If the global freight forwarding industry in 2021 were compared to a high-speed race, Chinese companies undoubtedly emerged as the brightest stars. The China International Freight Forwarders Association recently released its preliminary rankings of top performers, revealing which companies led the sector during this period of remarkable growth.
The Revenue Champions
The comprehensive "China Freight Forwarding Top 100" list shows Sinotrans Limited dominating the field with staggering revenue of 124.35 billion yuan (approximately $19.3 billion). COSCO SHIPPING International ranked second with 53.49 billion yuan, followed by China National Materials Storage and Transportation Corporation in third place with 51.45 billion yuan. These industry giants demonstrated exceptional resilience and profitability despite volatile market conditions.
Ocean Shipping Market Leaders
In the ocean freight sector, Sinotrans and COSCO SHIPPING maintained their commanding positions, generating 69.31 billion yuan and 51.19 billion yuan respectively. CIMC emerged as a strong third-place contender with 21.13 billion yuan in ocean freight revenue, suggesting potential shifts in the traditional market hierarchy.
Air Freight's Rising Stars
The air freight segment revealed more dynamic competition. DHL China claimed the top position with 18.2 billion yuan in revenue, followed closely by Apex International with just 71.39 million yuan less. Notably, Sinotrans demonstrated its diversified capabilities by securing third place in air freight with 15.16 billion yuan, highlighting the advantages of comprehensive logistics providers in multimodal transportation.
Industry Trends Revealed
These rankings reflect several key industry developments: dominant players continue to strengthen their positions, specialized markets show intense competition, multimodal operations are becoming increasingly important, and digital transformation remains critical for future success. The preliminary list, whose public review period concluded on September 27, 2022, provides valuable insights into China's freight forwarding landscape during a year of exceptional growth.