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Category: Logistics

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Logistics news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Consoveyo Singapore welcomes new general manager

    Consoveyo Singapore welcomes new general manager

    Consoveyo S.A. has appointed Poul H. Lorentzen as general manager for Consoveyo Singapore, effective 1 April 2017. In his new role, Poul’s top priority will be to identify and develop business opportunities for the company in Southeast Asia (SEA).

    Prior to joining Consoveyo, Poul was director of the logistics systems division at Jungheinrich Lift Trucks Pte. Ltd. He has also held various management positions at MHE-Dematic, Siemens L&A, Siemens Dematic, and Dematic, where he was responsible for the business and strategic objectives for regional growth and profitability.

    Poul hails from Denmark but has spent over 30 years in SEA. Sharing from his familiarity with the demands and intralogistics requirements of this market, he said, “There is much potential for automated material handling technologies in this region, as countries like Singapore are encouraging local businesses to stay competitive by adopting advanced warehousing solutions that enhances productivity. My experience in this industry has prepared me for this new role at Consoveyo, and I look forward to leading my team as we work towards meeting the new objectives set out by Körber Logistics Systems.”

    Jorge Couto, chief sales officer at Consoveyo, concluded, “It is an exciting time for Consoveyo as the company aligns itself to meet Körber’s expansion strategy. We have built a very qualified and motivated team to support our clients operating in the SEA region. Poul’s experience in this field will bring a great boost to the team, and I’m confident that his presence will further strengthen our Singapore team to bring Consoveyo to greater heights.”

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  • Bolloré Logistics Singapore Unveils Plan for S$10 Million Logistics Automation Facility

    Bolloré Logistics Singapore Unveils Plan for S$10 Million Logistics Automation Facility

    Bolloré Logistics Singapore, a major player in international logistics and freight forwarding, announces plan for its first automation facility with one of the world’s leading luxury products group LVMH today.

    Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the new 20,000 square meter automation facility will be built with an investment of S$10 million between Bolloré Logistics and LVMH as part of a long-term partnership to significantly drive productivity and increase space efficiency.

    “Automation is the key for Singapore’s logistics sector to cope with emerging patterns globally. The setup will be housed in Bolloré Logistics Green Hub, our high-tech logistic facility in Pioneer Turn, and we are happy to announce that the co-development of this automation has secured a long term commitment from LVMH. Bolloré Logistics strives to be at the forefront of innovation and prides itself in developing advanced supply chains for its customers,” says Mr. Cyril Dumon, Chief Executive Officer of Bolloré Logistics Asia Pacific.

    “The close partnership between LVMH and Bolloré Logistics has strongly supported the growth of the business in the last 15 years. With the introduction of automation, it further reinforces our connections and emphasizes our expertise on safety, quality, service and efficiency for the next 10 years,” says Mr. Guillaume Mechain, Supply Chain Director of LVMH, Asia Pacific.

    Collectively designed by Bolloré Logistics, LVMH and Dematic, this combination of multi-shuttle system and picking technology is the first of its kind to be deployed in Singapore and the region.

    The state-of-the-art facility will bring significant transformation to tackle supply chain operations – from the order preparation process, inbound to final dispatch of the orders, to integrating control checks that ensure greater accuracy.

    It also allows Bolloré Logistics to meet new challenges arising from the emergence of e-commerce and increase of future distribution channels globally, by bringing with it the capability to prepare e-commerce orders with a high level of accuracy while reducing the time to market, thus increasing its agility and capacity to absorb peak level of activity.

    “Working closely together with Bolloré Logistics, we have developed an innovative automated solution that will bring tremendous improvements in productivity, accuracy and space efficiency. This project represents a number of industry firsts both in Singapore and in the Region and we are delighted to be involved with the Bolloré Logistics team in designing, delivering and supporting the project,” says Mr. Michael Bradshaw, Director Dematic SEA.

    The facility will allow for higher storage density to make efficient use of limited warehouse space in Singapore. In terms of productivity, it will achieve throughput levels up to 10 times as compared to conventional methods, and will improve order lead time while using only half of the existing manpower resources.

