由 caicai8478 Introduction
The current global trade environment is complex and volatile, with ocean and air freight prices fluctuating dramatically and geopolitical factors increasing uncertainty. For Chinese exporters, refining logistics chain management to reduce transportation costs has gone from an “option” to a “must.” This strategy provides companies with a comprehensive approach, from tactical to strategic.
I. Optimizing the Transport Mode Combination: Saying Goodbye to “Single Choice”
Key Strategy: Flexibly combine ocean, rail, air, and express delivery based on product characteristics, delivery dates, and cost budgets, rather than relying on a single mode.
Specific Approach:
Ocean transport as a primary option, supplemented by air transport: For bulk cargo or general merchandise with low time constraints, adhere to ocean transport. For high-value, urgently needed replenishment or samples, use air transport.
Vigorously develop “sea-rail intermodal transport” and “international rail”: For inland destinations in Europe and Central Asia, rail transport, such as the China-Europe Express, offers an excellent balance and outstanding cost-effectiveness compared to pure ocean transport (long shipping times) or pure air transport (high costs).
“Truck Flight” Application: For short-sea routes such as those in Southeast Asia, cross-border trucking can be considered as a partial replacement for air freight, offering lower costs and greater flexibility.
Benefits: Significantly reduce overall freight costs and increase the flexibility of transportation options.
II. Deepen “Group Overseas Expansion” and Intensive Booking
Strategy Core: Increase bargaining power with carriers (shipping companies, airlines) by increasing cargo volume.
Specific Approach:
Industry Alliances: Multiple small and medium-sized enterprises in the same industry or industrial park form a logistics alliance to consolidate individual orders and book cargo in a centralized manner as full container loads (FCLs) to enjoy lower rates.
Leverage Large Freight Forwarding Platforms: Select large international freight forwarders or logistics platforms (such as Cainiao and Flexport). These platforms, with their massive overall cargo volume, can secure competitive contract prices, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to “free-ride” on these advantages.
Joining a Purchasing and Distribution Center: Utilize overseas warehouses or overseas purchasing and distribution centers to consolidate shipments from multiple suppliers.
Benefits: Directly achieve lower unit freight rates and reduce surcharges associated with smaller cargo volumes.
- Precise Planning and Advance Stocking to Lock in Costs
Strategy Core: Countering market volatility with planning and certainty.
Specific Approach:
Forward Planning: Communicate with customers about annual/quarterly demand forecasts and develop shipping plans at least one to two months in advance.
Long-Term Agreements (LAs): Sign medium- to long-term shipping agreements with shipping companies/freight forwarders to lock in space and rates, avoiding the exorbitant spot rates faced by last-minute bookings.
Off-Season Stocking: Avoid peak freight rates and tight shipping capacity during peak seasons (such as before Christmas and Black Friday) by shipping to overseas warehouses in advance.
Benefits: Avoid peak price premiums, ensure supply chain stability, and facilitate capital planning.
- Lean Packaging and Optimizing Load Rates
Strategy Core: Reduce unnecessary volume and weight to pack more goods into limited space.
Specific Approach:
Packaging Design: Use lightweight, high-strength, foldable/recyclable packaging materials to reduce weight and volume.
Standardized Packaging: Match packaging dimensions to standard containers, pallets (e.g., 1.2m x 1.0m), and the inner diameter of containers to maximize space utilization.
Professional Loading Solutions: Use professional loading software or hire consultants to optimize cargo placement within containers to eliminate wasted space. By packing more cubic meters per container, costs can be immediately shared.
Benefits: Directly reduce freight rates based on volume/weight and reduce packaging material costs.
V. Leveraging Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Policy Dividends
Strategy Core: Indirectly reduce overall logistics costs through tariff reductions and exemptions.
Specific Approaches:
Origin Certification: Thoroughly research and identify applicable FTAs (e.g., RCEP, China-ASEAN FTA, China-EU Agreement, etc.) with clients, and proactively apply for certificates of origin (e.g., CO, Form E, etc.).
Optimize Rules of Origin: Adjust raw material sourcing locations to meet the origin standards of specific FTAs to qualify for tariff reductions and exemptions.
