How long does it take for goods to travel from Yiwu China to Dubai? How much does it cost?
Before May 18, the answers were 23 days and high transshipment fees. But on that day, a rail-sea intermodal train carrying 100 TEUs of home appliances, hardware machinery, and daily necessities departed from Yiwu West Station for Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, offering a new answer: 17 days direct delivery, with logistics costs slashed by 18%.
The train connects with the "Middle East Express" vessel service at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, heading straight to Jebel Ali Port in the UAE. The "Rail-Sea Express + Middle East Express" dual-speed logistics model is now officially operational, opening a new trade artery between the Asian continent and the Persian Gulf.
Efficiency Revolution
The most immediate transformation brought by the "dual-speed" model is time reduction. The total logistics time from Yiwu to Dubai has been cut from 23 days to 17 days—saving nearly a week. The "time tax" of traditional cross-border logistics has been significantly reduced. Yiwu Port's warehouse is now precisely connected with Ningbo's deep-water terminals, enabling seamless full-container transportation with no need for transshipment, eliminating time-consuming intermediate procedures.
Time efficiency comes hand in hand with cost reduction. According to China Railway Shanghai Group, the new route lowers overall logistics costs by 18%, unlocking significant profit potential for foreign trade enterprises.
"This logistics model offers a faster and more economical international logistics channel for foreign trade companies in Yiwu and surrounding areas," said Chen Songdi, Marketing Manager of the Hangzhou Railway Logistics Center of China Railway Shanghai Group. "It fully leverages the advantages of railway transport and provides a new solution for cost reduction and efficiency enhancement in foreign trade."
Model Innovation
The "Rail-Sea Express + Middle East Express" model breaks the traditional boundaries of logistics enterprises. It surpasses the limitations of single-mode transport services and innovatively achieves "segmental customs clearance + end-to-end service." By integrating the stability of rail transport with the cost-effectiveness of maritime shipping, the model creates a high-value logistics corridor between the Yangtze River Delta and the Middle East. Compared to traditional sea or air freight, this premium rail-sea intermodal line offers the dual advantages of speed and cost-efficiency.
With the launch of the Yiwu-Dubai route, the Yangtze River Delta region now boasts two "dual-speed" logistics combinations: Hefei–Ningbo-Zhoushan Port–Wilhelmshaven (Germany) and Yiwu–Ningbo-Zhoushan Port–Jebel Ali Port (UAE). These two arteries jointly support the logistics backbone of the region's foreign trade.
A representative from the logistics division of China Railway Shanghai Group noted that these combinations "strongly support high-quality regional economic development, contribute to shaping a new development paradigm, and help maintain the stability and smooth flow of global supply chains."
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