Germany based consumer electronics manufacturer Medion has become DHL Global Forwarding’s first customer to use its new multimodal service via Xiamen in China. Goods will now go by train for a large chunk of the intercontinental journey between Asia and Europe.

The first shipment for Medion from Taiwan to Lodz took a route of 10,000km and did this in 21 days, and was delivered on time.

According to DHL the new service cuts shipping time by half against air freight, and costs a third of that by air freight.

“Taking the advantage of efficient trade routes and shipping modes is crucial for the success of businesses that look to benefit from the potential of both China and Europe’s consumer and production markets. Companies like MEDION, implementing such new multimodal solutions at  an early stage, do not only operate with greater speed, efficiency and flexibility, moreover this gives them a competitive advantage overall in the respective markets” said Thomas George, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Europe.

DHL Global Forwarding’s service for Medion saw their electronics and components being shipped from Taichung, Taiwan, to Xiamen via sea; before embarking on a rail journey through Chengdu, China to Lodz, Poland. From there, shipments are routed to MEDION’s main operations in Germany.

Taiwan’s existing multimodal network connects Taiwan, Japan and China to Europe via Russia and Central Asia. The new route taken by Medion adds to this. The multimodal route closely follows China’s “Belt and Road” initiative with the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road.