China moves more freight than any other country on earth. Shanghai handled 55.06 million TEUs in 2025, its 16th straight year as the world's busiest container port, while Ningbo-Zhoushan ranks third globally for containers and first for total tonnage. Exports reached a record USD 3.77 trillion in 2025, and the express sector delivered 199 billion parcels in a single year. The best logistics companies in China range from state-owned forwarding giants and listed express networks to the global integrators that connect Chinese factories to the world. This 2026 guide profiles ten providers with the strongest footprint in the country, relevant to international shippers, listed in no particular order and drawn from public reporting, company disclosures and industry coverage.
How we chose this list
This is an editorial guide, compiled from public sources such as annual reports, exchange filings, press releases and trade media, rather than from paid placements or our own directory data. We weighed four things:
- Scale in China: revenue, parcel and freight volumes, fleet and infrastructure based in the country.
- Breadth of services: express, freight forwarding, contract logistics and e-commerce fulfilment.
- Relevance to international shippers: cross-border capabilities, not just domestic delivery.
- Track record: publicly verifiable results and listed-company disclosure where available.
Figures are the most recent publicly reported at the time of writing. The companies appear in no particular order. A provider further down the page may well be the better fit for your specific lane or cargo type.
The 10 companies at a glance
| Company | Type | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| SF Express | Integrated express and logistics | China's largest non-postal courier with its own cargo airline |
| Sinotrans | State-owned freight forwarder | China's largest freight forwarder, part of China Merchants Group |
| COSCO Shipping Logistics | Carrier-led logistics | Logistics arm of the COSCO Shipping ocean group |
| China Post / EMS | State postal and express | World's largest postal network, over 500,000 outlets |
| JD Logistics | E-commerce supply chain | 1,600+ warehouses and over 34 million sq m of space |
| Cainiao | E-commerce logistics platform | Alibaba's global cross-border fulfilment network |
| ZTO Express | Franchise express network | 38.5 billion parcels delivered in 2025 |
| DHL Group | Global integrator | Multi-hub Asia Pacific express network including Shanghai |
| Kuehne+Nagel | Global forwarder | Sea and air forwarding across China's port and factory cities |
| DSV | Global forwarder | World's largest forwarder since acquiring DB Schenker in 2025 |
SF Express
SF Holding is China's largest non-postal courier and one of Asia's biggest integrated logistics groups, with 2025 revenue of RMB 308.2 billion, up 8.4% year on year, and record profitability. Its subsidiary SF Airlines operates China's largest all-cargo airline with a fleet of about 90 freighters, and the group is dual-listed in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Services span premium express, freight, cold chain and international logistics.
Best for: premium time-definite express and air freight within and out of China.
Sinotrans
Sinotrans, part of the state-owned China Merchants Group, is China's largest freight forwarder, spanning sea and air forwarding, contract logistics and e-commerce logistics. Dual-listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, it reported operating income of RMB 75.04 billion for the first nine months of 2025 with net profit of RMB 2.68 billion. For international shippers it offers forwarding depth in essentially every Chinese port and manufacturing region.
Best for: full-scope China freight forwarding, sea and air, with state-backed network depth.
COSCO Shipping Logistics
COSCO Shipping Logistics is the logistics and supply chain arm of the COSCO Shipping ocean group, whose listed holding company reported supply chain revenue of RMB 44.89 billion in 2025, up 9.64%, alongside a self-operated container fleet of 3.6 million TEU. The logistics business ties port handling, trucking, warehousing and project cargo directly into one of the world's largest container carriers.
Best for: port-to-door logistics integrated with COSCO ocean carriage on China trade lanes.
China Post / EMS
China Post runs the world's largest postal network, with more than 500,000 postal outlets reaching every county in the country, and its EMS arm is a major force in domestic and cross-border express. Wholly state-owned and unlisted, it remains the default channel for cost-effective cross-border postal and small-packet shipping out of China.
