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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.

  • New Zealand optimistic of reviving TPP trade deal

    New Zealand optimistic of reviving TPP trade deal

    New Zealand will be trying to win over other members this weekend when TPP ministers get together in Hanoi on the sidelines of an APEC meeting.

    New Zealand is increasingly optimistic that the 11 remaining countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will move ahead with the trade deal despite the withdrawal of the United States, Trade Minister Todd McClay said.

    Alongside Japan, New Zealand will be trying to win over other members this weekend when TPP ministers get together in Hanoi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

    “I don’t think we should expect any big decision from that ministerial meeting, but certainly I would hope for a very clear direction as far as the process is concerned,” McClay told.

    U.S. President Donald Trump dumped membership of the TPP as one of his first acts in an “America First” policy aiming at bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

    McClay said he thought the original timetable for members to ratify TPP by next March still made sense. So far, only Japan and New Zealand have ratified the deal, but McClay said he believed others would follow.

    “I’ve been talking to many of them and visiting a lot of countries. They all have said at this stage they’re interested in the process and want to stick with it,” he said.

    Among the biggest challenges is keeping Vietnam and Malaysia on board. Their main benefit from TPP would have been greater access to U.S. markets. Without that, there is less impetus for them to make tough reforms on everything from freeing labour rights to strengthening intellectual property protection.

    McClay visited both countries recently.

    “It certainly feels like there is greater interest in moving forward today then there was a couple of months ago,” McClay said.

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  • Time for ocean shippers to digitize is now

    Time for ocean shippers to digitize is now

    Digitization is rapidly transforming the ocean container shipping industry, according to INTTRA, a neutral electronic transaction platform, software and information provider for the ocean shipping industry.

    In a new whitepaper — Blueprint 2032: How Technology Transforms Ocean Container Shipping – INTTRA reports that the pace of technology innovation is accelerating as businesses seek new and more efficient ways to optimize.

    “Digitization is now a competitive necessity,” says John Fay, CEO of INTTRA. “We’ve reached a tipping point in the global shipping industry when information technology is now the primary means for CEOs and their companies to achieve and increase long-term profitability. We are enabling shippers to rethink processes, and to digitize their operations through our unique position as a neutral service provider.”

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  • AU budget a welcome boost for supply chain efficiency

    AU budget a welcome boost for supply chain efficiency

    The significant infrastructure investments contained in Australia’s Federal Budget have the potential to deliver substantial improvements to supply chain efficiency and significantly boost economic growth, according to the Australian Logistics Council (ALC).

    “The Government should be commended for making clear commitments to two significant infrastructure projects crucial to the freight and logistics industry,” said ALC managing director, Michael Kilgariff.

    “The transformative potential of the Inland Rail project has been talked about for decades, with incremental progress being made over the past several years, including a positive assessment of the business case by Infrastructure Australia. The $8.4 billion commitment announced in the Treasurer’s speech tonight will finally allow its construction. At long last, we can stop merely talking about this project’s potential, and instead begin to witness it.”

    “Establishing a safe, reliable port-to-port rail link for freight between Melbourne and Brisbane is the only way we can simultaneously meet Australia’s burgeoning freight task, alleviate congestion on existing freight networks, create regional jobs and boost growth,” he said.

    “To fully unleash the benefits of this project, the line must run to the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane, and comprise efficient rail linkages to the ports of Botany, Kembla and Newcastle in NSW. We must also support the development of intermodal freight hubs at appropriate intervals along the route.”

    “The commitment of $5.3 billion to construct the Western Sydney Airport and the $75 million to duplicate the Port Botany freight rail line likewise bring to fruition critical freight infrastructure projects that will further support economic activity and job creation.”

    “The Budget’s strong focus on infrastructure is timely, coming less than six months after the Federal Government agreed to ALC’s request to develop a National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy. We welcome the measures announced tonight as a positive first step in continuing efforts to deliver a safer, more efficient supply chain. The importance of this is made clear by the industry views outlined in a recent ALC Working Paper,” he said.

    “It’s also pleasing that Infrastructure Australia has been provided with an additional $11.9 million to deliver its core functions of assessing projects and producing an infrastructure pipeline.”

  • Megaport Singapore links up with AliCloud

    Megaport Singapore links up with AliCloud

    Megaport Singapore, a subsidiary of Australia’s Megaport, has entered into an arrangement to provide enterprises with direct and scalable access to Alibaba Cloud via the Megaport global SDN.

