Routing guide · Asia → Europe
How to ship from China to France
Sea FCL, sea LCL, air, and rail — all four modes with cost, transit, and CO₂ for the China → France corridor. Numbers come from OrcaTrade's deterministic routing calculator. Refreshed quarterly against forwarder rate cards.
Cost and transit, side by side
For a 1-tonne shipment from China to France, here's how the four modes compare. Costs include base rate × chargeable weight × origin multiplier; CO₂ comes from g/tonne-km × corridor distance.
| Mode | Cost | Transit | Chargeable wt | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea FCL (40' HC) | €1030 | 30–40 days door-to-door | 1000 kg | 195 kg |
| Sea LCL | €7220 | 35–50 days door-to-door | 5000 kg | 273 kg |
| Air freight | €6650 | 4–9 days door-to-door | 1000 kg | 5280 kg |
| Rail (China–EU via Małaszewicze) | €2130 | 18–26 days door-to-door | 1000 kg | 345 kg |
Recommendation by shipment size
OrcaTrade's recommendation engine picks the right mode based on weight band, urgency, and cost priority. For China → France:
| Weight | Recommended mode | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 200 kg | RAIL | Rail (€650, 18–26 days door-to-door) is the balanced sweet spot for 200kg China-EU shipments — typically 30–50% cheaper than air and 10–15 days faster than sea, with substantially lower CO₂ than air. |
| 1,000 kg | RAIL | Rail (€2130, 18–26 days door-to-door) is the balanced sweet spot for 1000kg China-EU shipments — typically 30–50% cheaper than air and 10–15 days faster than sea, with substantially lower CO₂ than air. |
| 5,000 kg | RAIL | Rail (€9530, 18–26 days door-to-door) is the balanced sweet spot for 5000kg China-EU shipments — typically 30–50% cheaper than air and 10–15 days faster than sea, with substantially lower CO₂ than air. |
The China-Europe rail corridor
China → France is part of the China-Europe Railway Express corridor (rails into Małaszewicze, the largest rail border-crossing point on the EU's eastern frontier). For shipments in the 200-5000 kg sweet spot, rail beats sea on transit (10-15 days faster) and air on cost (around 70% cheaper). Most freight forwarders never propose it because their margins on sea are higher and rail capacity is lumpier.
Rail is most useful when:
- Volume is too small to justify FCL but too time-sensitive for sea LCL.
- Air freight cost would erode product margin (rail saves ~70% vs air).
- You need predictable departures (multiple weekly services).
Rail is wrong for:
- Sub-200 kg shipments (sea/air consolidation economics work better).
- Above 5000 kg (FCL becomes more cost-effective).
- Goods sensitive to rail-route temperature swings (high summer, deep winter).
What's not in the cost
The figures above cover transport. They do not include:
- EU import duty + VAT — see the customs landed-cost calculator for HS-chapter-specific math.
- Customs brokerage — typically €45 base + €8 per invoice line, capped at €250.
- Cargo insurance — recommended above €5,000 declared value; ICC A/B/C clauses available.
- Last-mile delivery — from EU port/rail terminus to your warehouse.