    “Bolloré Logistics strongly believes that innovation starts from the bottom and has invested in various training and developmental programs within the company over the years. Our objective is to empower our staff. As part of Change Management, Bolloré Logistics has initiated several HR initiatives and a dedicated pilot development program known as ‘Level Up’. The program which includes a variety of technical and soft skill training, is specifically designed to equip our staff with necessary skills to cope with challenges that may come with automation,” note Mr. Fabien Giordano, Managing Director of Bolloré Logistics Singapore.

    “The ground staff is looking forward to this automation facility. Early communication is already in place to assist the staff so they are prepared for what’s coming. Although staff skills need to be upgraded through training, they can use this chance to expand their skillset and integrate flexibility to increase productivity,” note Mr. Tan Kok Xiong, Supervisor, Bolloré Logistics Singapore.

    With Singapore as the company’s regional hub, the new facility through its adaptable and scalable world-class system aims to create a future-ready infrastructure to support the demands of the Asia Pacific region. The plan is also in line with the government’s direction towards a future-ready Singapore and is supported by EDB.

    “Bolloré Logistics’ partnership with LVMH is an excellent example of the supply chain collaborations that EDB wants to help grow in Singapore. Such investments in operations excellence support Singapore’s efforts to transform the industry and create better jobs for Singaporeans,” says Mr Lee Eng Keat, Executive Director of Logistics, Singapore Economic Development Board.

    This project sets as a flagship and creates a model for Bolloré Logistics globally as the future of warehousing in land-scarce countries once it is slated to complete in January 2018.

    Starting Innovation at the Heart of Asia Pacific

    This initiative is just one of the many in the pipeline under the Bolloré Logistics vision to shift the paradigms of the logistic industry through innovation and technologies starting from the heart of Asia Pacific in Singapore.

    Bolloré Logistics created B.Lab, an internal innovation community in 2016 in order to accelerate the digitization of the supply chain. The objective is to improve our value proposition with existing clients by creating new products, services and innovative processes in relation with the digital.

    Their flagship logistic facility Green Hub in Pioneer Turn – a 42,000 square meter Bolloré Logistics high-tech warehouse facility has achieved remarkable accolades since its launch in 2012. The integrated logistics center also serves as a regional distribution center for multinational corporations. As an eco-friendly solution to reduce CO2 emissions, the group also introduced its first hybrid shuttle in 2015. And in 2016, BlueSG, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, has been awarded a 10-year car-sharing contract by the Singapore government to operate a fleet of 1,000 electric cars by 2020 under the national electric vehicle (EV) car-sharing programme, a major step towards Singapore’s vision of a car-lite and an environment friendly society.

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  • Lalamove Pick-Up Price Drops Down

    Lalamove Pick-Up Price Drops Down

    Hong Kong based on-demand delivery app Lalamove is moving its moves upwards to a new high. Lalamove is offering its growing customer base a special new cut-price for its pick-up rentals at just THB 450 plus THB15 per kilometer for the first 100 kilometers; with rates dropping down even further with distances exceeding this and attracting out-of-town movers who need a pick-up and driver beyond Bangkok. Currently, Lalamove door-to-door delivery services are available from Bangkok to the capital as well as Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Nakhon Ratchasima.

    More and more customers are taking advantage of Lalamove’s quality pick-ups, experienced drivers and professional delivery services. Customers are increasingly using Lalamove to move home, transport goods bought and sold between individuals advertised online as well as office moves.

    Capable of transporting one ton per pick-up with additional services such as the driver and extra hands helping with the load, Lalamove is perfect for moves both near and far.

    Easy to use and customer-friendly, the Lalamove app has also recently been redesigned to enhance the user experience with scope for adding more features too.

    Lalamove now hosts the largest delivery service area across Asia with operations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Manila and 43 cities in China with over 50,000 drivers. The number of registered users regionally has grown to more than 5 million in the past three years. In Thailand, the number of download is currently 210,000 with over 17 thousands of registered drivers.

  • Arvato scores two awards for its logistics solutions in China

    Arvato scores two awards for its logistics solutions in China

    Arvato SCM Solutions was honoured with “Best Partner” and “Service Award” by Oriflame – one of the world’s leading direct selling beauty companies. The awards recognise Arvato’s exceptional contributions in developing and executing an agile B2B and B2C domestic fulfillment system for Oriflame’s China business.

