Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan corridors to China
Central Asia is a focus region for non-ferrous trade with China. We work mainly around the road and rail nodes of Khorgos, Alashankou–Dostyk, the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan train, Irkeshtam and Torugart, matching transport modes for copper concentrate, electrolytic copper, lead-zinc concentrate, antimony ore and aluminium ingots.
Kazakhstan
Reserves of copper, lead, zinc and tungsten rank among the world's largest; metals and metal ores account for roughly 47% of exports to China, making Kazakhstan one of China's main copper-ore sources. Key corridors are the Khorgos road port and the Alashankou–Dostyk rail route, suited to copper concentrate, lead-zinc concentrate and electrolytic copper.
Alashankou is a pilot for bonded copper-concentrate blending at a land port; after the “port + destination” joint supervision model took effect, clearance time has been noticeably shortened. Note: Kazakhstan has previously imposed export restrictions on copper, aluminium and lead ingots; confirm the latest policy before trading.Uzbekistan
Main exports are copper ore, copper concentrate, copper plate, copper rod, aluminium ingots, lead ingots and zinc ingots. After Chinese processing technology was introduced at the Almalyk porphyry copper mine, annual copper-concentrate output is around 400,000 tonnes, with capacity continuing to come online as new projects start up.
The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan train departs Tashkent and enters China at Kashgar via Kyrgyzstan, with an end-to-end transit of about 12–15 days — suited to larger monthly volumes of copper concentrate and cathode copper. Note: Uzbekistan levies an export tax on copper; mining permits and rail-station handling capability should be verified before quoting.Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has a solid resource base in gold, antimony, tungsten, tin, mercury, uranium and rare metals, with antimony output among the world's largest. Main exports to China are precious-metal ore sand and concentrates, copper ore sand and concentrates, and unwrought aluminium.
Since June 2025 the Irkeshtam port has trialled round-the-clock clearance and is one of the southern Xinjiang road ports handling the widest range of inbound goods; “one-stop” clearance via Kashgar can further shorten the logistics cycle. Note: check port operating hours, fleet scheduling, document consistency and the conditions under which one-stop clearance applies.| Corridor | Delivery Point | Corresponding China Port | Transport Mode | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khorgos Corridor | Khorgos port supervision zone | Khorgos port | Road | Copper concentrate, lead-zinc concentrate |
| Alashankou–Dostyk | Dostyk port / rail station | Alashankou port | Rail | Copper concentrate, electrolytic copper |
| China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan block train | Tashkent station | Kashgar port | Rail | Copper concentrate, cathode copper |
| Cross-border road haulage | Tashkent → Osh | Irkeshtam port | Road | Small urgent lots |
| Irkeshtam Corridor | Irkeshtam supervision zone | Irkeshtam port | Road | Antimony ore, aluminium ingots, coal |
| Torugart Corridor | Torugart supervision zone | Torugart port | Road | Copper ore sand, precious-metal ore sand |
Land-port FCA: the seller delivers at their own border port, we take carriage from there
Land-port FCA is the most common delivery method for origin suppliers. The seller moves the cargo to the supervision zone of their own border port and completes export declaration; once our carrier takes delivery we handle international transport and China import clearance.
| Corridor | Applicable country | Seller's delivery point | Corresponding China Port | Transport Mode | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muse–Ruili | Myanmar | Muse port supervision zone | Ruili port | Road | Tin concentrate, copper concentrate |
| Qingshuihe–Mengding | Myanmar | Qingshuihe port supervision zone | Mengding Qingshuihe port | Road | Zinc-oxide ore, lead-oxide ore, tin concentrate |
| Houqiao–Kanpaiti | Myanmar | Kanpaiti port supervision zone | Tengchong Houqiao port | Road | Lead-zinc ore |
| Boten–Mohan | Laos | Boten port supervision zone | Mohan port | Road / rail | Zinc concentrate, copper concentrate |
| Ganqimaodu | Mongolia | Gashuunsukhait supervision zone | Ganqimaodu port | Road | Copper concentrate powder |
| Erenhot–Zamyn-Üüd | Mongolia | Zamyn-Üüd supervision zone | Erenhot port | Road / rail | Copper ore powder, zinc concentrate powder |
| Khorgos | Kazakhstan | Khorgos supervision zone | Khorgos port | Road | Copper concentrate, lead-zinc concentrate |
| Alashankou–Dostyk | Kazakhstan | Dostyk supervision zone | Alashankou port | Rail | Copper concentrate, electrolytic copper |
| Pingxiang–Lang Son | Vietnam | Lang Son port supervision zone | Pingxiang Friendship Pass | Road | Lead concentrate |
Rail-station FCA: suited to bulk cargo with steady monthly lots
Rail corridors usually cost less than cross-border road haulage and run on relatively fixed schedules, suiting concentrates and refined metals with steady monthly volumes. The seller completes delivery and export declaration at the originating freight station.
| Corridor | Applicable country | Seller's delivery point | Corresponding China Port | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China–Laos Railway, Vientiane South station | Laos | Vientiane South freight station | Mohan port | Zinc concentrate, copper concentrate |
| China–Laos Railway, Boten station | Laos | Boten freight station | Mohan port | Zinc concentrate, copper concentrate |
| Alashankou rail station | Kazakhstan | Dostyk rail station | Alashankou port | Copper concentrate |
| China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan block train | Uzbekistan | Tashkent station | Kashgar port | Copper concentrate, cathode copper |
Sea-port FOB: limited to ports of shipment in Thailand and Vietnam
Sea FOB suits sellers who already hold inventory at a hub and can handle port loading. The seller moves the cargo to the port of shipment and completes export declaration; we handle booking, loading, ocean freight and China clearance.
