Full Process Analysis of Lianyungang Multimodal Transport Import Agency: Precise Control from Port to Warehouse

Current Situation and Core Challenges of Lianyungang Multimodal Transport Import

In 2026,as the eastern starting point of the New Eurasian Continental Bridge,Lianyungang’s function as a multimodal transport hub continues to strengthen.From wheat from Kazakhstan,cotton yarn from Uzbekistan to precision equipment transported from Germany via China-Europe Railway Express,more and more goods choose to enter China here and are distributed to inland China via railway,highway or inland river shipping.This mode combines the scale cost advantage of sea transport and the timeliness advantage of railway transport,but the superposition of links also means multiplied risks.

In actual operation,enterprises often face several tests.The definition of transport responsibility becomes blurred,and breakpoints are very prone to occur in the connection between sea carriers,railway operators and domestic trucking companies.The document system is more complex: one shipment may involve multiple documents such as ocean bill of lading,railway waybill,transit declaration form at the same time,and any error in any document may lead to port detention.In addition,there are differences between international conventions and domestic regulations applicable to different transport sections,which put forward more refined requirements for the packaging,loading and declaration of goods.On the quarantine level,the pest and disease risks of goods from different ecological regions are superimposed,and the inspection priorities of customs and inspection and quarantine departments are more focused and strict.

Core Value of Professional Agents in Multimodal Transport Import

Facing the above systematic problems,relying solely on enterprises themselves or entrusting different logistics service providers separately often gets half the result with twice the effort.Zhongshen acts as the "single window" and "process manager" for importers.Its value is not simply the superposition of services,but to weave links such as customs declaration and inspection,international transport section monitoring,domestic transshipment coordination,foreign exchange and tax refund support into a seamless network through more than 20 years of experience.

Its core role is reflected in three aspects.First,it serves as an information hub and interpreter,translating complex international transport rules and port policies into clear,executable and understandable instructions for customers.Second,it provides risk early warning and buffering,avoiding problems through pre-audit of documents and qualification verification before problems occur,and responding quickly by using port relations and emergency procedures when problems occur.Finally,it optimizes and controls costs,realizing the optimal overall import cost on the premise of compliance through reasonable application of trade terms,comparison and selection of transport routes and tax planning.

Phase-by-phase Disassembly: Zhongshen’s Agency Service Practice

Phase 1: Document Pre-audit and Compliance Planning

Most of the success or failure of multimodal transport import is determined long before the goods are shipped.Supervisor Yin of Zhongshen emphasizes that their work starts when the customer signs the overseas procurement contract.The service team will intervene immediately to review the contract terms,especially the agreements on transport,insurance and delivery location (such as Lianyungang CY or inland destination),to ensure that the trade terms (such as CIP Hefei) can match the subsequent logistics operations.

Special work in this phase includes:

• Coordinate with overseas shippers to confirm the filling specifications of Through B/L or international railway waybill (CIM/SMGS),and clarify the transshipment agent and notifying party in Lianyungang.
• Determine the customs commodity code,import tariff rate and required regulatory documents (such as automatic import license,CCC Certification,etc.) in advance according to the origin,material and use of the goods.
• For animal and plant products,food,etc.apply to the customs for entry animal and plant quarantine approval in advance to obtain the Quarantine Permit.

A typical case is that last year,Zhongshen acted as an agent for the import of a batch of Central Asian agricultural products for Mr.Wen’s company.During the document pre-audit,Zhongshen found that the phytosanitary certificate provided by the foreign party lacked the specific pest statement required by the Chinese side.They immediately guided the foreign institution to supplement the supporting documents,avoiding the risk of return or destruction of the goods due to inconsistent certificates after arrival at the port.

Phase 2: Port Customs Clearance and Quarantine Coordination

After the goods arrive at Lianyungang port or railway yard,the real test comes.Multimodal transport goods usually involve the "transit customs clearance" or "multimodal transport supervision" mode,so customs declaration,goods transshipment and short-distance transport need to be precisely synchronized.

Zhongshen’s operation team will be stationed at the port to complete key actions:

• Handle transit customs declaration or entry manifest confirmation with the customs by virtue of the transport documents of the previous leg,to ensure that the logistics information is entered into the customs system.
• Prepare and submit a full set of customs declaration documents to the customs according to the pre-audited classification and price data.For equipment goods,focus will be paid to the examination of new/old status and dutiable value.
• Contact the inspection and quarantine department simultaneously to arrange the inspection time.For wood,grain,etc.from epidemic areas,make an appointment for fumigation and disinfection sites in advance to shorten the waiting period for quarantine treatment.

In this process,the biggest risk is port detention caused by customs inspection and quarantine treatment.Manager Zhuang shared that by standardizing declaration elements and communicating the goods information with the port inspection department in advance,they can control the inspection probability and inspection time at a low level.For quarantine treatment,they will give priority to arrangement through the network of long-term cooperative service providers.

Phase 3: Inland Transshipment and Warehousing Distribution

After port customs clearance and release,the goods need to be unpacked and transshipped,and sent to the final destination via railway or highway.Chaos in this link is a common cause of overall timeliness delay.

Zhongshen’s service extends here:

• Compare the cost and time of different transport modes such as railway and highway according to the goods attributes (such as oversize goods,hazardous chemicals) and the customer’s timeliness requirements,and formulate the inland section transport plan.
• Be responsible for signing contracts with domestic section carriers,tracking in-transit information,and handling possible claims for cargo damage and delay.
• If required by customers,provide value-added services such as temporary warehousing,sorting,labeling in Lianyungang or at the destination,to realize the integrated operation of "port customs clearance + warehousing distribution".

Experience Sharing: How to Avoid Typical Risks

Ms.He once had a batch of precision instruments imported via Lianyungang sea-rail intermodal transport.The foreign shipper used simple packaging not suitable for long-distance railway transport,and did not purchase full-coverage insurance from the place of origin to the final factory.The goods suffered slight bump damage in the overseas railway section,but the responsibility was difficult to define.After contacting Zhongshen,the service team first required to replace the packaging that meets the international railway transport standards before the shipment of subsequent batches,and arranged "door-to-door" full-coverage insurance on behalf of the customer.At the same time,they used their relations with the railway yard to arrange special personnel to supervise the unloading when the goods were unloaded in Lianyungang,found and recorded the cargo damage status at the first time,which provided solid evidence for the subsequent insurance claim and recovered the customer’s loss.

This case shows that the value of professional agents lies not only in dealing with existing problems,but also in putting risk management in advance,and building a firewall from the source through professional clause setting,packaging guidance and insurance arrangement.

Conclusion

Lianyungang multimodal transport import is an efficient logistics channel,but its complexity determines that it is not a path that can be operated on "autopilot".Choosing an agent like Zhongshen with profound port experience and full-chain service capability essentially integrates multiple uncontrollable variables into a manageable and predictable deterministic service.Under the background that supply chains pay more attention to resilience and efficiency in 2026,the value brought by such professional division of labor far exceeds the agency service fee itself,which is directly related to the inventory turnover,production plan and market reputation of enterprises.