40ft Flexitanks Unlock New Momentum in Cross-Border Edible Oil Trade

On September 2, a cross-border freight train carrying edible oil departed from eastern Kazakhstan and arrived in Jiangsu, China in just 12 days. What appeared to be a routine shipment in fact signaled a significant breakthrough in cross-border liquid logistics — the 40ft flexitank container transport model is now moving toward large-scale, regularized application.

During a meeting at the Khorgos border station, representatives from Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) and China Railway confirmed that flexitanks will serve as a core logistics solution for future edible oil exports from Kazakhstan to China. This development not only ensures a more stable supply of vegetable oils for the Chinese market, but also marks a new level of efficiency for Central Asian agricultural products entering China’s supply chains.

Why Flexitanks Are Driving This Transformation

Flexitanks — large, industrial-grade liners installed inside standard containers — effectively turn any container into a high-capacity liquid tank. Their rapid adoption is propelled by clear advantages:

● Higher Payload Efficiency: 20ft flexitanks typically hold up to 24,000L, while 40ft systems can load up to 28,000L, significantly increasing transport productivity.

● Lower Logistics Costs: No cleaning, no returns, and no tank-container leasing fees — reducing total supply chain costs.

● Faster Loading and Handling: Pump-based loading simplifies operations and shortens dwell time at terminals.

● Contamination-Free Transport: Single-use design eliminates cross-contamination, crucial for food-grade cargo such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, and other edible oils.

● A Perfect Fit for Rail + Sea + Road Multimodal Transport: Flexitanks work seamlessly on cross-border rail routes, making them especially valuable for landlocked exporters like Kazakhstan.

40ft Flexitanks: A Critical New Supplement to Today’s Market

While 20ft flexitanks have become industry standard, the market is now facing a new reality: shortages of 20ft containers, rising container leasing costs, and greater demand for higher payload efficiency.

This is where 40ft flexitanks come into play. 40ft flexitanks provide several strategic benefits:

● Better alignment with global container availability: 40ft containers are far more abundant, helping stabilize logistics during capacity fluctuations.

● Increased loading efficiency & lower cost per ton: 28,000L per container significantly boosts throughput.

● Ideal for edible oils with stable viscosity: Perfect for palm oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and similar products transported across long rail and sea routes.

● A natural fit for long-distance rail freight: Especially for Central Asia → China → Southeast Asia corridors.

As more edible oil producers look to scale exports, 40ft flexitanks are rapidly emerging as an essential complement to traditional 20ft solutions.

Flexitanks: New Momentum for Global Edible Oil Logistics

From Kazakhstan’s pilot program to the expanding trade routes across Eurasia, industry dynamics are clear: demand for edible oils is rising, cross-border rail freight is expanding, global logistics is moving toward cost-effective and sustainable models, flexitanks — including 40ft formats — offer the right solution at the right time.

For producers, exporters, freight forwarders, and global buyers, flexitanks unlock a more efficient, scalable, and future-ready liquid logistics system. As the edible oil trade accelerates, this is not just a logistics improvement — it is an industry-wide opportunity, and flexitanks are positioned to play a significant role in shaping the future of liquid logistics.