China Domestic Express Delivery: SF, Tongda Group and JD Logistics

China's express delivery industry handled 174.5 billion parcels in 2024, up 21 percent year on year, generating RMB 1.4 trillion in revenue, up 13 percent. For any foreign business selling into China, understanding how SF Express, the Tongda Group and JD Logistics differ is essential to choosing the right fulfillment partner. This china domestic express delivery guide explains the market structure, the regulatory framework and the practical choices you will face.

Quick Facts

All figures are drawn from the State Post Bureau's 2024 Statistical Bulletin on the Postal Industry, republished via the Belt and Road Portal (2024 Postal Industry Statistical Bulletin).

What Is the Structure of China's Express Delivery Market?

China's express market is built around three tiers: premium direct-network operators led by SF Express, the franchise-based e-commerce parcel specialists known informally as the Tongda Group, and JD Logistics, which integrates warehousing and delivery. The State Post Bureau does not publish company-level market shares, so any share figures you see elsewhere should be treated with caution.

The industry's scale is extraordinary. Per capita parcel usage reached 124.3 parcels in 2024, and the network now spans 501,000 service outlets, of which 248,000 are express company outlets — an increase of 33,000 in a single year (2024 Postal Industry Statistical Bulletin). Rural coverage is expanding fast: 427,000 village-level comprehensive delivery stations now operate nationwide, up 62,000 from the prior year.

Geographically, volume is concentrated. Fifteen cities — led by Jinhua (Yiwu), Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Jieyang, Dongguan, Hangzhou, Shantou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Quanzhou, Changsha, Beijing, Zhengzhou and Wuhan — together account for 46.2 percent of national parcel volume (2024 Postal Industry Statistical Bulletin). Most of these are manufacturing or e-commerce origin hubs rather than consumption centers, which shapes how carriers price and route freight.

Who Are the Three Main Carrier Groups?

SF Express positions itself as the premium, direct-operated network. Its published time-definite product family includes same-day, next-morning, next-day, next-other-day and half-day delivery options, and its published volumetric pricing rules differ by product weight band (SF Express pricing and time products). For time-sensitive documents, electronics or high-value goods, SF is typically the default choice.

The Tongda Group — a widely used industry nickname, not an official classification — refers to the franchise-model e-commerce parcel carriers: ZTO, YTO, STO and Yunda. Their strength is cost efficiency on high-volume e-commerce parcels, which industry observers estimate account for more than 80 percent of total volume (estimate; no official single statistic exists). Their franchise structure means service quality can vary by region.

JD Logistics combines warehousing, fulfillment and last-mile delivery. For same-city shipments, JD publishes that its express service can deliver in as fast as 30 minutes including pickup, and its JD Special Express product offers one-hour door pickup (JD Logistics same-city express). For bulky goods, JD offers one-stop large-item logistics with value-added services such as delivery-plus-installation and carrying items upstairs (JD Logistics bulky goods value-added services).

How Do the Three Carrier Groups Compare?

Two practical notes on pricing. First, there is no official unified price list for any carrier — single-parcel prices are quoted in real time on each company's official website, so you should verify current rates directly (estimate; no official published tariff). Second, SF's published volumetric rules illustrate how dimensional weight works in practice: for its Standard Express product, parcels under 30 kg are divided by 12,000 and parcels at or above 30 kg by 6,000; cold-chain and trucking products use other published divisors (SF Express pricing rules). These are reference parameters, not guaranteed service commitments.

What Regulations Govern Express Delivery in China?

The core framework is the Express Temporary Regulations of the PRC (State Council Decree No. 697, effective 2018-05-01, second revision effective 2025-06-01). Article 18 requires any express operator to obtain an express business operating license, with the scope of business and geographic coverage verified and published by the postal administration department (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations, State Council Decree No. 806). The licensing conditions and procedures are further detailed in the Measures for the Administration of Express Business Operating Licenses (Ministry of Transport Order No. 23 of 2018, effective 2019-01-01, as amended) (Measures for the Administration of Express Business Operating Licenses).

End-of-network outlets follow a lighter regime. Under Article 19, an express end network outlet must file for record with the local postal administration department within 20 days of opening, and such outlets do not need a separate business license (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations). The 2025 revision also tightened packaging compliance: operators whose packaging fails mandatory standards, or who fail to report single-use plastics use, face penalties under the Standardization Law and the Solid Waste Law, and operators who refuse to establish packaging operating rules or recycling systems after correction orders face fines of RMB 5,000 to 20,000.

