Your Best Shipping Agent for Train From China to Germany

Train From China To Germany | The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Introduction

Rail freight is getting popular day by day between China and Europe.

As a European country, Germany is also linked with the route of train from China to Germany.

Germany has a yearly import trade of $124,354 million from China which is considered a huge one.

A big portion of the trade import happens through the China Germany railway.

If you are thinking about importing from China by China Germany train, you might need to know some basic facts.

We are going to answer some questions related to freight train China to Germany.

Table Of Content

1. What Is Rail Freight?
2. Is Freight Train From China To Germany Available?
3. What Is China To Germany Train Route Map?
4. How Long Is The Transit Time For China Germany Train?
5. What Is The Process Of Rail Freight From China To Germany?
6. What Are The Required Documents For Shipping Through Railway From China To Germany?
7. What Are 20ft And 40ft Containers In Rail Freight From China To Germany?
8. What Are The Dimension And Payload Capacities Of 20ft And 40ft Containers?
9. What Are FCL And LCL Shipping Of Cargo Train China To Germany?
10. How To Calculate The Chargeable Shipping Costs Of The China Germany Train?
11. Which Factors Determine The Shipping Costs For Train China To Germany?
12. How Much Does Rail Freight From China To Germany Cost?
13. Why Should You Choose Rail Freight From China To Germany Over Other Shipping Methods?
14. Is door-to-door delivery Available By Train From China To Germany?
15. How Much Is Customs Duty For Rail Freight From China To Germany?
16. Who Is The Payer Of Customs Duties For The Shipping By Train China To Germany?
17. Who Handles The Customs Formalities Of The Freight Train From China To Germany?
18. How Long Does The German Customs Authority Hold Your Shipment To Check?
19. What Are The Prohibited Items To Freight Through Railway From China To Germany?
20. Can I Insure My Shipments When I Ship Through China Germany Railway from China to Germany?
21. How Can I Track My Shipment While Shipping Through Cargo Train China To Germany?

1. What Is Rail Freight?

Rail freight refers to the transportation of goods by train through a rail route from one place to another place.

There are two modes of rail freight available: FCL mode and LCL mode.

According to container size, there are also two types of containers available too: 20ft container and 40ft container.

FCL stands for Full container Load where only a single person will hire and use the whole container.

LCL stands for Less than container Load, where multiple importers can hire spaces in LCL mode containers.

A 20ft container is 20ft long in size, and a 40ft container is 40ft long in size.

We will discuss them separately in later sections of the article.

2. Is Freight Train From China To Germany Available?

A well-developed railway from China to Germany is available, and there is no restriction in trading between these two countries.

So, yes, you can freight by train from China to Germany.

Also, there are different types of rail freight from China to Germany available.

3. What Is China To Germany Train Route Map?

The railway from China to Germany is globally one of the best rail routes in the world because the main rail route is across the infrastructure of China Europe rail route.

Since 2017, 52 dedicated China Europe train routes have been in operation, with the majority of the lines passing through the China Germany railway.

There are 33 of them over China’s west zone, 5 over the middle zone, and 14 over the east zone.

Western China Germany train connections primarily connect China’s central and western regions with Europe as well as Germany and serve as a source of import and export.

They connect Xinjiang to Germany via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and Poland over the Alataw pass.

Also connecting Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey (or Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey) to Germany is the Western Nantong Road, which runs through Alataw pass.

The import-export between North China, Central China, and Germany is sourced using Central China to Germany train route maps.

It travels from Mongolia to Germany via Erlian, Russia, Belarus, and Poland.

Eastern China to Germany train route map is used to source export-import between East China’s coastal areas, South China, Northeast China, and Germany.

It passes via Russia, Belarus, and Poland on its way from Manzhouli Port to Germany.

Following are the major routes of train China to Germany.

• Shillong – Hamburg
• Zhengzhou – Hamburg – Zhengzhou
• Chengdu – Rhodes / Tilburg / Nuremberg – Chengdu
• Wuhan – Hamburg / Duisburg / Pardubice – Wuhan
• Shenyang – Hamburg / Nuremberg – Shenyang
• Hefei to Hamburg

See here the China to Germany train route map:

4. How Long Is The Transit Time For China Germany Train?

There is almost an 11,000 kilometer-long railway from China to Germany, which is a long run.

The transit time varies for different entities like,

• Weather (Summer, or Winter): Because Winter impacts the transit time because of adverse weather like snowfall, snowstorm, etc. In the Summer there is no such situation.
• The engine power of the train: Engine power determines the speed of the train.
• Wagon numbers: Wagon number impacts the speed. Because if there are more wagons, the speed will be less. If there are fewer wagons, the speed will get more pace.
• Border pass: There are some formalities of customs pass while the train goes through the different countries.

