Your cargo leaves from Milan (Hupac Busto or Melzo), changes gauge at Malaszewicze and enters China at Alashankou, reaching Xi'an in about 15 days. We collect EXW/ FCA anywhere in Italy, handle the EU export declaration and the Chinese import clearance, and deliver nationwide. Built for Italian exporters and their Chinese buyers: LCL from 1 cbm, temperature-controlled wine, and the paperwork China actually asks for.
Italy to China by rail runs through the Milan gateway to Xi'an. Cargo is stuffed at the Milan rail terminals (Hupac Busto Arsizio or Melzo RHM), the train crosses Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan, enters China at Alashankou, and arrives at Xi'an in about 15 days; door to door it is usually 18–22 days. Since 2026 the Xi'an service runs on a full timetable, which is why the transit has become far more predictable than it used to be.
Rail sits in the middle of the market: faster than ocean freight from Genoa or La Spezia (32–38 days to Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen) and far cheaper than air freight from Malpensa (3–7 days airport to airport). It fits exactly what Italy exports to China — wine and spirits, furniture and lighting, marble and porcelain slabs, machinery and machine tools, auto parts, leather goods, textiles, cosmetics and food — high value, moderate volume, and sensitive to time and to damage.
We are the Chinese end of that chain. EW TRANS CO.,LTD (Xi'an Yundongxi Supply Chain Management) is a MOFCOM-registered international freight forwarder based in Xi'an, with 6,000 m² of warehouse space, more than 50 overseas agents and coverage of 100+ cities in China. We collect in Italy, we book the train, and we clear and deliver in China — one file, one contact.
| Mode | Indicative transit | Cost level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail (Milan → Xi'an) | About 15 days; 18–22 days door to door | About one fifth of air freight | Wine, furniture, slabs, machinery, auto parts, leather goods, textiles, food — mid to high value, time-sensitive |
| Ocean (Genoa / La Spezia) | 32–38 days to Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen | Lowest | Marble blocks, bulky furniture, low-value high-volume cargo |
| Air (Malpensa / Fiumicino) | 3–7 days airport to airport | Highest | Samples, urgent spares, small high-value consignments |
Rule of thumb: if the value per cubic metre is high enough to care about a month of transit time, rail usually wins. Return trains also have to bring containers back to China, so eastbound space is normally priced sharper than westbound space — that is the rate advantage we pass on.
The gateway. Milan is the rail gateway for Italy–China. The two terminals we use most are Hupac Busto Arsizio, north-west of Milan, and Melzo RHM, about 20 km east of the city. We choose the terminal by your factory location, commodity and the current schedule, which keeps the Italian road leg short.
Pickup. EXW and FCA collection anywhere in Italy: Milan, Turin, Brescia and Bergamo (furniture, lighting, machinery), Florence and Prato (leather goods, footwear, textiles), Parma and Modena (food), Bologna, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, and Genoa or La Spezia for sea-rail combinations. We check piece counts, marks and outer packaging at pickup, and inspect the ISPM 15 marks on wooden pallets and crates piece by piece.
Export declaration. Our Italian customs broker files the EU export declaration (EORI, MRN, export declaration, and the origin or licence documents the commodity requires) and shares the file with our Chinese clearance team, so the two ends never contradict each other.
Loading. FCL in 20GP, 40GP and 40HQ; LCL groupage from 1 cbm for smaller consignments, consolidated at the Milan terminal; temperature-controlled containers for wine and chocolate; open-top or flat-rack for out-of-gauge machinery. We advise on stowage and securing for heavy or fragile items — slabs, machine tools and glassware are all routine for us.
Xi'an. The Milan–Xi'an return service was the first regular Italy–China block train on this corridor: the inaugural eastbound train left Milan's Hupac Busto terminal in July 2019 with Italian wine, European auto parts, furniture and e-commerce cargo, covering roughly 12,300 km in about 16 days. Since 2026 the Xi'an service (Chang'an) runs on a full timetable with Milan–Xi'an at about 15 days, and Xi'an International Port is a class-1 rail port with a bonded zone and designated import facilities for vehicles, grain and meat — which is why onward distribution from Xi'an to the rest of China is the cheapest of the options.
Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Yiwu and Suzhou also handle Italy-origin return or relay cargo (for example the Milan–Chengdu service opened by the Italy–China exchange association, and the Milan–Suzhou service). We are not tied to a single gateway: we match the arrival city to your consignee, commodity and the current schedule.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Italian loading points | Milan Hupac Busto Arsizio / Melzo RHM, with truck collection across Italy |
| Main Chinese station | Xi'an (onward distribution nationwide); Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Yiwu, Suzhou as alternatives |
| Indicative transit | Milan–Xi'an about 15 days; 18–22 days door to door |
| Border points | Malaszewicze (Poland) for gauge change; Alashankou / Khorgos entry into China |
| Equipment | 20GP, 40GP, 40HQ; temperature-controlled and open-top containers on request |
| Scope | Italian collection, EU export declaration, return booking, China import clearance, duty and VAT, bonded storage, nationwide delivery |
Transit times and frequencies are indicative and come from published schedules and our own operations. The live move follows the current train plan, border throughput and the booking confirmation.
The Italian export mix is distinctive — design-led, brand-heavy, small and mid-sized family businesses, high value and modest volume. That is exactly the rail sweet spot: more than twice as fast as sea, roughly 80% cheaper than air, and shipped in a closed container instead of being re-handled in a groupage chain.
| Commodity | Typical Italian origin | Rail fit | Compliance watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine and spirits | Piedmont, Tuscany | Excellent (reefer) | Official health certificate, Chinese registration number of the overseas producer, importer filing, compliant Chinese label; ship temperature-controlled and away from light |
| Furniture, lighting, home decor | Milan, Brescia | Excellent | Wooden parts and packaging need an ISPM 15 mark or fumigation/heat-treatment proof; CITES permit for protected timber species; declare material and quantity accurately |
| Marble, porcelain and stone slabs | Carrara, Verona | Slabs and porcelain: good. Blocks: sea freight | Radioactivity test report to GB 6566-2010 (CMA/CNAS lab) and correct HS classification: blocks 2515110000, slabs 2515120000, finished articles 6802211000 |
| Machinery, machine tools, packaging lines | Milan, Turin, Bologna | Excellent | CCC certification where the model is in scope; used machinery needs a pre-shipment inspection certificate and, in some cases, an import licence; declaration elements (brand, model, function) must be complete |
| Automotive components | Turin, Milan area | Excellent | Brake pads, lamps and glass may fall under CCC; brand authorisation for branded parts |
| Leather goods, footwear, hides | Tuscany (Florence, Prato) | Excellent | CITES permit for exotic leathers (crocodile, snake); correct material and composition labelling; complete brand authorisation chain |
| Textiles and apparel | Prato, Emilia-Romagna | Excellent | Composition labelling, azo dye test reports for some categories, brand authorisation |
| Cosmetics and essential oils | Milan, Lombardy | Good | Import filing (NMPA), company filing and Chinese labelling; chemical raw materials need REACH documentation and an MSDS |
| Food: cheese, ham, balsamic, olive oil, pasta, coffee, chocolate | Parma, Modena, Tuscany | Good (cold chain for some lines) | Overseas producer must be registered with China Customs (GACC), importer filing, health certificate and Chinese label; some dairy and meat categories also need a quarantine import permit |
| E-commerce, luxury and home accessories | Milan, Florence | Good | Declare as general trade or cross-border e-commerce as applicable; brand authorisation; declared value consistent with tags |
Regulatory requirements follow current Chinese customs rules and the declaration elements of the actual shipment. We issue a document checklist against your commodity and HS code before the cargo leaves Italy.
