnan): 3-5 days
China-Laos (Kunming → Vientiane, China-Laos Railway): 5-7 days
China-Thailand (via Laos or Myanmar): 7-10 days
- Door-to-Door Process
🔹 China: Factory pickup → Land transport to the border (such as Pingxiang and Mohan)
🔹 Cross-border transportation: Entering Southeast Asian countries after customs clearance
🔹 Local delivery: Trucks deliver directly to customer warehouses - Advantages and Disadvantages
✔ Advantages:
Moderate cost (cheaper than air freight, faster than sea freight)
Suitable for countries in Indochina
Full truckload shipping available (reduces transit times)
❌ Disadvantages:
Limited to neighboring countries (not suitable for island nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines)
Affected by border policies (e.g., temporary port closures due to the pandemic)
V. How to choose the best logistics solution? 1. Choose by Cargo Characteristics
Cargo Type Recommended Shipping Method
Large/Heavy Cargo (e.g., furniture, machinery) – Ocean Freight
High-Value/Urgent Cargo (e.g., mobile phones, samples) – Air Freight
Indochina (e.g., Vietnam, Thailand) – Land Freight
- Choose by Budget
Lowest Cost: Ocean Freight (suitable for non-urgent B2B trade)
Balanced Budget: Land Freight (suitable for Vietnam, Laos, etc.)
Despite Cost, Speed: Air Freight (suitable for e-commerce restocking of popular products)
- Choose by Time Requirements
Over 7 Days Acceptable → Ocean Freight
3-7 Days Required → Land Freight (Indochina) or Fast Ocean Freight (e.g., Singapore)
Must-Delivery Within 3 Days → Air Freight
VI. Optimization Suggestions
Mixed Transportation Strategy:
Ocean Freight as the Main Method + Air Freight for Emergency Use (e.g., combining stocking and replenishment for e-commerce peak season)
China-Laos Railway + Local Delivery in Thailand (faster than ocean freight, cheaper than air freight)
Plan Customs Clearance Ahead:
Ocean/land freight customs clearance takes a long time, so it is recommended to prepare documents (e.g., FORM E Certificate of Origin)
Choosing a Reliable Logistics Partner:
Ocean Freight: Pay attention to the shipping company’s direct shipping ratio (reduces transshipment).
Air Freight: Choose an agent with fixed shipping space (avoids warehousing delays).
Land Freight: Verify the qualifications of cross-border trucking companies (avoids port delays).
VII. Summary
Ocean Freight: The cheapest option, suitable for large, non-urgent shipments (such as overseas warehouse stocking).
Air Freight: The fastest option, suitable for high-value, urgent orders (such as e-commerce replenishment).
Land Freight: Highly cost-effective, but only available to countries accessible by land, such as Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.
The optimal choice depends on the characteristics of the cargo + budget + timeliness requirements. Companies can combine various methods to optimize supply chain costs and efficiency!