Despite having such entities, collaborating all of these, on average a cargo train China to Germany takes 15 to 18 days to reach.

It is faster than the sea freight from China to Germany.

5. What Is The Process Of Rail Freight From China To Germany?

When you are doing rail freight from China to Germany, you have to follow some gradual steps.

Following are the step-by-step procedures of freight by cargo train China to Germany.

Sourcing products

The first step is to source products and purchase for the importation through the railway from China to Germany.

You can source by three ways,

• Taking help from Chinese sourcing agent
• From online marketplace
• By visiting China directly and source goods from the factories

Packing and Containerization of Goods For China Germany Train

After sourcing goods successfully, the next main move is to pack the goods and move them to the railway port.

Then you have to containerize your goods.

You can do containerization in three ways.

Standard Container

20ft and 40ft containers are the two sizes of rail freight containers.

These two types of containers are also the industry standard, according to ISO rules.

In addition, the railways are intended to work with these two types of containers while transferring goods via cargo train China to Germany.

So, first and foremost, you must select one of these two containers.

Double Stack Container

Two containers are stacked on top of each other in a double-stack container.

In this method, a rail cargo may transport twice as much cargo as a single container.

Piggie-Back

As we all know, the railroad comes to an end in some instances.

Furthermore, some places are inaccessible to vehicles.

Combined transportation is used in this case.

That means trucks will be transported in rail flatcars, and trucks will ship goods through the road from the railroad’s endpoint.

Piggie-Back is the name of this technique.

Book Your Cars for the Train Shipment from China to Germany

After you’ve decided on a container for your exports, you’ll need to book it on the rail freight from China to Germany on your own or with the help of a professional freight forwarder like HART.

Prepare the Documents for the freight train from China to Germany

For transportation with the China Germany train, a number of documents are required.

As a result, prepare all of the necessary and legal documentation for the shipment.

Make Payment for the cargo train China to Germany

Pay your shipping charges for the shipping of your items.

It could happen under a variety of incoterms, such as DDP and DDU.

Choose the most beneficial option for you.

6. What Are The Required Documents For Shipping Through Railway From China To Germany?

When you are doing rail freight from China to Germany through the  China Germany railway, you have to do some must-do paperwork, and prepare necessary legal documents.

Following are the documents that you will need when you ship your goods by train from China to Germany.

License

An import-export license is a must for doing transportation through the China Germany railway.

Letter of Credit

Letter of credit is a financial document, which refers to a contract between the bank, the account holder, and the sender of the goods.

It guarantees the the sender/seller/exporter by an importer’s bank that he will be paid after the condition meets with the shipment.

Inland Bill of Lading

An inland bill of lading is a document issued to the shipper of goods by the authority of the carrier, the carrier’s agent, or the carrier’s captain.

The inland bill of lading serves as a receipt as well as a contract for the safe delivery of goods to their final destination.

It also serves as the final consignee’s ownership document for the package.

CIM Consignment

Rail transport document or CIM consignment is a document contract used in rail transport through railway from China to Germany.

CIM consignment confirms the reception of the goods by the rail carrier from the seller, and a contract is created between the carrier and the trader.

It includes key details of the shipment like description of the goods, number of packages and their weight, details about the sender and the recipient (Name and address).

Forwarder’s Certificate

For importing goods from China to Germany, freight forwarders play vital roles for the shipment.

Forwarder’s certificate is used where a freight forwarder handles the shipment by cargo train China to Germany.

Forwarder’s certificate of Receipt- CFR, shows the proof of that the freight forwarder received the goods with proper instruction to deliver them to the final consignee.

Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice is an administrative document that includes information about the shipment, such as the number of products, price, delivery information, and the goods’ customs value, among other things.

The commercial invoice declares the tax due by the importer, and also serves as proof of sales for the exporter.

Certificate of Origin

You must present a proof of origin when shipping across the China Germany railway.

The origin of a shipment is indicated by a certificate of origin.

Packing List

A packing list gives the exporter, importer, and carrier information about the goods they packed for the cargo.

It also stores the package’s weight and dimensions.

Shipper’s Letter of Instruction

A shipper’s letter of instruction tells the carrier or freight forwarder how to ship the goods and to whom and where they should be delivered.

Insurance Certificate for the Shipment of  train China to Germany

When shipping to China or Germany, you will need to show the insurance documentation for your goods to the Chinese and German authorities, respectively.

Bill of Entry

The Bill of Entry is a document that contains information on the items’ importer or consignee.

