China Implements National Standard for Multimodal Freight Documentation

China has officially implemented a national standard for multimodal transport documentation business processes (GB/T 47421—2026), according to a report by People's Daily. The standard establishes operational guidelines for operators, carriers, shippers, and consignees across domestic and international transport routes. Covering road-rail, rail-water, and air-land freight modes, the framework is designed to facilitate document circulation throughout the logistics chain and accelerate adoption of the country's "single document" transport system.

Standardizing document workflows across disparate transport modes addresses a longstanding operational bottleneck in multimodal freight. By clarifying rules for booking, transshipment, customs clearance, and cargo handover, the standard lays technical groundwork for seamless single-waybill operations and lower systemic logistics costs.

China has officially implemented a comprehensive national standard governing business processes for multimodal transport documentation, state-run People's Daily reported. Designated as GB/T 47421—2026, the standard provides unified operational guidance to support the circulation of freight documentation across the entire logistics chain and advance the "single document" service model. According to the standard, the guidelines encompass both domestic and international multimodal freight operations. They specifically target the country's three primary containerized and unitized cargo transport modes: road-rail, rail-water, and air-land combined transport. The framework outlines operational rules and responsibilities for all principal stakeholders involved in multimodal shipments, including multimodal transport operators, segment carriers, consignors, and consignees. Key workflow stages covered by the standard include cargo booking, hub transshipment, customs declaration, and final delivery. For international logistics corridors, the standard introduces specific procedural requirements for cross-border clearance and customs seal verification. These provisions aim to streamline document verification across different regulatory and transport jurisdictions. The introduction of standardized document workflows is part of a wider effort by Chinese transport authorities to transition away from fragmented, mode-specific documentation. Under traditional logistics models, shippers often manage separate contracts and paperwork for rail, maritime, and trucking legs, increasing administrative friction and transit times. By standardizing end-to-end data exchange and operational handovers, policymakers intend to expand the coverage of single-waybill services and lower logistics costs across supply chains.