Many central and western cities have all focused their attention on the China-Europe Express train in the process of opening up their channels. "As soon as the train rang, gold would be two thousand two." Since 2020, the volume of China-Europe express trains has skyrocketed and is no longer a "supporting role" for cross-border logistics. As of the beginning of November, the annual number of China-Europe trains exceeded 10,000, which has exceeded the level of the whole year of 2019, setting a new record.

But at the same time, in the context of the shortage of domestic containers and the declining logistics circulation speed, due to the backlog of air and shipping power on the railway, the load of China-Europe express trains has increased sharply, which has become a new "blocking point" in the container transportation link, and the bottleneck of the industry's capacity is gradually Highlight.

Capacity is tight, traders detour goods

Although he has been engaged in foreign trade business for decades, the industry veteran Li Jian (pseudonym) has no less trouble facing the global epidemic in 2020.

"When the epidemic first broke out, almost all product supplies were stopped, and my peers collapsed a lot, and the shelves in my store were once empty. Later, the domestic epidemic was controlled and overseas supply was restored, but there were still a lot of problems." Taking advantage of the approval of Zhengzhou's cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone, Li Jian has operated a local imported goods store in the past few years, and the source of customers has been good. However, affected by this epidemic, not only has his variety of goods been reduced, but the freight cost has also increased significantly.

“Now the cross-border transportation capacity of sea, land, and air is relatively tight. The main reason for the tension is due to the epidemic. There are fewer goods coming in and the number of containers is insufficient. Although China has a strong container manufacturing capacity, it is too late to replenish it. The scarcity is the most expensive, and the freight will naturally rise."

He complained to reporters that in the near future, whether by land or sea transportation, the capacity is tight. Without positions, traders have to think of other ways. Recently, due to the shortage of freight capacity of land trains from Europe to Zhengzhou, warehouses could not be booked, and a container of milk imported from Poland by the company could not reach Zhengzhou directly. I wanted to go back and choose to send it to Wuhan, but Wuhan couldn't make it, so I had to go to Chengdu again. In this detour, the freight for a container is more than 6,000 yuan, and can only bear part of it, and the freight forwarder also helps to bear part of it.

"Because of the prevention of air pollution, all parts of the north have begun to restrict traffic. Recently, the freight rate has increased a lot, and there are fewer suitable vehicles. It takes more than 20 days for the goods to travel from Europe to Chengdu. After customs clearance, they can be transported to Zhengzhou by motor. If it goes well, it will take three to five days. Not only is the price more expensive, it also takes longer than before.” Li Jian said.

After the epidemic, considering multiple factors, Li Jian’s import merchandise store stopped purchasing American merchandise. At present, many of its goods mainly come from European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Spain and so on.

"Zhengzhou has direct trains from China to Europe. Although the trains from China to Europe are short in time, they are more expensive. The company still chooses to ship by sea from Qingdao and Shanghai ports." He said that there have been recent increases in prices for both sea and land transportation. , It will take longer. In the past, if the weather was good, the China-Europe train could arrive in Zhengzhou in less than 18 days.

On the one hand, traders report that the capacity is tight, but on the other hand, freight agencies are also using various means to increase the capacity of external transportation and improve efficiency.

It is understood that in November 2020, the first China-Europe train (Zhengzhou, China-Helsinki, Finland) will be officially launched. The first China Zhengzhou-Finland Helsinki train carries 43 sets of containers. The cargo mainly includes disposable medical masks, anti-epidemic medical equipment, isolation gowns, lamps, etc., with a total cargo weight of 461 tons and a total cargo value of US$3.001 million.

As of November 20, 2020, the Zhengzhou-Europe train has operated a total of 3745 flights (2243 outbound flights and 1502 return flights), with a total cumulative value of US$15.55 billion and a cargo weight of 2.0204 million tons, of which 985 flights will be operated in 2020 ( 598 outbound trips and 387 return trips).

During the 2020 epidemic, the Zhengzhou-Europe train also opened the remote operation function of the online booking system to help prevent and control the epidemic, reduce transportation costs, and improve operational efficiency. In the first October of 2020, the volume of export e-commerce parcels increased by 186% year-on-year.

In addition, in the face of the sudden drop in international flights at the beginning of the outbreak, the large-scale suspension of flights around the world, and the increase in international freight rates, the Henan Bonded Group subsidiary Zhongdamen International Logistics Service Co., Ltd. has also opened up cheap cross-border e-commerce charter flights, which have been opened one after another. These include special flights to Liege, Belgium, New York, and other countries and regions.