This document must be submitted to the customs department by the importer or a customs agent on behalf of the importer for customs clearance.

Export Clearance

Export clearance refers to the clearance from the Chinese customs authority to legally import to Germany through the China Germany railway.

7. What Are 20ft And 40ft Containers In Rail Freight From China To Germany?

You will find two types of rail freight containers in size: 20ft, and 40ft.

20ft Container

A 20ft container is a shipping container that is 20ft long in length which container goods in rail freight.

The most typical 20ft container has an internal volume of 1,172 cubic feet and measures 20 feet (6.1 m) long, 8 feet (2.44 m) wide, and 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) high, with an allowance for corner castings area of 33.2 m3.

40ft Container

A 40ft container is a 40ft long container in size which is used to carry goods across the China Germany trains.

The most typical 40-foot container is 40 feet (12.19 meters) long, 8 feet (2.44 meters) wide, and 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 meters) tall, with an allowance for corner castings on the outside; the internal volume is 2330 cubic feet (66 m3).

8. What Are The Dimension And Payload Capacities Of 20ft And 40ft Containers?

There are different dimensions for a 20ft and a 40ft container while you are considering all sides including inner sides and outer sides.

Let’s check them thoroughly.

Dimension and Payload of a Standard 20ft Container

The following are the various dimensions for a 20-foot container.

• Outer dimension including Length X Width X Height in feet: 20ft X 8ft X 8ft 6inches
• Inner dimension including Length X Width X Height in feet: 19ft 4inches X 7ft 9inches X 7ft 10inches
• Outer dimension including Length X Width X Height in meters: 6.10 meter X.44 meter X 2.59 meter
• In meters, the inner dimension including Length X Width X Height is: 5.898 meter X 2.352 meter X 2.393 meter

A 20-foot container has a usable capacity of 33 CBM (cubic meter).

And the payload capacity of a 20ft container is 25,000kg excluding the tare weight of the container, which is 2,300 kg.

Dimension and Payload of a Standard 40ft Container

Following are the different dimensions for a 40ft container in size.

• Outer dimension including Length X Width X Height in feet: 40 foot X 8 foot X 8 foot 6 inches.
• Inner dimension including Length X Width X Height in feet: 39 foot 6inches X 7 foot 9Inches X 7 foot 10 inches
• Outer dimension including Length X Width X Height in meters: 12.19 meters X 2.44 meters X 2.59 meters
• In meters, the inner dimension including Length X Width X Height is: 12.025 meter X 2.352 meter X 2.393 meter

A 40ft container has a usable capacity of 66 m3 and the payload capacity of a 40ft container is 27,600 kg.

You might wonder how a double sized container (40ft) can hold just 2600 kg more weight than a half-sized container (20ft)?

Actually, the 40ft container is specially designed for holding bigger-sized packages/boxes than heavy weight.

That’s why there is a little difference between a 20ft container and 40ft container in terms of weight capacity.

9. What Are FCL And LCL Shipping Of Cargo Train China To Germany?

In terms of shipping mode, there are two types of modes available for freight through the railway from China to Germany.

These are FCL and LCL.

FCL

FCL stands for Full Container Load.

This is a shipping mode of rail freight containing goods through rail freight from China to Germany.

Both rail and sea freight have this mode of shipping.

In FCL mode, you will hire a whole shipping container, either 20ft or 40ft, and use the whole container for your shipment.

Also you will have to pay the total shipping cost of the container as well.

FCl mode is preferable for large shipments.

LCL

LCL is the full form of Less than Container Load.

When you are shipping a small shipment through the freight train from China to Germany, LCL is most preferable.

It allows you to hire spaces and pay for it as per your needs.

In this case, multiple importers can use a single container.

10. How To Calculate The Chargeable Shipping Costs Of The China Germany Train?

There are two ways of calculating the chargeable shipping cost of your goods by the rail freight authority.

The ways are based on the gross weight and the volumetric weight.

Gross weight is the total weight of your goods along with the weight of the boxes that are containing the goods.

Suppose the weight of your goods is 500 kg and the box weight is 100 kg.

The gross weight is 600 kg here.

On the other hand, volumetric weight is determined by calculating the volume of the box of your goods.

If the volume of the box that contains your goods is 5 CBM, the volumetric weight will be 5 X 167= 835 (167 is the volumetric conversion number to kg).

In this case, the rail authority will consider the volumetric weight as the chargeable weight here.

11. Which Factors Determine The Shipping Costs For Train China To Germany?

There are several factors that play a role in determining the cost of a freight train from China to Germany.

And the phenomena impacts on the increasing and decreasing the shipping cost rate of the shipments through China Germany railway.

