Rhenus opens Fuzhou office targeting BESS exports to Europe

Rhenus Group has opened its 16th office in Greater China, a Fuzhou branch dedicated to two fast-moving cargo streams: battery energy storage systems (BESS) bound mainly for Europe, and e-commerce freight from Chinese sellers entering European markets. The site is the company's first location in Greater China to build dedicated business activities in both sectors at once.

The office, based in Fujian province, currently employs 18 people, with Rhenus planning further recruitment through the end of the first quarter of 2027. It will support Chinese exporters with international freight transportation, warehousing, customs clearance and distribution services.

Fuzhou will act as a hub for developing new-energy logistics projects across China. Europe is the primary target market for BESS shipments, with South America as a secondary destination. The nearby Port of Xiamen will play an important role in supporting outbound BESS volumes, giving Rhenus a direct gateway for heavy, regulated battery cargo.

Why Fujian, and why now?

Carol He, General Manager of Rhenus Logistics Southern China, said Fujian's expanding new-energy manufacturing industry and its position in international supply chains supported the company's decision to strengthen its regional presence.

For shippers of battery equipment, the location choice matters for compliance as much as capacity. The Fuzhou office will offer regulatory compliance support covering:

• European packaging requirements
• VAT procedures
• Extended producer responsibility
• Battery-related documentation

That bundle targets the paperwork burden that has become a defining cost for battery exporters selling into the EU, where producer-responsibility and battery-passport rules continue to tighten.

How will the e-commerce arm work?

The office will also develop e-commerce logistics services for Chinese companies entering European markets. Rhenus plans to use its European warehousing network in Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain to support these operations. Services will include customs clearance, bonded storage, documentation and final-mile distribution.

The company will also draw on its Contargo network to provide combined barge-and-truck and rail-and-truck transportation across Europe, linking ocean arrivals from China with inland distribution without relying solely on road haulage.

Cliff Xu, Regional Director of Greater China at Rhenus Air & Ocean, said the expansion reflects the company's efforts to respond to changing supply chain requirements.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

For Chinese BESS manufacturers, the move adds a logistics provider with both origin-side project handling and EU-side compliance capability, an increasingly valuable combination as European battery regulations extend across transport, storage and end-of-life documentation. For e-commerce sellers, Rhenus is positioning bonded warehousing in four EU markets plus multimodal inland links as an alternative to pure marketplace-fulfilment models.

For competing forwarders, the opening signals that China-to-Europe battery logistics remains a growth lane worth investing headcount in — Rhenus is committing staff through at least Q1 2027 to build it out.

The Fuzhou branch extends Rhenus' Greater China network to 16 offices, and further recruitment and project development are planned as BESS export demand from Fujian's manufacturing base continues to build toward European and South American buyers.