Several operational rules matter for shippers. Enterprises must inspect the contents of items at collection and mark them as inspected; senders who refuse inspection cannot be accepted. Senders of valuable items must declare them in advance, and carriers may require declared-value insurance. Enterprises must handle and respond to user complaints within 7 days of receipt. Where two or more enterprises share a trademark, trade name or waybill, they must sign a written agreement, maintain unified management, tracking and complaint handling, and users may claim against any of them (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

How Do You File a Complaint or Appeal?

If a shipment goes wrong, you have a two-tier escalation path. First, complain directly to the carrier — enterprises must process and inform you of the result within 7 days of receiving your complaint. Second, if you are dissatisfied with the outcome or the carrier has not responded within 7 days, you may appeal to the postal administration department via the 12305 hotline (in some regions merged into the 12345 government service hotline — check your local postal administration's notice), the appeal website, the yz12305 WeChat account, or written correspondence (Postal Industry User Appeal Handling Measures, effective 2020-10-01).

The regulator's procedural deadlines are clear. The postal administration department must respond to appeals within 30 days of receipt. For domestic mail and parcels, the appeal window is one year from the date of posting; for international mail, six months. The same matter cannot be appealed twice (Postal Industry User Appeal Handling Measures). Note that Henan province announced that its 12305 line would cease operation from 2025-12-11, with appeals routed through 12345 — regional rollout schedules vary, so confirm the current channel with your local postal administration (Henan Postal Administration notice on complaint channels).

How Should a Foreign Business Choose a Carrier? A Five-Step Framework

1. Map your parcel profile. Categorize shipments by weight, value, fragility and temperature sensitivity. High-value or time-critical items point toward SF's time-definite family; bulky items point toward JD's large-item services with delivery-plus-installation (SF time products; JD bulky services).
2. Estimate landed shipping cost per SKU. Apply volumetric weight rules to your typical carton dimensions. For SF Standard Express, divide by 12,000 for parcels under 30 kg and by 6,000 at or above 30 kg (SF pricing rules). Request real-time quotes from each carrier's official website, since no unified official tariff exists.
3. Match network coverage to your customers. If you sell to lower-tier cities or rural counties, confirm village-level station coverage — 427,000 stations now operate nationwide (2024 Statistical Bulletin). If you sell in the top 15 origin cities, note they already concentrate 46.2 percent of volume, so carrier density there is generally strong.
4. Verify compliance documentation. Confirm your chosen partner holds a valid express business operating license and that its end outlets are properly filed. You can verify licensed enterprises through the licensing information system maintained by the State Post Bureau (Express Business Licensing Information System).
5. Establish a complaint and escalation protocol. Document the 7-day enterprise complaint deadline and the 30-day regulator appeal deadline in your customer-service playbook, and record the 12305 hotline (or 12345 where merged) for escalation (Appeal Handling Measures).

What to Watch Out For

Declared-value insurance for valuable goods. Under Article 22 of the revised regulations, senders must declare valuable items in advance and carriers may require declared-value coverage. Shipping high-value electronics or samples without declared value leaves you with limited recourse (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

Mandatory content inspection. Carriers must inspect inner contents at collection and apply an inspection mark; refusal means the carrier cannot accept the item. Build realistic pickup timelines into your fulfillment plan, since inspection adds processing time (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

Franchise network variability. The Tongda Group's franchise model means service standards can differ by region. Where two enterprises share a trademark or waybill, the regulations require unified management and allow users to claim against any party — useful leverage if a handoff fails (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

Packaging compliance penalties. The 2025 revision introduced fines of RMB 5,000 to 20,000 for operators who refuse to establish packaging operating rules or recycling systems after correction orders, plus penalties under the Standardization Law and Solid Waste Law for non-compliant packaging. If you supply your own packaging into carriers' networks, align it with mandatory standards (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

Shutdown notice obligations. If a carrier or outlet ceases operation, it must announce 10 days in advance, notify authorities in writing, return its license and properly handle undelivered parcels. Violations of end-outlet filing or shutdown rules carry fines up to RMB 10,000, or RMB 10,000 to 50,000 in serious cases with possible suspension (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

No official market-share data. The State Post Bureau's bulletin does not disclose company-level shares, and we advise against relying on third-party estimates when negotiating rates. Base negotiations on your own volume projections and official published pricing parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How large is China's express delivery market?

A: In 2024, the industry handled 174.5 billion parcels, up 21 percent year on year, and generated RMB 1.4 trillion in revenue, up 13 percent. Per capita usage reached 124.3 parcels annually, meaning the average Chinese consumer received roughly one parcel every three days (2024 Postal Industry Statistical Bulletin).