Following are the fact that impact on the costs:

• Shipping season
• Goods quantity
• Types of goods
• Types of shipping mode
• Container types
• Distance, etc.

You might ask for an exact shipping cost with your needs from HART.

Hart will provide you the best and the cheapest rates for your shipment by freight train from China to Germany.

12. How Much Does Rail Freight From China To Germany Cost?

The shipping cost of freight train from China to Germany is relatively cheaper.

You cannot declare a fixed cost, because the cost varies for various reasons.

But, you will get $0.6 to $1.5 per kg of goods to transport through the China Germany railway.

13. Why Should You Choose Rail Freight From China To Germany Over Other Shipping Methods?

There are a number of advantages of rail freight from China to Germany.

• The continuity and the accuracy of freight train from China to Germany is highly strong. Rail can operate its services in all seasons simultaneously.
• Cargo train China to Germany are relatively faster than sea freight. It can reach at the speed of 100km/p or more, which is much faster than sea freight.
• You can ship a larger volume than any other shipping method at a time. You might even add 100-200 or more wagons in single freight which is undoubtedly great in number.
• Rail freight is reliable, safe and secure.
• It is cheaper than air freight.
• Freight train from China to Germany have convenient customs clearance.

China to Hamburg direct train starts:

14. Is Door-to-door Delivery Available By Train From China To Germany?

Yes, door-to-door delivery is available through the rail freight from China to Germany.

Door-to-door delivery is a special delivery service where  the freight forwarder will pick your goods from the vendor’s place in China.

Then he will deliver them to your warehouse in Germany without involving you in any movement for the shipment.

HART has quite an experience of door-to-door delivery along with the best service possible.

15. How Much Is Customs Duty For Rail Freight From China To Germany?

As a member of the European Union, Germany has a common tariff rate same as the other members of European countries from non-European countries.

German customs duty rates range from 0 to 17%, with an average of 4.2%.

Products of dairy, confectionery, non-agricultural and fisheries, fruits and vegetables, and clothing have a higher tariff, which ranges from 11.6% to 32.3%.

16. Who Is The Payer Of Customs Duties For The Shipping By Train China To Germany?

Generally, the importer/buyer is the payer of customs duties for the goods that are shipped by freight train from China to Germany.

Also, the sender can do so under the DDP incoterm.

17. Who Handles The Customs Formalities Of The Freight Train From China To Germany?

The customs formalities are basically the duty of the importer/buyer of the goods that are imported through the China German train from China.

But, the freight forwarder of the importer also can handle the formalities on behalf of the importer.

On the other hand, the sender of the goods also can take all responsibilities on behalf of the importer under the incoterm DDP.

18. How Long Does The German Customs Authority Hold Your Shipment To Check?

If there are no issues with the goods and documents, it might take 7 to 10 days to check and clear the customs for your goods by the customs authority of Germany.

But, if any complexity rises with the documents and the goods, it might take longer than usual.

19. What Are The Prohibited Items To Freight Through Railway From China To Germany?

There are a large number of items that are prohibited to import in Germany from other countries, even from China.

• All products containing the biocide dimethyl fumarate (DMF)
• Any printed material, Film, Audio, CD, DVD, Cassettes containing propaganda
• Asbestos fibers:
• Certain carcinogenic substances
• Chemicals that are subject to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
• Certain Pesticides subject to the Rotterdam Convention
• Products covered by the International Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Banknotes and Counterfeit coins
• Fighting dogs
• Knives with blades that open automatically through a spring device or are released by gravity or centrifugal force
• Offensive and automated Weapons
• Goods bearing false origin statements
• Goods infringing a trademark and copyright
• Goods infringing a
• Green and Black Tea of P.R. China origin
• Live animals
• For manufacturing, stamps (fictitious), including dies and plates

20. Can I Insure My Shipments When I Ship Through China Germany Railway from China to Germany?

Yes, there are insurance facilities for the goods to ship by freight train from China to Germany.

The rail carrier offers insurance with a high premium.

You can get a low premium facility if you insure your goods from a third-party insurance company.

21. How Can I Track My Shipment While Shipping Through Cargo Train China To Germany?

You can track your shipment during transportation with a unique tracking id.

When you do everything from your freight forwarder’s online system, a unique tracking id will be generated automatically.

Last Words

The freight train from China to Germany is getting popular day by day.

As one of the easiest shipping methods, rail freight provides reliable shipping from China to Germany.

But, you will need proper guidelines and help while you are doing rail freight from China to Germany.

You should take help from experienced freight forwarding companies like HART Worldwide Logistics.