DHL Global Forwarding has completed its first multimodal rail shipment from Taiwan to Europe for German consumer electronics manufacturer MEDION.

“Our multimodal solutions offer MEDION additional freight options and complement the existing DHL air, ocean and road freight services that they are already using,” said Steve Huang, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding China. “The successful inaugural shipment shows the service’s capabilities in supporting MEDION in its Europe-wide growth strategy. As ‘Belt and Road’ comes into force, we expect rail to undergo a renaissance for European and Chinese enterprises, particularly those working with electronics and manufacturing hubs along our routes like Taichung and Xiamen.”

According to DHL, the shipment was transported by sea from Taichung to Xiamen before going to Lodz, Poland, via Chengdu by rail. This new multimodal service cuts shipping time by up to half compared to ocean freight and is about a third of the price of air freight.

“Fast, efficient trade routes are critical for businesses looking to take advantage of both China and Europe’s consumer markets and production capabilities,” said Charles Kaufmann, CEO OF North Asia and head of value-added services at DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. “Early adopters to multimodal services like MEDION gain not only greater efficiency, but a competitive edge in speed-to-market and responsiveness to demand that less nimble enterprises will find it hard to catch up with.”

DHL’s multimodal network connects Taiwan, Japan and China to continental Europe via Russia and Central Asia.