Import problems are almost never about the train — they are about documents and access. Starting early costs nothing; discovering a gap at the border is expensive.
| Category | Documents |
|---|---|
| Standard set | Commercial invoice, packing list, sales contract, rail waybill, customs declaration authorisation, certificate of origin |
| Preferential origin | Origin documentation for Chinese import duty purposes — we confirm with your Chinese buyer which format is accepted for the commodity |
| Food and wine | Official health certificate, GACC registration number of the producer, importer filing, Chinese label artwork and translation |
| Cosmetics | Import filing/registration material, company filing, Chinese label, composition and manufacturing description |
| Wood products, furniture | Phytosanitary certificate where required, ISPM 15 mark plus fumigation/heat-treatment record, CITES permit for protected species |
| Stone and marble | Radioactivity test report (CMA/CNAS, GB 6566-2010), composition analysis, bilingual name and dimensions for the declaration |
| Machinery | CCC certificate where applicable, pre-shipment inspection for used machinery, import licence where applicable, technical data sheet |
| Leather goods | CITES permit for protected species, composition labelling, brand authorisation |
| Branded goods | Brand authorisation or trademark licence, and transaction value consistent with retail tags |
Italian shippers usually look for a partner in their own language or in English. We answer both, so you do not have to guess the terminology:
| In italiano | In English | What it means here |
|---|---|---|
| spedizioni Italia–Cina | Italy to China shipping | Rail, sea and air options from Italy to China, door to door |
| trasporto ferroviario Milano–Cina | Milan to China rail freight | Block train from the Milan terminals to Xi'an, about 15 days |
| groupage per la Cina | LCL groupage to China | Shared container space from 1 cbm, consolidated in Milan |
| ritiro EXW in tutta Italia | EXW pickup across Italy | Truck collection at your factory, we take over from there |
| sdoganamento in Cina | China import customs clearance | Our Xi'an team declares, pays duty and VAT, and delivers |
| esportazione verso la Cina | Export from Italy to China | EU export declaration, origin documents, export documentation |
If your Chinese buyer handles import clearance themselves, tell us at quotation stage — we then price to the Chinese station or bond only, and hand over the documents they need.
EW TRANS CO.,LTD is a MOFCOM-registered international freight forwarder founded in 2021, with a team of 80+, more than 1,000 clients served, 50+ overseas agents and a service network covering 100+ cities. Core services: China–Europe block trains, China–Russia rail FCL, eastbound return trains for imports, and rail, road and ocean freight to the Caucasus and Iran.
The Milan–Xi'an return train takes about 15 days (roughly 12,300 km). Door to door it is normally 18–22 days once Italian collection and Chinese delivery are included. If we route your cargo through Chengdu or Zhengzhou instead, the rail leg is usually 18–25 days. The live figure always follows the current train plan and booking confirmation.
Xi'an. The Milan–Xi'an service started in July 2019 and is the most established Italy–China return lane; since 2026 it runs on a full timetable at about 15 days. Xi'an International Port is a class-1 rail port with a bonded zone and designated import facilities, so onward distribution is the most economical. Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Yiwu and Suzhou also take Italy-origin return or relay cargo.
Yes — wine is one of the classic Milan return-train commodities. What you need is an official health certificate, the Chinese registration number of the producer, importer filing, and a compliant Chinese label. We ship wine in temperature-controlled containers, away from light, and we check the label artwork and declaration elements (vintage, grape, alcohol, sulphites) before the container is sealed.
LCL starts at 1 cbm, consolidated at the Milan terminal. For samples, replenishment and small brand orders it is the economical choice. If the cargo is oversized, very heavy or needs its own temperature control, a full container is the better option — we will tell you which one is cheaper at quotation stage.
Origin documents affect the duty your Chinese buyer pays, so agree the format with the importer before shipment. We confirm what is accepted for the specific commodity and HS code, and make sure the invoice, packing list, waybill and origin document match exactly — mismatches are the main reason declarations are rejected.
We do, if you want a door-to-door service (DAP or DDP). Our Xi'an team files the import declaration, arranges inspection if required, pays duty and VAT on the agreed basis, then delivers to the consignee. If your Chinese buyer prefers to clear their own import, we price to the Chinese station or bonded warehouse and hand over the full document set.
Yes. Used machine tools need a pre-shipment inspection certificate and, in some cases, an import licence; out-of-gauge items ship in open-top or flat-rack containers with a stowage and securing plan. Send us the model, weight and dimensions and we will confirm the route before you commit.
Commodity name and HS code, pickup address in Italy, volume or weight, the consignee city in China, and whether you need us to handle import clearance and delivery (DAP/DDP) or only to the Chinese station. We normally return a full quotation with rail, clearance and delivery broken out.