1. Milestones of core routes: "Taipei Express" breaks through 1,000 voyages, Pingtan becomes a logistics hub for Taiwan
On September 18, 2025, the high-speed ro-ro cargo ship "Taipei Express" that travels between Pingtan, Fujian and Taipei Port completed its 1,000th round trip. The route has been open since December 2017, with a one-way trip of only 5.5 hours, achieving “sea freight cost and air freight speed”. As of now, the cumulative amount of goods under supervision exceeds 440,000 tons, with a value of more than 81 billion yuan, making it the core channel for cross-border e-commerce goods exported to Taiwan. The value of cross-border e-commerce goods alone exceeds 25 billion yuan. Currently, it maintains normal operation of 3 voyages per week, with additional flights on holidays to support the high-speed flow of cross-strait e-commerce and personal shipments.
2. Maritime express delivery restarts: Pingtan Port resumes normalized exports and costs drop significantly
On November 25, 2025, Pingtan Port officially resumed normal operation of express exports to Taiwan after 4 years, with 2 batches of exports planned per week. This business focuses on personal items, documents and low-value goods. It relies on "Taipei Express" to achieve efficient transshipment, which can significantly reduce logistics costs compared to air transport. After the restart, Pingtan explored the "sea express + e-commerce export" LCL direct loading model to shorten customs clearance time and further smoothen the cross-strait fast logistics channels.
3. Fujian’s multi-port efforts: Putian’s container route to Taiwan resumes
On October 13, 2025, the container route from Putian, Fujian to Taiwan resumed operations, with a single voyage of approximately 6.5 hours. The route was launched in 2019 and restarted after being suspended for half a year. It is planned to operate once a week on a regular basis. The port department implements "one ship, one policy" and online forecasting and pre-inspection to create a "10-minute service circle" to achieve "zero waiting" for ships arriving at the port and "zero delay" for departure, providing new options for cross-strait bulk cargo and consolidation.
4. Market Trend in 2026: Volume Increase, Price Stability, Compliance Becomes Key
Growth in parcel volume: In Q1 of 2026, Taiwan’s imported parcel volume will increase by approximately 18% year-on-year, with consolidation channels accounting for over 60%, with apparel, home furnishings, and 3C peripherals being the core categories.
Prices are falling: the average price of sea express is 8-12 yuan/kg, which is about 5% lower than the same period in 2025; sea freight is as low as 4-7 yuan/kg, which is suitable for large and heavy goods.
Tighter supervision: Taiwan Customs strictly investigates under-declaration and concealment of declarations. The cargo inspection rate of non-compliant consolidators has increased, and the risk of customs clearance delays has increased. Compliance declaration has become a core requirement for container shipping.
Service upgrade: Consolidators have launched value-added services such as box closing, reinforcement, inspection, and delivery upstairs to meet the needs for the consolidation of large items such as furniture and home appliances.
5. Customs clearance and policy optimization: electronic customs clearance + ECFA bonus
In 2026, Taiwan's e-Customs 4.0 electronic customs clearance system will be fully implemented, and the entire process of declaration, review, and release will be online, greatly improving efficiency. At the same time, the ECFA zero-tariff policy has been expanded, and some goods originating in mainland China can enjoy tariff reductions and exemptions, further reducing the cost of container transportation.
6. Practical tips for personal container transportation (combined with the latest developments)
Priority is given to consolidators that rely on regular routes such as "Taipei Express", as timeliness and stability are more guaranteed.
Strict compliance declaration, avoid under-reporting and general product names, and reduce the risk of inspection and goods deduction.
Large and heavy items can be shipped by sea, general goods can be shipped by sea express, urgent goods can be shipped by air, and channels can be matched as needed.
Pay attention to Fujian port consolidation channels such as Pingtan and Putian for better cost performance and timeliness.
