Logistics services in China.

China logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in China cover sea, air, rail and road options linking factories to global markets. Container ports handle about 300 million TEU a year, supported by a merchant fleet of 8,314 vessels and a coastline of about 14,500 km, so deep sea services are widely available.

Air freight uses a network of 225 scheduled-service airports within a total of about 552 airports. Rail freight uses about 150,000 km of track and moves about 3 billion tonne-km of cargo, with cross-border rail routes to places such as Hanoi and Almaty. Road movements connect major production centers with key ports like Shanghai, Qingdao Gang, Tianjin Xin Gang, Xiamen, Dalian and others for export and import flows.

Freight forwarders in China work around very high container volumes, strong liner connectivity and dense port choices. When choosing one, check their experience at major ports such as Shanghai, Qingdao Gang, Tianjin Xin Gang, Dalian, Xiamen, Guangzhou and Shekou, and how they route cargo to the USA, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany and South Korea, which are important export partners.

China’s Logistics Performance Index is 3.7 overall, higher than the world median of 2.7, but the customs score is 3.3, close to a customs median of 2.6, so clearance performance matters. Membership in ASEAN- and APEC-related frameworks shapes some regional flows, and an average applied tariff of about 2.18 percent affects landed cost calculations. Forwarders should be able to coordinate with lines such as COSCO, CMA CGM, MSC, OOCL, Evergreen and others that keep offices in multiple Chinese cities.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to China is anchored by very large seaports and frequent liner services. Container throughput is about 300 million TEU a year, ranked 1st of 168 countries worldwide, with a liner shipping connectivity index of 171.18, also 1st of 169. China has about 66 ports and 48 oil terminals, including Shanghai, Tianjin Xin Gang, Qingdao Gang, Dalian, Xiamen, Shekou and Guangzhou.

COSCO, CMA CGM, MSC, OOCL, Evergreen, Yang Ming and several other lines maintain offices in major Chinese cities, supporting both FCL and LCL consolidation. Observed all-in FCL rates on 31 October 2026 include Shanghai to Houston at a median of 11,827 USD per 40HC, Yantian to Los Angeles at 8,714 USD per 40ST, Shanghai to Los Angeles at 7,169 USD per 20ST, Shekou Pt to New York at 12,218 USD per 40ST, and Shanghai to Rotterdam at 3,758 USD per 40HC.

Air freight in China relies on a large airport network and significant cargo volumes. Scheduled services operate from 225 airports, including Baotou Donghe International (BAV), Beijing Capital (PEK), Beijing Daxing (PKX), Changchun Longjia (CGQ) and Changsha Huanghua (CSX), within a total of about 552 airports nationwide.

Air cargo traffic reaches about 26.2 billion tonne-km, ranking 2nd of 184 countries worldwide and 1st in its region. For high-value exports such as broadcasting equipment, computers and integrated circuits, air freight can support shorter lead times than sea or rail when transit speed is critical relative to freight cost.

Rail and road freight in China connect inland production to ports and neighboring markets. The rail network extends about 150,000 km and carries about 3,018,200 tonne-km of freight, ranking 1st of 113 countries and 1st in the region for rail tonne-km. Major ports such as Tianjin Xin Gang, Qingdao Gang, Dalian, Shanghai and Xiamen are rail-served.

China shares land borders with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam. Cross-border rail freight routes include Kunming to Hanoi at 669 km, Guangzhou to Hanoi at 1,162 km and Urumqi to Almaty at 1,319 km, which are important corridors alongside road traffic for overland trade.

Customs clearance in China is handled by the Customs and Excise Department. The country has been a World Customs Organization member since 18 July 1983 and is a member of the WTO, as well as regional groupings such as ASEAN- and APEC-related blocs. The average applied tariff is about 2.18 percent, so duties are one part of total import cost planning.

China’s customs score on the Logistics Performance Index is 3.3 versus a world median of 2.6, while the overall LPI is 3.7 versus 2.7. Median export lead time is about 2 days and import lead time about 6 days. For both imports and exports, shippers should prepare a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document and work closely with brokers familiar with these timings and tariff levels for China.