| Corridor | Applicable country | Port of shipment | Reference destination port | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laem Chabang port | Thailand | Laem Chabang port | Shanghai / Guangzhou / Tianjin | Copper concentrate, tin concentrate |
| Hai Phong port | Vietnam | Hai Phong port | Shanghai / Guangzhou / Fangchenggang | Lead concentrate, zinc concentrate |
CIF China port bonded warehouse: the seller arranges full transport, with inspection and payment at the warehouse
Where the seller can organise international logistics, cargo can be shipped to a customs bonded warehouse at a designated Chinese port, and we pay after inspection inside the warehouse. This route demands more of the seller's transport and clearance capability, but the delivery milestones are clear.
| Delivery point (China side) | Corresponding overseas loading point | Transport Mode | Main Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erenhot port bonded warehouse | Zamyn-Üüd, Mongolia | Road / rail | Copper ore powder, zinc concentrate powder |
| Ganqimaodu port bonded warehouse | Gashuunsukhait, Mongolia | Road | Copper concentrate powder |
| Alashankou comprehensive bonded-zone warehouse | Dostyk, Kazakhstan | Rail | Copper concentrate |
| Mohan port bonded warehouse | Boten / Vientiane South, Laos | Road / rail | Zinc concentrate, copper concentrate |
| Ruili port bonded warehouse | Muse, Myanmar | Road | Tin concentrate, copper concentrate |
| Mengding Qingshuihe port bonded warehouse | Qingshuihe, Myanmar side | Road | Zinc-oxide ore, lead-oxide ore |
| Tengchong Houqiao port bonded warehouse | Kanpaiti, Myanmar | Road | Lead-zinc ore |
| Pingxiang Friendship Pass bonded warehouse | Lang Son, Vietnam | Road | Lead concentrate |
| Guangxi Aidian port bonded warehouse | Chi Ma port, Vietnam | Road | Lead concentrate and ore sand, silver concentrate and ore sand |
| Shanghai port bonded warehouse | Laem Chabang, Thailand / Hai Phong, Vietnam | Sea freight | Copper concentrate, lead concentrate |
| Guangzhou port bonded warehouse | Laem Chabang, Thailand / Hai Phong, Vietnam | Sea freight | Copper concentrate, lead concentrate |
Choose a more secure delivery route by product characteristics
The table below maps the delivery methods available for each product category. Refined metal products (cathode copper, aluminium, lead, zinc and tin ingots) can move by land or sea without port-type restrictions; the choice depends on the seller's location, inventory status, port lead time, document completeness and the buyer's inspection-before-payment requirements.
| Product | FCA land port | FOB sea freight | CIF bonded warehouse | Bonded-warehouse spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper concentrate | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Refined copper / Cathode copper | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Secondary copper | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Wire rod / Billet | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Lead concentrate | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Zinc concentrate | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Refined lead (unwrought) | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Unwrought zinc | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Tin concentrate | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Tungsten concentrate | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Refined tin | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Tungsten powder / Tungsten carbide | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Unwrought aluminium / ingots / alloys | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Secondary aluminium feedstock | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Minor metals (antimony / tantalum-niobium / bismuth / magnesium) | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Pre-Trade Verification Checklist by Key Region
| Region | Main corridor | Key Pre-Trade Checks |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Khorgos, Alashankou | Export-policy developments, rail-station capacity, radiation checks, applicability of bonded ore blending, and destination supervision requirements. |
| Uzbekistan | China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan train (Tashkent → Kashgar) | Copper export tax, mining permits, block-train scheduling, monthly volume, domestic distribution plan. |
| Kyrgyzstan | Irkeshtam, Torugart | Title to antimony ore and aluminium ingots, clearance hours, fleet scheduling, and the conditions for Kashgar one-stop clearance. |
| Myanmar | Muse, Qingshuihe, Houqiao | Central and local export permits, exit clauses for sudden policy change, the chain of title and security risk before cargo reaches the port; letters of credit are best confirmed by an offshore bank. |
| Laos | Mohan, China–Laos Railway | Validity of mining rights and export permits, FCA handover on the China–Laos Railway, and freight-station handling capacity. |
| Mongolia | Ganqimaodu, Erenhot | Mine-to-port distance, carrier pick-up point, grade of copper and zinc concentrate powder, and vehicle queue conditions. |
| Thailand | Laem Chabang port, bonded-warehouse spot | FORM E application, warehouse-receipt endorsement, shipping documents, and bonded-warehouse sampling with photo/video records. |
| Vietnam | Hai Phong port, Pingxiang, Aidian | FORM E and Ministry of Industry and Trade export permits, suitability of the port bonded warehouse, and document consistency for lead and silver concentrates. |
Data source: public industry statistics and published customs data, as at 2025. Figures change with policy and market conditions — please rely on the latest official releases before trading.
Not sure which channel fits? Tell us about your cargo
Provide the export country, product grade, quantity, cargo location and target delivery point, and we will help assess a suitable channel and contract structure. The full cooperation models and transaction process are set out in the export-to-China cooperation framework.