A logistics company does not accept new orders

In 2013, the first China-Europe train departed from Chengdu International Railway Port and has been in operation for 7 years.

At the beginning of 2020, due to the epidemic caused poor logistics and shrinking trade, during this period, the China-Europe Express Express, which transports more and runs faster, has demonstrated its strong advantages of safety and efficiency and has become a veritable "king of cargo".

In 2020, the front of the train is decorated with a sign that "China-Europe Express Train (Chengyu) breaks through 10,000 trains". It will sail from Chengdu International Railway Port and Chongqing International Logistics Hub to the European continent thousands of kilometers away. What's different from the past 6 years is that this line of China-Europe trains no longer uses the "Chengdu" and "Chongqing" logos, but uses the "Chengyu" logo together. This move is intended to emphasize: in the context of the construction of the two-city economic circle in the Chengdu-Chongqing region, the China-Europe Express, which is an important land transportation opening to the west, has begun the process of integrated development.

In response to the recent situation of China-Europe Express, the reporter learned from a company specializing in Yuxin-Europe international rail transport business that due to the epidemic, sea and air transportation have been greatly affected. Since 2020, China-Europe Express has been relatively tight. At present, China-Europe Express trains have exploded across the board, and this is almost the case across the country. At present, the company no longer accepts appointments for orders from new customers. "In fact, it is difficult for old customers to order containers. You can try to ask the freight forwarding company."

Similarly, the sales manager of a Chengdu-specialized Chengdu-Europe express railway business company also told reporters that it is indeed difficult to book a position now, even if it is ordered, it can only be scheduled after December 24, and there may not be containers. , There is a high probability that it will be scheduled to 2021, and there is no accurate time. At the same time, the transportation price has also increased significantly. The current arrival price from Chengdu to Nuremberg is US$2950/40HC, while the price in the first two months was relatively stable at about US$2200. The sales manager also reluctantly said that there was no other way, and the entire China-Europe Express train was sold out.

Statistics show that the China-Europe trains opened in Chengdu and Chongqing are the two largest China-Europe trains with the largest domestic transportation value, the widest coverage, and the strongest industrial drive. As of the end of 2019, the cumulative number of China-Europe express trains in Chengdu and Chongqing accounted for more than 40% of the country.

The Chengdu international train line network and global land and sea freight distribution system with Chengdu as the main hub, west to Europe, north to Mongolia and Russia, east to Japan and South Korea, and south to expand ASEAN, have been initially established, with 7 international railway channels and 6 international railways. The sea combined transport channel has continued to expand and has connected 55 overseas cities and 18 domestic cities.

At the beginning of 2020, around the three main trunk lines of Łódź, Nuremberg and Tilburg, China-Europe Express (Chengdu) mainly promoted the “Europe” transportation mode with Chengdu opening characteristics. At present, the train can reach the whole of Europe through the hub nodes of Poland Mala and Poznan. By taking Marathon as the hub node, it is possible to organize the distribution and assembly of single container cargo at Warsaw, Duisburg, Hamburg, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Budapest, Vienna and other stations via Marathon; by taking Poznan as the hub node , Using the local railway transportation network to connect Wroclaw, Luxembourg, Duisburg, Rotterdam and other regions.

Since its inception, China-Europe Express (Chengdu) has transported a total of nearly 200 billion yuan worth of goods, and continues to meet the transportation needs of Chengdu’s local electronic information, automotive vehicles, smart home appliances, and biomedical industries. The source of the freight trains is TCL, Lenovo, Dell, Geely, Volvo, BMW and other manufacturing products are the main products, and local sources account for 71%. Among them, exports have driven local small and medium-sized manufacturers of shoes, clothing, flowers, and daily necessities to go global through cross-border e-commerce channels; imports are mainly consumer goods in Europe.

According to local media reports, Zeng Yi, director of the External Liaison Department of the Chengdu International Railway Port Management Committee, introduced that the China-Europe Express is a group of containers, and the isolation effect in epidemic prevention and control is better. During the period from January to March 2020, with stagnant water transportation and poor ports, the volume of China-Europe Express (Chengdu) bucked the trend and increased by more than 80%. From May to November 2020, 17,800 tons of epidemic prevention materials have been delivered to Europe through the China-Europe Express (Chengdu).

Capacity challenges behind industry highlights

Not only is the market in Zhengzhou, Chengdu and other places hot, but the whole industry of China-Europe Express is experiencing unprecedented high-light moments.