Q: What is the Tongda Group?

A: It is an informal industry nickname — not an official classification — for the franchise-model e-commerce parcel carriers ZTO, YTO, STO and Yunda. These networks specialize in high-volume, cost-sensitive e-commerce parcels, which are estimated to make up more than 80 percent of total volume (estimate; no official single statistic).

Q: How fast is SF Express for domestic shipments?

A: SF publishes a time-definite product family covering same-day, next-morning, next-day, next-other-day and half-day delivery. These are reference service levels rather than contractual guarantees, and actual timing depends on origin, destination and cut-off times (SF Express time products).

Q: How fast is JD Logistics for same-city delivery?

A: JD publishes that its same-city express can deliver in as fast as 30 minutes including pickup time, and its JD Special Express product offers one-hour door pickup. For bulky goods, JD provides one-stop large-item logistics with value-added services such as delivery-plus-installation (JD Logistics same-city express).

Q: How is volumetric weight calculated for SF shipments?

A: For SF Standard Express, parcels under 30 kg are divided by 12,000 and parcels at or above 30 kg by 6,000. Other products use different published divisors — cold-chain and trucking products divide by 6,000, cold-chain large items by 3,000, and international shipments by 5,000 (SF Express pricing rules).

Q: Do I need a license to operate an express end network outlet in China?

A: End outlets do not need a separate business license, but operators must file for record with the local postal administration department within 20 days of opening. Failing to file, or failing to announce a shutdown properly, carries fines up to RMB 10,000, rising to RMB 10,000 to 50,000 in serious cases (Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations).

Q: How long does a carrier have to resolve my complaint?

A: Enterprises must process complaints and inform the user within 7 days of receipt. If you are unsatisfied or receive no response within 7 days, you may escalate to the postal administration department, which must respond within 30 days (Postal Industry User Appeal Handling Measures).

Q: What is the 12305 hotline?

A: It is the postal industry user appeal hotline operated by the postal administration system, staffed during working hours. It is reachable by phone with provincial capital or municipality area-code prefixes, and also via the appeal website, the yz12305 WeChat account, or letter. In some regions it is being merged into the 12345 government hotline (Appeal Handling Measures).

Q: What is the deadline for appealing a parcel problem to the regulator?

A: For domestic mail and parcels, you must appeal within one year of the date of posting; for international mail, within six months. The postal administration department responds within 30 days, and the same matter cannot be appealed twice (Appeal Handling Measures).

Q: Can CnBusinessHub help me choose a delivery setup for my China operations?

A: Yes. Our advisory team can outline carrier options, volumetric cost implications and compliance checkpoints — from declared-value rules to the 7-day complaint deadline — and coordinate with qualified local professionals. We help you evaluate options; the licensing and contracting decisions remain with you and your local partners.

Conclusion

1. Scale is unmatched: 174.5 billion parcels moved in 2024 across a network of 501,000 outlets and 427,000 village stations — plan for density, not scarcity (2024 Statistical Bulletin).
2. Match carrier to cargo: SF for time-definite and high-value, the Tongda franchise networks for e-commerce volume, JD for fulfillment-integrated and bulky goods (SF time products; JD bulky services).
3. Know your escalation rights: 7 days for carrier complaints, 30 days for regulator appeals, one year for domestic appeal windows (Appeal Handling Measures).
4. Verify compliance before signing: confirm operating licenses and end-outlet filings via the State Post Bureau's licensing system (Licensing Information System).

For personalized guidance on your China e-commerce licensing pathway, contact the CnBusinessHub advisory team at consult@CnBusinessHub.com to book a consultation.

Written by the CnBusinessHub Advisory Team, China market-entry advisors since 2019 — 1,500+ foreign enterprises guided across 16+ cities.

Last updated: 2026-10-11 | Next review: April 2027

Sources

1. 2024 Postal Industry Statistical Bulletin (State Post Bureau, via Belt and Road Portal)
2. Decision on Amending the Express Temporary Regulations (State Council Decree No. 806, via Ministry of Ecology and Environment)
3. Postal Industry User Appeal Handling Measures (State Post Bureau)
4. Henan Postal Administration Notice on Complaint and Appeal Channels
5. Measures for the Administration of Express Business Operating Licenses (Ministry of Transport Order No. 23 of 2018, via Ministry of Justice)
6. SF Express Pricing and Time-Definite Products
7. SF Express Shipping Services
8. JD Logistics Same-City Express
9. JD Logistics Bulky Goods Value-Added Services
10. Express Business Licensing Information System (State Post Bureau)

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