What routes are available?
There are three main ways to move a container from China to Mongolia:
Rail — from a Chinese railway station through the Erenhot–Zamyn-Uud crossing to Ulaanbaatar
Sea + overland — from southern ports to Tianjin, then onward by rail or truck
Road — for cargo near the border or time-critical shipments
The right route depends on the city of origin, cargo volume, budget
and schedule. Rail is usually the most cost-competitive for full
containers, while trucking offers the most flexibility.
Shipping from southern China (Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo)
From Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai and other
southern or east-coast cities there are two options:
Coastal feeder to Tianjin. The container travels by
coastal vessel to Tianjin (Xingang) port and continues to Mongolia
by rail or truck. Usually the most economical choice for full
containers.
Direct rail. The container is loaded onto a train
at a major rail hub and travels via Erenhot straight to Ulaanbaatar.
Fewer handovers mean less handling of your cargo.
We advise which option fits your shipment based on the origin city,
cargo type and current schedules.
From Tianjin port to Mongolia — how does it work?
Tianjin is Mongolia's main gateway to the sea. Containers arriving
from ports worldwide switch to overland transport here. The typical
chain:
The container is received at Tianjin port and loaded onto a rail wagon
It crosses the border at Erenhot (China) — Zamyn-Uud (Mongolia)
From Zamyn-Uud it continues to Ulaanbaatar by rail or truck
At Erenhot the container is transshipped between wagons, because
China uses 1435 mm standard gauge while Mongolia and Russia use
1520 mm broad gauge. This transshipment and wagon availability are
the two biggest factors affecting transit time. When wagons are
scarce, we can truck the container from Zamyn-Uud to Ulaanbaatar to
save time.
20ft or 40ft — which container do I need?
20ft — best for heavy, dense cargo such as
machinery, metals or construction materials.
40ft / 40ft HC — best for voluminous, lighter cargo
such as furniture or packaged goods. The High Cube version adds
about 30 cm of height for bulky items.
We handle FCL (full container load) shipments — the container is
yours alone and your cargo is never mixed with anyone else's.
How long does it take?
Transit time varies with the route, season, port and border
congestion, and wagon availability — so we don't quote guesswork
numbers. Instead, your quotation includes the actual
schedule for your shipment, and we keep you updated at
every major milestone along the way.
What do I need for a quote?
Four things are enough:
City or port of origin — e.g. Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Tianjin
Cargo type and volume — e.g. 1×40ft HC, furniture
Approximate shipping date
Your contact details
Send them via the website form or
to info@erchimtrans.com —
we reply within 24 hours.