    “Oriflame’s vision has always been to be the top direct selling beauty company and China is a key growth market.” says Jason Dong, operations director at Oriflame China. “To support and further build upon our expanding network of consultants and customers, we rely on partners like Arvato that are able to innovate in its solutions and adapt swiftly to our needs.”

    Arvato was commended for the implementation of digital solutions that enhanced the efficiency and quality of its domestic fulfillment model. This includes automation of the order management process and utilisation of computerised tools such as the Pick-by-Light system; with all data integrated into one centralised IT back-end system. The result is end-to-end visibility, better accuracy and control that are critical for managing Oriflame’s wide portfolio of Swedish, nature-inspired beauty products.

    For Oriflame’s consultants and customers, the seamless flow of information allows them to track their orders in real-time via the Oriflame app, WeChat app, or Short Message Services (SMS). Because of the scalability and flexibility built into the system, Oriflame’s customers can be sure that they receive their orders timely even during extreme promotional peak periods such as during China’s annual 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. Their customer journey with Oriflame is further enhanced with an efficient returns management process through Arvato’s reverse logistics solution; and receipt of the most up-to-date promotional materials through Arvato’s value-added services.

    “The ‘Three-Year Service Award’ also marks a significant milestone in the partnership between Arvato and Oriflame,” says Li Zhang, head of the consumer products business unit at Arvato SCM Solutions China. “Over the span of three years, Arvato has expanded its services to three sites across China – Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai; in support of Oriflame’s rapidly growing business.”

    Arvato received both awards at Oriflame’s 2017 Summit for Service Providers.

  • DHL adds another China-Europe rail link

    DHL adds another China-Europe rail link

    DHL manages new route with supply chain partner China Brilliant, providing both LCL and FCL service to DHL customers.

    DHL Global Forwarding has launched the first regular service connecting Shenzhen to Minsk, Belarus via rail in less than 12 days. The new route covers new overland connections to several major cities along China’s “Belt and Road” and is the latest route in the DHL Asia-Europe-Asia multimodal network.

    DHL will manage the new route together with China Brilliant, an integrated service provider in global manufacturing and consumption with which DHL signed an MOU last year. Offering both Less-than-Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load (FCL) services along the route, DHL gives businesses increased flexibility to meet rapidly growing and evolving market demands for electronics, industrial and automotive parts, and fresh food in both Eastern Europe and China.

    “Eastern Europe’s economies are growing faster than almost any others worldwide,¹ with significant export opportunities arising from the region’s rising wages and disposable income levels,² ” said Steve Huang, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Greater China. “Minsk offers Chinese businesses an efficient gateway into the Baltic States and Nordic countries in addition to other major European destinations like Warsaw, Hamburg and Tilburg via Brest.”

    “With Shenzhen’s economy exceeding expectations to grow by 9% last year,³ the route also opens sizable opportunities for European exporters looking to sell to one of China’s most vibrant trade and business hubs, or use it as an important gateway to Southeast Asia and the rest of the Chinese consumer market. Our newest route further supports strategic infrastructure projects designed especially to support the Belt and Road, such as the Great Stone Industrial Park – the largest joint project between China and Belarus that will span decades;⁴ strengthens bilateral ties between the two countries; and also lays the groundwork for further rail connectivity to the Nordic and Middle Eastern states involved in the Belt and Road.”

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  • UPS and SF Holding To Establish a Joint Venture

    UPS and SF Holding To Establish a Joint Venture

    UPS and SF Holding, the parent company of SF Express, today announced plans to establish a joint venture and collaborate to develop and provide international delivery services initially from China to the US, with expansion plans for other destinations. Through this agreement the parties will leverage their complementary networks, service portfolios, technologies and logistics expertise. The joint venture is subject to regulatory approval.

    UPS is the world’s largest express delivery company and a leading global supply chain integrator. SF is a market leader in express delivery in China, with extensive China-wide network coverage, comprehensive service capabilities, and the highest brand recognition in the Chinese small package market.

