China’s First International Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading Supply Chain Service Platform Goes Live in Lianyungang

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-11-02 09:51

On October 31, good news emerged from the 2025 International Multimodal Transport “Single Bill” Innovation Practice and Bill of Lading Launch Conference held in Lianyungang: The Shangyuntong Bill of Lading Supply Chain Platform, jointly launched by the International Railway Alliance and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park, was officially put into operation. This is China’s first digital supply chain platform for international multimodal transport bills of lading. It provides a “single bill” service featuring “one commission, one bill throughout, and full responsibility” for cross-border transportation via China-Europe Railway Express. The platform enables cargo control and delivery based on the bill, as well as financial pledging, addressing issues such as information opacity, cumbersome processes, and financing difficulties in cross-border logistics, and contributing Chinese wisdom to the stability of the global supply chain.

Promoting the “single bill” system for international multimodal transport is a crucial approach to enhancing the quality, efficiency, and high-standard development of China-Europe freight trains. In accordance with the Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Multimodal Transport “Single Bill” and “Single Container” Systems jointly issued by eight departments, including the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and the National Financial Regulatory Administration, Lianyungang City has taken the lead in “single bill” pilot work. Over the years, it has continuously innovated and explored in practice, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement throughout the logistics process.

“As a core document in the international trade and transportation system, the bill of lading currently lacks property rights attributes in non-ocean transportation modes and cannot be transferred. In the case of multimodal transport, it is necessary to engage with multiple carriers in different segments, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, it cannot be used for financing, pledging, transfer, or letter of credit settlement,” said Lin, Chairman of the Shangyuntong Bill of Lading Supply Chain Service Platform. The Shangyuntong Platform, which has been in preparation for six years, can address numerous issues in cross-border multimodal transport. By integrating multiple transportation modes such as road, rail, sea, and air, it truly provides a full-link, one-stop cross-border smart logistics service, covering every aspect including full-process transportation organization, documentation and information, cost and settlement, supply chain finance, as well as data and value-added services.

It is reported that the platform has established delivery points in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Moscow, Russia, implementing a cargo delivery system based on CIFA (China International Freight Forwarders Association) bills of lading. For clients, they can rely on technologies such as the Internet of Things, digital twins, and artificial intelligence to achieve real-time dynamic tracking and intelligent visual control of goods throughout the entire journey. “Through a single commission, the platform takes full responsibility, simplifying the logistics process. Meanwhile, based on the property rights attributes of the CIFA multimodal transport bill of lading, it can provide services such as bill of lading pledging for financing, effectively addressing the financing difficulties of enterprises,” praised Duan, Chairman of Inner Mongolia Continental Bridge Logistics Group Co., Ltd.

Currently, the International Railway Alliance and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Lianyungang) International Logistics Park have formulated standardized routes for multiple operable international multimodal transport bill of lading routes, including “Domestic (Lianyungang)—Central Asia (Tashkent)”, “China—Kashgar—Kyrgyzstan”, and “Russia—Manzhouli—Domestic”. Cui, Secretary-General of the China International Freight Forwarders Association, highly evaluated this development, stating, “This is highly in line with the strategic requirements of building a strong transportation nation and will provide strong channel support for foreign trade and opening-up.”