Best for: universal coverage across China and cost-effective cross-border postal shipping.
JD Logistics
JD Logistics, the supply chain arm of JD.com and listed in Hong Kong, grew 2025 revenue 18.8% to RMB 217.15 billion. Its warehousing network is the deepest in Chinese e-commerce: more than 1,600 warehouses with over 34 million sq m of gross floor area in China, plus overseas warehouses across 25 countries and regions. Its model is warehousing-led fulfilment: inventory positioned close to demand rather than long-haul parcel movement.
Best for: warehousing-led fulfilment and integrated supply chain services inside China.
Cainiao
Cainiao is Alibaba's logistics platform and the engine behind AliExpress and Alibaba cross-border fulfilment, generating RMB 101.27 billion of revenue in Alibaba's fiscal year 2025. It operates a global eHub network, has launched local express delivery in nearly 10 countries and regions, and runs more than 20 overseas warehouses across 10 Asia-Pacific markets. Alibaba withdrew Cainiao's planned IPO in 2024 and moved to full ownership.
Best for: cross-border e-commerce parcel logistics tied to Alibaba marketplace flows.
ZTO Express
ZTO is China's largest express carrier by volume, delivering 38.5 billion parcels in 2025, up 13.3% year on year, on a franchise-based network optimised for enormous scale at low cost. It is dual-listed on the NYSE and in Hong Kong. For sellers moving high volumes domestically, ZTO and its franchise peers set the price floor for Chinese parcel logistics.
Best for: high-volume, low-cost domestic parcel distribution across China.
DHL Group
DHL runs a multi-hub express strategy across Greater China, anchored by its North Asia Hub in Shanghai and the Central Asia Hub in Hong Kong, a 49,500 sq m facility with peak capacity of 125,000 shipments per hour, linking around 900 DHL Express facilities across Asia Pacific. The group reported 2025 revenue of EUR 82.9 billion, with forwarding, supply chain and e-commerce divisions all active in China.
Best for: door-to-door international express from China with customs expertise.
Kuehne+Nagel
Kuehne+Nagel, with group net turnover above CHF 24 billion in 2025 and nearly 1,300 sites worldwide, maintains an office and logistics network across China's major port and manufacturing cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo and Qingdao. Its strength on China lanes is classic forwarding: ocean and air capacity management, plus vertical expertise in areas like healthcare and high-tech.
Best for: ocean and air forwarding out of China with strong pharma and high-tech verticals.
DSV
DSV became the world's largest freight forwarder when it completed its acquisition of DB Schenker on 30 April 2025, a deal worth about EUR 14.3 billion. The combined group brings together two large China organisations covering air, ocean, rail and contract logistics, with particular weight on China-Europe and China-US trade lanes.
Best for: large-scale multimodal forwarding on China-Europe and China-US lanes.
How to choose between them
The right provider depends less on overall size than on fit with your cargo and lane:
- International express and parcels: DHL, SF Express and China Post cover the premium-to-economy spectrum.
- Ocean and air forwarding: Sinotrans, Kuehne+Nagel, DSV and COSCO Shipping Logistics compete across every major lane.
- E-commerce fulfilment: JD Logistics, Cainiao and ZTO serve marketplace and D2C flows at different price points.
- Carrier-integrated supply chains: COSCO ties logistics directly to ocean carriage.
Whoever you shortlist, get more than one quote, because rates for the same lane can vary widely, and confirm licences, insurance coverage and references for your specific cargo type. Our guide to the best websites to find a freight forwarder covers how to run that comparison.
Compare Chinese logistics providers in one place
The ten companies above are the biggest names, but they are not always the best-priced option for a specific shipment. China has thousands of capable independent forwarders competing on exactly your lane. CargoLinked's directory lists more than 3,000 logistics companies and freight forwarders based in China, which you can browse by service and by city, including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Qingdao and Guangzhou. If you have cargo to move, you can also post your shipment for free and collect quotes from interested forwarders instead of contacting providers one by one.