    “UPS is excited to form a joint venture with SF.  This joint venture will support products that provide competitive benefits to our Chinese customers who trade or seek to trade internationally,” said Ross McCullough, President of UPS Asia Pacific. “Our combined efforts will result in new logistics products and services to simplify and accelerate B2B and B2C customers’ cross-border trade.”

    The joint services offerings combine the strengths of SF’s extensive Chinese network, encompassing more than 13,000 service points in the world’s largest and fastest growing package delivery market, with UPS’s market leading globally integrated network with coverage between more than 220 countries.

    Alignment of the partners’ shipping networks will provide customers with greater coverage, additional routing options, increased capacity, and more choice in transit times and service options.  The joint venture will initially focus on supporting these highly competitive joint service offerings on the China-to-US lane, with planned expansion to markets in the rest of the world.

    “China is leading the world in terms of e-commerce market size, growth, penetration and mobile business usage[i]. Coupled with a rapidly growing and internet-savvy consumer base, it’s imperative thatSF and UPS collaborate to revolutionize the logistics sector.  Together, we aim to bring greater competitive advantages to our customers in China, to succeed globally,” said Alan Wong, Group Vice President of SF.

    The joint venture supports the creation of competitive synergies for UPS and SF through the combined scope and scale of both companies’ complementary networks.  Both companies will utilize their own assets to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency while aligning business processes in order to provide seamless customer care for all parties shipping out of China.

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  • K+N supports Shanghai to Taicang Express

    K+N supports Shanghai to Taicang Express

    Kuehne + Nagel signed a strategic cooperation with Jiangsu Taicang Port Authority and Shanghai Port Authority Zhenghe Terminal to promote a sea link between the Shanghai and Taicang ports.

    The Port of Taicang, located at the south bank of the Yangtze River estuary near Shanghai, is widely considered to be a significant satellite port to Shanghai’s Yangshan megaport. Under the agreement, K+N will cooperate with both port authorities to support the shuttle service which is in line with the Jiangsu Provincial Government strategic development plan to bring greater attention to the Taicang Port area. The sea-link aims to reduce CO2 emissions and improve efficiency by serving as a greener alternative to trucking between Jiangsu and Shanghai. This will have the added benefit of reducing vehicles on Shanghai’s heavily congested roads. The cooperation also intends to showcase Taicang as an international satellite port within the Shanghai Yangtze river estuary area, helping to aggregate high traffic at Shanghai Yangshan port.

    Shao Jian Lin, director of Taicang Port Authority said: “We are very pleased to enter this strategic agreement with K+N, a market leader in global logistics solutions, to support the development of the “Shanghai to Taicang Express” shuttle. We hope this cooperation will place a spotlight on the capabilities and ongoing expansion of Taicang port, ensuring market awareness on an even greater international scale.”

    Markus Johannsen, senior vice president seafreight North Asia, K+N, said: “By leveraging Kuehne + Nagel’s position as a leader in international seafreight, we are well placed to cooperate with the Taicang and Shanghai Port authority. Furthermore, the agreement will enable us to provide our customers a more cost effective, efficient service in the South Jiangsu area, adding even more value to their international supply chains. We are delighted to enter this agreement with Taicang and Shanghai Port authorities and look forward to more opportunities for cooperation in the future.”

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  • Unisys launches software to enhance visibility of pharma supply chain

    Unisys launches software to enhance visibility of pharma supply chain

    Unisys Corporation has launched PharmaTrack, new software that combines security, advanced data analytics and compliance technology in a single, unified platform to provide life sciences and healthcare companies enhanced visibility and oversight of the entire global pharmaceutical supply chain and thus help combat theft and counterfeit drugs.

    This newest addition to the Unisys ActiveInsights suite of solutions arose from an overlap of industry needs between two industries in which Unisys has deep domain expertise: life sciences and healthcare, and travel and transportation.

    “When we started talking to people involved in pharmaceutical supply chain management, we quickly realised that Unisys already had developed the technologies in other industries required to address longstanding problems in pharmaceuticals,” said Jeff R. Livingstone, PhD, vice president and global head, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Unisys. “We then started right away to work with the Unisys Travel & Transportation group and other teams to successfully adapt their technologies for our Life Sciences clients.”

