Forwarder to forwarder on the Duisburg lane
We are the Chinese end of your Duisburg booking, not a competing seller to your customer. You take the slot from us at a net rate and issue your own house bill; our quotation is addressed to you, and on a shipment you introduce we do not approach your consignee. The lane itself runs on X8151, four departures a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday), 11–12 days station to station from Xi’an, 9,908 km, gauge change at Małaszewicze, with EU import clearance — T1 transit where the box clears inland, the import declaration, duty and 19% import VAT recoverable by the importer — handled at the terminal or inland.
Two things we will not do. We will not quote your customer on a shipment you bring us, and we will not stand as importer of record. The first is a matter of the cooperation confirmation; the second is a matter of law — the EU importer must be an entity established in the EU, with an EORI number and a German VAT registration where the goods clear in Germany.
Two ways to buy this lane
Most forwarder enquiries we get are not asking for a door-to-door price. They are asking whether they can keep the main carriage and hand us the Chinese end, or whether it is simpler to buy the whole thing and resell it. Both are normal; the difference is where the risk sits.
| Origin agent only | Full route | |
|---|---|---|
| We do | Pickup in China, receiving and measurement, stuffing at our CFS, export declaration, gate-in at the rail terminal | All of the above, plus the rail slot, T1, EU import clearance and DAP or DDP delivery |
| You do | Main carriage on your own contract or another operator, EU clearance, last mile, customer billing | Customer relationship and your own resale margin |
| Price basis | Service fee plus origin charges, itemised | One net figure to the named delivery point |
| Documents | Export declaration, packing list, CFS measurement record, container and seal numbers | All of the above, plus the CIM/SMGS waybill, the T1 where relevant, and a delivery note |
| Fits when | You already hold rail space, or your client’s terms name a carrier | You want one figure, one party to chase, and no seam between the rail leg and the EU leg |
Both models are quoted on the same cargo details, so the comparison is real rather than indicative. Tell us which one you want priced, or ask for both.
What you are actually booking
- Slot on X8151 — Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from Xi’an. The return direction runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Trains do not leave on Sunday or Monday.
- Boxes — 20GP, 40GP and 40HQ. Carrier-owned equipment by default; shipper-owned on request, which matters when your consignee needs the box beyond free time for onward distribution.
- Origin operations at our own CFS — 6,000 m², eight loading doors, under three kilometres from the rail terminal inside Xi’an International Port. Receiving, measurement, marking, photo report, stuffing and sealing are ours, not subcontracted.
- Export declaration — standard declaration (0110) filed by in-house licensed brokers, in the operating entity you nominate. Export tax rebate documentation follows the same instruction.
- EU leg — T1 transit where the container clears inland rather than at the border, import declaration, duty, and 19% import VAT which the importer recovers as input tax. The ATLAS pre-declaration is filed while the train is still running, not after it arrives.
The booking rhythm, and why it is not a fixed cut-off
We do not publish a cut-off hour on this page, because it moves with the wagon plan and the season. What does not move is the pattern, and the pattern is what you plan around:
| Stage | Rule of thumb | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo at the CFS | Three to four days before departure | That window absorbs a re-pack, a label correction, or a customs query without losing the train |
| Departure days | Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat | Nothing leaves Sunday or Monday — cargo gated in on Thursday or Friday usually rolls to the following Tuesday |
| Documents | Complete before stuffing | HS code, weight and packing list have to agree before the box is sealed; a mismatch found later means unstuffing |
If your consignee’s delivery window is fixed, book against the departure day rather than the arrival day — the 11–12 day figure is station to station, and the EU end adds the clearance and the delivery appointment on top.
Documents: you issue the house bill, we supply what sits under it
This is the part worth being precise about, because it is where forwarder-to-forwarder arrangements usually get blurred. The house bill of lading is yours — it is your contract with your customer and we never sign it. What we provide is the operating layer beneath it:
- Export declaration in the operating entity you nominate, with the customs release note
- CFS measurement record and photo report, so your chargeable volume is documented rather than asserted
- Container number, seal number and the gate-in confirmation at the rail terminal
- CIM/SMGS waybill for the rail leg
- T1 transit document where the box clears inland, and the import declaration reference after release
The CIM/SMGS waybill is not a document of title. It is a transport contract and a receipt, not a negotiable instrument — a letter of credit cannot be structured around it the way it can around an ocean bill of lading. If your customer’s payment terms assume a negotiable document, that has to be solved before booking, not after.
Your customer stays yours
This is the question every forwarder asks, usually second or third, and it deserves a direct answer rather than a reassurance. On a shipment you introduce to us:
- The quotation is issued to you, not to your customer, and is not copied to them.
- We do not contact your consignee about the shipment, and we do not market the same lane to them.
- Our name does not appear on the paperwork that goes to your customer.
The scope of this is written into the cooperation confirmation when an account is opened, so it is a term rather than a custom. Where a consignee approaches us independently about a different lane, we tell you before we answer.
Where the cargo can start
We book full containers on the China–Europe lane from seven departure stations; Shenzhen and Guangzhou load out of Pinghu South. If your supplier is in the Yangtze delta or the south, the domestic leg to the departure station is quoted separately and shown as its own line, so you can see what the inland move costs rather than having it folded into a single number.
