A large number of Serbian citizens and companies importing goods from China can testify that the impact of the coronavirus in the first moment led to a significant delay in the delivery of goods. The reason for this was the lack of transport capacity between China and Europe.
In the current conditions, rail freight traffic from China has proven to be a fairly stable option. Anti-epidemiological measures have not affected rail transport worldwide, as have other modes of transport, including air, road and sea transport. The most important advantage of rail transport is delivery time, and in the context of the coronavirus epidemic, delivery time for basic goods is of particular importance.
The demand for a faster transport option than boat transport has put the New Silk Road at the forefront. Also, tariffs for the transport of shipments from China to Europe, both by ship and by plane, have increased drastically. Interesting topic to know more about polovni automobili.
“Many companies are looking for an alternative to transport important shipments to Europe, and the cargo-partner has recognized the need for attractive and reliable alternative solutions over conventional routes and can offer a range of additional options. Our train transport solution, with regular weekly departures and transit times of 18 to 22 days, directly connects these two continents and ensures that the shipment is picked up at the desired location and delivered to the correct destination. Shipments can be picked up through an extensive network of hubs throughout China. The complete supply chain management platform (SPOT) provides transparency and insight into all data, and thanks to the option of direct transport without transhipment, direct LCL service (groupage container transport) enables the fastest door-to-door delivery. We are convinced that the New Silk Road will become even more important in the future. “- said Mirko Ilic, General Manager of Cargo-Partner in Serbia.
Since rail transport is up to 50% faster than sea transport and up to 60% more economical than air transport, it is not surprising that an increasing number of companies are opting for this alternative. The train also has a positive effect on environmental protection, due to lower carbon dioxide emissions.
In addition to delays in delivery, many have noticed an increase in shipping costs from AliExpress, China’s largest online shop. There are many reasons that influenced that.
This type of goods is usually transported by air. Due to the cancellation of passenger flights in the last few months, cargo planes were overloaded with PPE equipment (personal protective equipment), which increased the prices of air transportation. Of course, their transportation had a higher priority and PPE shippers could afford higher transportation rates.
In addition, the time of transport of goods to the end customer has been increased due to new customs procedures, which were introduced due to the pandemic. And which implies increased control at the borders. Here, too, PPE equipment is treated with priority. Many shipments were also delayed due to reloading or insufficient number of trucks available. In principle, if the buyer does not receive the ordered goods within the promised time, he can request a refund. To avoid this, the sellers on Aliexpress decided to pay higher shipping prices, so that the goods could be delivered to them faster. Consequently, the end customer bore those increased costs.
Initially, when there was not enough information about the virus, some worried that they would be infected with the crown if they ordered goods from China. Due to that, some Chinese sellers did not have enough orders to fill the reserved transport space, which resulted in an increase in the price of transport per unit of product.
“In such situations, users should be treated responsibly. At cargo partner, we remain in close contact with our customers and offer them flexible alternatives to their transport needs. ” – emphasized the General Manager of the cargo-partner company in Serbia.