Pay attention to policies: Stay up-to-date on government policies such as export tax rebates and logistics subsidies to ensure you receive all benefits.
Benefits: While this doesn’t directly reduce freight costs, it significantly reduces customs duties at the destination port, improving product price competitiveness.
VI. Scientifically Layout and Utilize Overseas Warehouses
Strategy Core: Transform transportation costs from “variable” to “fixed” and enhance the customer experience through local delivery.
Specific Approaches:
Concentrated “First-Leg Transportation”: Use full container shipping/rail transport to ship large quantities of goods to overseas warehouses in the destination country in advance at a lower cost.
Localized “Last-Leg Delivery”: After a customer places an order, deliver directly from the overseas warehouse using local logistics, offering fast delivery times and low costs (equivalent to domestic express delivery).
Avoid Peak Season Risks: Stocking up in overseas warehouses in advance allows you to avoid logistical congestion and high freight costs during peak seasons like the end of the year.
Benefits: Reduce unit first-leg freight costs, shorten delivery times, and increase sales, particularly suitable for e-commerce (B2C and small businesses).
- Data-Driven Logistics Decision-Making and Technology Empowerment
Strategy Core: Replace experience and intuition with data and technology to achieve precise management.
Specific Approach:
TMS (Transportation Management System): Introduce a TMS to compare quotes, routes, and times from different carriers, automatically selecting the optimal option.
Data Tracking and Analysis: Monitor the actual cost, timeliness, and anomalies of each shipment, accumulating data to optimize future decisions.
Internet of Things (IoT) Applications: Use smart trackers to monitor cargo location, temperature, and humidity in real time, reducing damage claims and insurance costs.
Benefits: Improve decision-making efficiency, identify potential cost waste, and achieve more transparent management.
- Comprehensively Examine and Manage “Hidden” Costs
Strategy Core: Cost control extends beyond ocean freight; every link should be examined.
Specific Approach:
Inland Transportation: Compare the costs of truck, rail, and inland waterway transportation to the port and select the optimal solution.
Port Charges: Be familiar with various fees, including THC (Terminal Handling Charges), document fees, and sealing fees, and clearly define them with freight forwarders to avoid unreasonable charges.
Insurance: Purchasing insurance based on the value of your cargo. You can choose an industry association’s blanket insurance plan or retain some risk to reduce premiums.
Avoiding Demurrage and Port Detention: Arrange customs clearance and cargo pickup at the destination port in advance to efficiently transfer containers and avoid costly fines.
Benefits: Plug cost loopholes and significantly reduce overall costs.
IX. Cultivating and Maintaining Core Logistics Partnerships
Strategy Core: Treat freight forwarders and carriers as strategic partners rather than suppliers.
Specific Approach:
Long-term Partnership: Entrust your primary cargo volume to one or two core freight forwarders, rather than always searching for the lowest price. Loyalty can earn you priority space, crisis support, and superior service.
In-depth Communication: Share your business plans and challenges with your logistics partners so they can tailor solutions for you.
Regular Performance Review: Regularly review performance with logistics partners and jointly identify areas for optimization.
Benefits: Obtain value-added services beyond price, secure support when shipping space is tight, and more efficient problem resolution.
- Strengthen the Capacity of the Internal Logistics Team
Strategy Core: Your own people understand the business best, and the cost of cultivating internal experts will ultimately pay for itself.
Specific Approaches:
Professional Training: Ensure logistics personnel continuously learn about Incoterms, customs policies, FTA rules, and logistics technology.
Performance Evaluation: Incorporate logistics cost control into team KPIs to incentivize proactive optimization and innovation.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Promote collaboration between the logistics department and sales, production, and procurement departments to influence logistics costs at the source (e.g., order structure and production planning).
Benefits: Building an internal team capable of hard work and continuous cost reduction and efficiency improvement is the core of a company’s logistics competitiveness.
Conclusion: Reducing export transportation costs is a systematic process; there is no silver bullet. Companies need to selectively combine and continuously optimize these strategies based on their own product, market, and customer needs. From passively accepting freight rates to proactively managing their supply chains, Chinese companies will undoubtedly build strong cost advantages and resilience in the new global trade landscape.