According to the latest news from China Railway Group, in November 2020, the China-Europe freight train will continue to operate stably and at a high level, with 1,238 trains operating and 115,000 TEUs, up 64% and 73% year-on-year respectively, and the comprehensive heavy container rate reaches 98.8%. According to recent data released by the National Development and Reform Commission, as of November 5, the number of China-Europe freight trains reached 10,180 this year, which has exceeded the total number of trains in 2019 (8225).

Since its launch in 2011, China-Europe Express has opened more than 50 domestic cities, and it has rapidly grown into a major freight channel connecting Asia and Europe. In the past, it took more than 40 days for goods from the central and western regions to enter the European market by sea. Now it only takes about 10 days to pass the China-Europe Express.

"Mainly due to the impact of the reduction of the epidemic's capacity, there is no space for sea freight and the price of air freight is high. Therefore, some shippers in European business will switch to the China-Europe Express. For example, the sea freight to the UK has risen to US$5,000 per cabinet. There are many shipping companies that do not call at the Port of Felixstowe (the largest container port in the UK). Shipping is very difficult as a whole. Now bookings one month in advance do not necessarily have a seat." A staff member of an international freight logistics company said.

However, the capacity problem behind the highlight data is gradually exposed. A recent dispatching order of the railway department showed that due to the serious backlog of ports, from 18:00 on December 8th to 18:00 on December 13th, various stations were loaded to the export of Erenhot (territory) and Alashankou (territory). All installations are discontinued. The transportation of key materials needs to be reported to China Railway Group separately.

The tight container capacity has spread from air and sea transportation to railway transportation.

In fact, this is not the first time that the above-mentioned cargo is stopped. It is understood that since mid-to-late March, China-Europe Class has listed the ports of entry, especially Alashankou and Horgos, which have been operating at full capacity. Since late June, serious congestion has occurred at the above-mentioned ports. At the request of the China Railway Group, several China-Europe Express companies have reduced some of their transportation capacity from June to July to ensure unblocked ports.

According to the person from the aforementioned international freight logistics company, “Now is the traditional peak season. Manufacturers are all rushing to deliver goods during Christmas and Spring Festival. Customers waiting for the China-Europe Express train can take up to a month or so, and it takes half a month for a shorter one. Few freight forwarding companies can slap their breasts and say that I have a seat here faster."

What are the factors that limit the speed of container circulation? According to the latest statement of the National Railway Group, with the approaching Christmas in the West, the demand for China-Europe freight trains continues to be strong. However, due to the strengthening of epidemic prevention and control measures at port stations and severe overseas weather, the port's handover capacity has declined, and some channels have trains. Moving slowly on the way. To this end, the railway department has actively taken countermeasures to scientifically allocate port capacity and transportation needs, and will pay close attention to the transportation dynamics of China-Europe trains, and adjust transportation organization measures in time to ensure the stable operation of China-Europe trains.

"The China-Europe Express Express has reached a historical high in terms of volume, but from the perspective of regional imbalance, the fluctuations are still relatively large. One is because the business volume increases instantly, and the other is also affected by the epidemic, which has caused some material transportation speeds. The embarrassing situation of not being able to keep up. The epidemic in Europe has intensified recently, and it is expected that the congestion problem will continue for some time, and the port transit time may be further lengthened." Express logistics expert Zhao Xiaomin said.

Although the container backlog problem is difficult to solve in a short time, there is still room for improvement in transportation capacity. Zhao Xiaomin believes that China-Europe trains may require joint action in terms of emergency response mechanisms. It is recommended that there is a "game of chess" in terms of customs clearance and resource coordination. For example, the trains in Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Xi'an and other regions can be coordinated through various relevant departments such as the Development and Reform Commission. At present, the situation facing the China-Europe Express train is that opportunities outweigh adjustments. From the perspective of transportation, the increase in capacity and cargo volume are after all two major benefits. The difficulties should be minimized as much as possible. Once the epidemic is over, normalcy will be restored in the future. , The "China-Europe Express" brand can be played more loudly.

Xie Xiaowen, a special researcher of the Chinese Society of Logistics, also said that since 2020, the China-Europe freight train has set a new record high, but the problem of the obvious insufficient transport capacity of overseas railway channels involved in the freight train has been prominent, and the congestion of the transport channels has put a lot of pressure on smooth port handling. , Resulting in a backlog of goods. With the expansion and reconstruction of major ports and yards, the next trial operation of the new international intermodal passage is expected to be relieved to a certain extent. However, in the long run, countries along the China-Europe railway line need to carry out railway reconstruction and expansion, increase cooperation with China, and continuously improve transportation efficiency in order to enjoy the dividends brought by the China-Europe railway line and achieve mutual benefit and win-win development. Editor/Sang Xiaomei