As China's automotive industry continues its global expansion, a critical question emerges: how to overcome logistical bottlenecks between overseas manufacturing bases and premium markets in Europe and America? COSCO Shipping Special Carriers has provided an answer.
On December 26, the vessel "Yong Le Kou" departed Thailand's Laem Chabang Port loaded with 200 Changan S05 MAX electric vehicles, marking the official launch of COSCO's "Thailand-Europe" third-country roll-on/roll-off shipping route. This development adds new momentum to the coordinated global expansion of China's automotive supply chain.
The new route represents two significant milestones: Changan Automobile's first shipment of vehicles from its Thai production base to European markets, and a demonstration of COSCO's capability to align with Chinese automakers' strategic needs for international industrial expansion. In an era of accelerated global automotive industry deployment, efficient and stable cross-regional logistics capabilities have become crucial for successful implementation of automakers' globalization strategies.
The Changan S05 MAX electric vehicles transported on this route are key products in Changan's strategy to establish Thailand as a hub for its global EV manufacturing center. COSCO's new service directly addresses automakers' need for efficient distribution from overseas production bases to target markets. Leveraging its localized resources and service capabilities in Southeast Asia, COSCO provides comprehensive automotive logistics services from Thai factories to European end markets, ensuring safe and efficient entry of new energy vehicles into Europe's premium markets.
The Thailand-Europe route is the third major shipping lane established by COSCO's auto carrier division in Thailand. Since May 2023, the company has successively launched other third-country routes including "Thailand-Persian Gulf" and "Thailand-Southeast Africa," facilitating the export of nearly 10,000 Chinese-brand vehicles. The extension to Europe further completes COSCO's third-country route network across RCEP and Belt and Road regions, while better supporting automakers like Changan in their "Made in Thailand, Sold Globally" strategy.
Behind this expansion lies COSCO's customer-centric market strategy and the localized capabilities of its overseas regional subsidiaries. The company has established representative offices in eight countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, building extensive local resources that synergize with its auto carrier operations to create a marketing network spanning Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Australia-New Zealand regions.
This "headquarters coordination + regional implementation" model amplifies the integrated advantages of "shipping + ports + logistics" in cross-border vehicle transportation scenarios. For automakers like Changan, it provides more logistics node options while enhancing supply chain stability and controllability, ultimately reducing transportation costs and time while improving product competitiveness.
"We deeply understand the challenges Chinese automakers face in globalization," said Mr. Li, General Manager of COSCO Shipping Special Carriers Southeast Asia. "Our long-term presence and resource accumulation in Southeast Asia enable us to provide customized logistics solutions. The Thailand-Europe route launch exemplifies our value-added services."
As global automotive trade and production layouts undergo significant restructuring, reliable roll-on/roll-off capacity and end-to-end logistics solutions have become critical infrastructure for automakers' global competition. COSCO has committed to further supporting Chinese automakers' international expansion through deeper coordination with its overseas subsidiaries, strengthening Chinese companies' positioning in regional supply chains.
Future plans include increased investment in roll-on/roll-off fleets, digital technology applications for real-time logistics tracking, and enhanced cooperation with ports and railways to build more comprehensive integrated logistics networks. These initiatives will not only accelerate Chinese automakers' globalization but also strengthen Chinese companies' positions in global supply chains during this period of rapid economic transformation.