    According to the World Health Organisation, dangerous counterfeit drugs make up more than 10 percent of the drug market worldwide. In addition, supply chain theft and materials erroneously compromised by poor environmental quality controls can cost manufacturers billions of dollars annually and likewise put their patients at risk. PharmaTrack helps secure the supply chain by leveraging Unisys’ leading cross-platform analytics to identify and pre-empt fraudulent activity, issuing immediate alerts when product authentication fails.

    PharmaTrack also enables track-and-trace capabilities so companies can verify product shipping information, monitor temperature issues and other environmental factors affecting drug viability and flag potentially counterfeit product at any point in the supply chain. All data tracked and transmitted through PharmaTrack is protected by Unisys’ state-of-the-art Unisys Stealth micro-segmentation security software, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining the confidentiality of shipping contents.

  • DHL teams up with Rugby World Cup 2019

    DHL teams up with Rugby World Cup 2019

    DHL announced that it is the official logistics partner and a worldwide partner of Rugby World Cup 2019. The partnership will see DHL again team up with one of the biggest international sporting events, which will take place in host country Japan from 20 September to 2 November 2019. DHL was official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.

    “We are very excited to be continuing our longstanding, successful partnership with the game of Rugby including again being involved in the premier event of such a dynamically growing sport,” said Ken Allen, CEO, DHL Express. “We are also thrilled that it is breaking new ground in Japan, a country with the fourth largest population of rugby players in the world and with great potential to inspire a new generation of Rugby fans with its performances both on and off the pitch. The company has operated in Japan for 45 years and has built up an unrivalled network in the country. We can’t wait to share all the passion and enjoyment that Rugby embodies with our customers, employees and the broader Rugby family in Japan and around the world over the next two and a half years.”

    World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to be extending our long-standing and highly-successful partnership with DHL, the express and logistics global leader. More than a commercial partner, DHL is a world class logistics operator and in an event where success hinges on the details, we know that we have the best possible partner.”

    The partnership continues a longstanding relationship between the logistics provider and the game of rugby. As the official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, DHL was responsible for the transportation of tournament and team equipment from around the world to England and across the country. DHL delivered over 48 tons of team freight, 1,400 official match balls, and 20 sets of uprights to the 13 match venues, and also delivered over 400,000 tickets to more than 160 countries.

  • Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada, a huge online shopping destination in Southeast Asia, and Singapore Post Limited, the country’s postal and eCommerce logistics service provider, announced that Lazada Singapore has moved its warehouse operations to SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub in Tampines Logistics Park.

    With investments by Alibaba in both companies, the move allows Lazada and SingPost to leverage on each other’s strengths to meet rising eCommerce demand in Southeast Asia. This combination of strengths in eCommerce and logistics will enable both companies to be in a leading position in the industry to serve a wider spectrum of customers, both in Singapore and the region. This also emphasises Lazada’s aim to work together with the wider eCommerce ecosystem in Singapore.

    “Moving Lazada Singapore’s entire warehouse operations to the SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub is the next natural step as we seek closer integration with our partners to better serve the needs of Singapore customers,” said Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Lazada Singapore. “With the recent launch of 99SME, our local sellers have access to more than 3.5 million monthly visitors in Singapore. Moving forward, we can help them expand and sell regionally.”

    SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub consolidates and integrates both warehousing and delivery hub capabilities into one building. With an integrated, end-to-end solution housed in one building, SingPost is able to provide Lazada with improved efficiency, resulting in a faster turnaround time.

    Lanternier added: “This also adequately prepares us for the Great Singapore Sale starting 6 June, and we are bringing in more brands than ever before, local and global. Customers can shop more with the confidence that their orders will be processed and delivered faster.”

    Sam Ang, executive vice president of SingPost, and CEO of Quantium Solutions International said: “Technology plays a big part in our Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub, increasing productivity and efficiency. This collaboration sees Lazada’s eCommerce platform and SingPost’s end-to-end logistics capabilities coming together and it will result in scale and efficiencies for both of us.”

    “Better still, these efficiencies will help the SME eTailers that are connected with the Lazada platform to strengthen their competitiveness in the eCommerce market domestically and internationally. We look forward to working with Lazada and supporting them as they grow in Singapore,” added Ang.

  • DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL introduced a new integral part of its Resilience360 supply chain risk management platform called DHL Supply Watch. The extension of DHL’s early warning system uses machine learning and natural language processing to detect disruptions in a company’s supply base before they cause financial losses or long lasting reputational damage.

    With Supply Watch, DHL Resilience360 is adding a broad range of new risk categories to the system’s existing portfolio to monitor supplier risks on a company level, including financial indicators, mergers & acquisition, environmental damages, supply shortages, quality issues and labor disputes, using publically available data found by monitoring of online and social media sources.

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  • China Online Retail Giant Wants to Build a Drone That Can Literally Deliver a Ton of Stuff

    China Online Retail Giant Wants to Build a Drone That Can Literally Deliver a Ton of Stuff

    JD.com, one of the most prominent online retail companies in China, plans to create a drone capable of carrying—literally—a ton for long-distance deliveries.

    The retail giant plans to use the technology for food deliveries to and from agricultural centers in remote areas to cities, the company said.

    “We envision a network that will be able to efficiently transport goods between cities, and even between provinces, in the future,” Wang Zhenhui, chief executive of JD’s logistics business group, said in a statement.

    The company told the drone capable of carrying one ton will likely not be available for two or three years. The drones wouldn’t deliver directly to customers’s doorsteps. Multiple packages would be delivered to a local employee, who will deliver them to customers.

    The retail giant will work on the technology in Shaanxi, a Chinese province, where it reached an agreement to test low-altitude drones and flight routes. The company will also create a research and development center at the Xi’an National Civil Aerospace Industrial Base in that province to develop, manufacture, and test the drones.

    Headquartered in Beijing, JD (jd) has more than 236 million customers and a delivery system with 65,000 employees. The company launched its first drone delivery program in Nov. 2016 for the country’s “Singles’ Day” shopping festival.

    In the United States, e-commerce giant Amazon (amzn) has plans to use drones to deliver packages of up to five pounds to Amazon Prime customers. The company opened testing facilities in the U.K.

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  • New APAC Forwarding Index

    New APAC Forwarding Index

    Air and ocean volumes on Asia-Europe trade lanes eastbound and westbound are expected to surge in the coming months, according to the latest survey results for The New APAC Forwarding Index being developed by Mike King & Associates and Logistics Trends & Insights LLC.

    Higher air freight volumes are expected on key lanes to and from APAC, and the outlook for intra-Asia trade is also optimistic. The survey results, compiled by consultants Mike King and Cathy Roberson, are the first step towards the creation of a new Index for Asia forwarding markets which will be published in the coming months. The second survey is open to anyone with insight or business linked to key trade lanes to and from APAC used by forwarders and third parties.

    APAC Ocean Forwarding Markets
    Sixty per cent of survey respondents said ocean freight volumes to and from APAC in April were higher than March, while 54 per cent predicted they would handle higher volumes three months from now.

    “Demand has been higher than we’d anticipated from Europe to Asia, and there has also been some disruption to liner services following blank sailings around Chinese New Year and changes to alliances,” said one respondent. “We expect capacity to be tight well into Q2.”

    Seventy per cent of respondents expect APAC to Europe ocean freight volumes to increase three months from now, while 66.7 per cent forecast that volumes will rise from APAC to North America. However, optimism for the North America – APAC trade was hard to discern. Only 28.6% of respondents saw higher volumes on the lane in April compared to March, while only 43 per cent expect volumes to increase three months from now.

    “Despite uncertainty surrounding liner Alliances leading up to April 1 and the various bedding issues we have seen including terminal congestion in China and a lack of capacity in Europe, optimism is high for the APAC ocean freight market,” said Roberson. “The Europe to APAC trade lane had the highest percentage rate of month-to-month volume gains according to respondents to our first survey. The next most dynamic lanes were APAC to Europe and APAC to North America.

    “The North America to APAC liner trade reported the lowest percentage of respondents recording volume increases in April compared to March which could be the strength of the Greenback catching up with exporters. On most lanes the majority of respondents expect to see higher volumes over the next three months than at present, which bodes well for forwarders and lines.”