For groupage the model is different and simpler: everything consolidates at our own CFS in Xi’an and is stuffed there, with seven satellite warehouses — Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xiamen — receiving cargo and forwarding it to Xi’an on a weekly line-haul. They collect; they do not stuff. That matters when you are comparing our groupage with an operator who consolidates in the port.
What you can verify before you book
Forwarders check suppliers differently from shippers: not with a brochure, but against registers. These are the four things that can be checked independently.
| Item | Detail | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| JCtrans membership | Member ID 110483 | JCtrans member directory |
| WCA membership | Member ID 140026 | WCA member search |
| Operating base | Own CFS at Xi’an International Port, 6,000 m², eight doors | Site visit, or ask for the CFS address and the gate-in record on a recent booking |
| Trading history | Founded in 2014; Class-A international freight forwarder | Business registration |
What we do not do
- We do not quote your customer on a shipment you bring us, and we do not take the same consignee as a direct account on that lane.
- We do not act as importer of record. Under DDP we carry the duty and VAT commercially, but the importer on the declaration is an EU entity — normally you or your customer, never us.
- We do not promise an arrival date the timetable does not publish. The 11–12 day figure is station to station, and border queueing at peak can push it.
- We do not consolidate groupage anywhere but Xi’an. If a competitor quotes you groupage stuffed in Ningbo or Shenzhen, the container is not the same product.
- We do not take dangerous goods on this service without an RID classification check first.
What the net figure contains, and what it leaves out
Two net rates that look far apart usually differ in scope rather than in margin. This is the split we use, and the one to compare against when you put our figure beside another operator’s:
| Block | Inside the net rate | Not inside |
|---|---|---|
| Origin, China | Pickup, receiving and measurement, stuffing, export declaration, origin terminal handling | Re-packing after inspection, storage beyond the agreed free days at origin |
| Main carriage | Slot on X8151, station to station, 20GP / 40GP / 40HQ | Containers stopped at the border for a documents query |
| EU leg | T1 where applicable, import declaration, destination terminal handling; duty and 19% VAT only where we quote DDP | Customs inspection or X-ray costs, storage beyond free time at destination |
| Delivery | DAP to the postcode you give, or DDP including duty and VAT | Second delivery attempt after a missed appointment window |
The left column is what your resale price has to cover. The right column is what turns an apparently fixed net rate into a moving one, and it is almost always documents rather than transport that triggers it — a box stopped for a weight discrepancy costs more than a box stopped for weather.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with other freight forwarders?
Yes — forwarders are our main customer group, not an exception. We quote net and work on your documents, on either model: origin agent only, or the full route including EU clearance and delivery.
Can I issue my own house bill of lading?
Yes, and you should. The house bill is your contract with your customer and we never sign it. We supply the operating layer underneath: export declaration, CFS measurement record, container and seal numbers, CIM/SMGS waybill and the T1 where the box clears inland.
Will you contact my consignee directly?
Not on a shipment you introduce. The quotation goes to you, we do not copy your customer, and our name does not appear on the paperwork that reaches them. The scope is written into the cooperation confirmation rather than left to custom.
What is the cut-off for the X8151 departure?
There is no fixed hour published, because it moves with the wagon plan. The planning rule is three to four days at the CFS before departure, and the train does not leave on Sunday or Monday — cargo gated in on Thursday or Friday usually rolls to the following Tuesday.
Can you quote net only, without a commission built in?
Yes. Our quotation to a forwarder is a net figure for the scope you choose, itemised by origin charges, rail freight and EU leg. What you add on top is your commercial decision and is not visible to us or to your customer.
Can I book space only and handle the rest myself?
Yes — that is the origin agent model. We do pickup, receiving, stuffing, export declaration and gate-in; you hold the main carriage, the EU clearance and the delivery. Both models are priced on the same cargo details so the comparison is real.
My cargo is in Ningbo, not Xi'an. Can it still go on this train?
Yes. We book from seven departure stations on the China–Europe lane, and Shenzhen and Guangzhou load out of Pinghu South. For groupage, seven satellite warehouses receive cargo and forward it to Xi’an for consolidation; the domestic leg is quoted as its own line.
Who files the Chinese export declaration?
We do, with in-house licensed brokers, in the operating entity you nominate — which is what keeps your customer’s export tax rebate documentation consistent. Standard declaration under code 0110.
Can you clear EU customs under my instructions?
Yes, as your agent under DAP, or as DDP where we carry duty and VAT commercially. The importer of record must be an EU entity with an EORI number; the ATLAS pre-declaration is filed while the train is still running, not after arrival.
Is the CIM/SMGS waybill a document of title?
No. It is a transport contract and a receipt, not a negotiable instrument — a letter of credit cannot be built around it the way it can around an ocean bill of lading. If your payment terms assume a negotiable document, that has to be solved before booking.
Do you consolidate groupage for forwarders?
Yes, and it is a different product from our full-container service: 1 CBM minimum, charged on the greater of volume and weight at 1:500, consolidated at our own CFS in Xi’an and nowhere else. Transit on the Duisburg groupage lane is 18–25 days, not the 11–12 days of the fixed-timetable container service.
What happens if the train is late?
We tell you as soon as the operator confirms a change, with the reason — border queueing, gauge change, or a wagon plan change — and the revised arrival. The fixed-timetable product exists precisely to reduce this, but nobody on this corridor can promise an arrival day months ahead.