    APAC Air Markets
    Fifty-four per cent of survey respondents predicted APAC volumes across all lanes will be higher in three months than at present, with 37 per cent expecting them to remain the same and just 9 per cent lower. Fifty-two per cent of respondents reported that volumes in April compared to March were higher while only 11 per cent said they were lower. As with ocean trades, the most dynamic air cargo lanes in April compared to March were APAC to Europe (73 per cent experienced higher volumes month-on-month), Europe to APAC (55 per centhigher m-o-m) and APAC to North America (63 per cent higher m-o-m).

    “Concerns of a possible protectionist import tax on goods entering the US may be holding some shippers back in the North America region,” said Roberson. “Still, a respectable showing for North America as the economy remains healthy as the first half of the year progresses. Emerging markets volume appears strongest to APAC for air freight with more than half of respondents anticipating higher volumes on the lane three months from now. This is likely due to food imports from such locations as Africa, Chile, Argentina and elsewhere.”

  • Yusen Logistics standardises global fulfilment operations on Manhattan Associates

    Yusen Logistics standardises global fulfilment operations on Manhattan Associates

    Yusen Logistics is deploying Manhattan Associates, warehouse and distribution management solution Manhattan SCALE as the fulfilment engine to power its expanding global logistics services operation. The Manhattan solution being implemented on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, is driving revenue, profitability and efficiency improvements for Yusen Logistics and its customers and will support Yusen Logistics’ ongoing business growth across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Americas regions.

    Yusen Logistics serves a broad spectrum of industry sectors, offering an extensive range of capabilities including air, sea and road freight services. One of the key business imperatives for Yusen Logistics is an unwavering commitment to delivering solutions that meet the unique requirements of each client. Having operated previously with a number of vendor systems, Yusen Logistics made the decision to standardise on a single Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) that could be deployed globally and provide the requisite level of consistency in service levels its customers increasingly demand.

    Tony Gudger, CIO at Yusen Logistics Europe explains: “We chose Manhattan SCALE as our strategic fulfilment solution based on a number of factors including functionality, extensibility, ease and speed of implementation, global support capability and total cost of solution ownership. Our long-term partnership with Manhattan, which stretches back 14 years and has involved multiple deployments of its various WMS technologies across the globe, also counted significantly in our selection process.”

    Having relied on Microsoft Azure as a cloud services platform since 2012, the deployment of Manhattan SCALE on Azure was a logical decision. During the initial implementations in Southern Europe, Yusen Logistics reported zero issues relating to either Azure or Manhattan SCALE. The company plans to use Manhattan SCALE for the full gamut of local and global customer order fulfilment operations, spanning relatively small, single site distribution hubs to multi-site, multi-channel, high volume throughput supply networks.

    Henri Seroux, senior vice president, EMEA, at Manhattan Associates, commented, “Yusen Logistics’ customers across the globe are increasingly pressured to fulfil orders profitably across multiple sales channels and geographies while simultaneously maximising product availability and customer satisfaction. We are excited to provide the technology, services and support capabilities to drive the next phase of Yusen Logistics’ global success story.”

  • Japan April exports rise for fifth straight month

    Japan April exports rise for fifth straight month

    Japan‘s exports rose in April to mark the fifth straight month of gains, an encouraging sign that more robust overseas demand could underpin a steady economic recovery.

    Exports rose 7.5 percent in April from a year ago, below the median estimate of 7.8 percent annual growth, finance ministry data showed on Monday. It followed a 12.0 percent rise in March.

    The data also showed Japan’s trade surplus with the United States narrowed.
    Japan’s exports are expected to continue rising as global economic growth gains momentum, but concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledges to adopt protectionist trade policies cloud the outlook for export-reliant Japan.

    The drop in Japan’s trade surplus with the United States, however, could take some pressure off Japan as it makes it more difficult for Trump to justify criticising Japan for its trade practices.

    Exports to the United States increased 2.6 percent in April from a year ago, rising for the third straight month. But Japan’s trade surplus with the United States fell 4.2 percent in April from a year ago to 586.7 billion yen ($5.27 billion).

    Imports surged 15.1 percent versus the median estimate for a 14.8 percent increase.

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