    By accessing Alibaba Cloud Express Connect, a high-speed dedicated network connection that securely links customers with their VPCs through Megaport’s SDN, enterprises can scale their cloud connectivity and enable rapid provisioning of capacity to Alibaba Cloud.

    From a single global account, Megaport customers can cut down latency and deploy globally on Alibaba Cloud’s network of cloud regions.

    Alibaba Cloud’s customers will be able to access Megaport’s global network in more than 20 major markets in the Asia Pacific, North American, and European regions with 150 points of presence.

    Alibaba Cloud will extend its edge closer to enterprises, provide consistent network performance for its customers, and expand its direct access capabilities around the world.

    “Megaport’s extensive global footprint is strengthened by our partnership with Alibaba Cloud,” said Vincent English, Chief Executive Officer of Megaport.

    “Direct, dedicated access to Alibaba Cloud’s services adds value to our platform. This partnership enables customers globally to directly access services from the leading cloud provider based in China. Partnering with China’s largest public cloud provider aligns with our strategy to enrich our Ecosystem and provides greater service options for our customers.”

  • Infor M3 integrates to GT Nexus supply chain network

    Infor M3 integrates to GT Nexus supply chain network

    Infor, a provider of business applications specialised by industry and built for the cloud, announced the availability of a standard Infor ION integration between Infor M3 and GT Nexus Order Collaboration. This integration will better support fashion and distribution companies in sourcing discrete products by providing more visibility and a single version of purchase order information with suppliers.

    Infor M3 is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that offers ultimate flexibility in operations, technology, and scale. As a multi-site, multi-country, and multi-company solution, Infor M3 empowers organisations to adapt to changing business needs and provides flexibility in managing mixed-mode and complex environments, with the agility to make quick adjustments at any time. GT Nexus is a supply chain network platform that leading companies use to orchestrate their supply chains. GT Nexus connects companies to their supply chain partners (suppliers, manufacturers, 3PLs, carriers, etc.) to enable visibility, collaboration, and automated execution of supply chain processes.

    GT Nexus Order Collaboration is ideal for companies that operate globally or internationally, and are looking to better align with their suppliers. By integrating GT Nexus Order Collaboration with Infor M3, organisations can instantly connect with suppliers to share, confirm, and negotiate purchase orders. In addition, users can track the status of their suppliers’ negotiations and confirmations directly on the Infor M3 order screen. By electronically sharing, confirming, and negotiating purchase orders, companies have the tools to reduce time-to-market and the risk of errors.

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  • Yusen Logistics taps into CargoSmart for ocean route planning

    Yusen Logistics taps into CargoSmart for ocean route planning

    CargoSmart Limited, a global shipment management software solutions provider that leverages big data for greater visibility and benchmarking, announced that Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd., a global supply chain logistics company, is using Route Master to gain insights to optimise its ocean route planning.

    Providing extensive information about 29 ocean carriers’ available services, Route Master helps Yusen Logistics discover the best routing options to prepare for carrier contract negotiations, make shipment plan recommendations to its customers, and establish routing guides for its internal teams based on the insights.

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  • Vietnam logistics firms increase cross-border transport

    Vietnam logistics firms increase cross-border transport

    Amid a growing interest in Vietnam from global garment and technology companies, foreign logistics firms are expanding cross-border transport services between Vietnam, China, and other countries in the region to meet the growing demand.

    Dao Trong Khoa, head of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association’s (VLA) transport division, said at last week’s international seminar on cross-border transport (CBT) between Vietnam and China that CBT has great opportunities to develop.

    Khoa said these opportunities will be driven by the development of regional cross-border e-commerce and transport networks.

    Attention is focused on the development of Shenzhen-Hanoi-Bangkok, and Kunming-Lao Cai-Haiphong networks, which have promising full truckload (FTL) and less truckload (LTL) potential.

    So far, the Chinese-invested ZhenYang Logistics Group (ZYL), which focuses on the ZhenYang-Nanning-Hanoi route and routes between southern China and northern Vietnam, has opened offices in Hanoi and Lang Son province.

    ZYL is the first Chinese logistics firm that has been permitted to cross the border directly without any trans-load at the border.

    “We focus on electronics and high-tech products. Our customers are mainly foreign-invested firms such as Samsung, Foxconn, and global forwarders. We have witnessed the volume of containers grow from 70-80 containers a month in 2013 to 400 containers currently,” Nguyen Quang Tung, branch manager of ZhenYang Logistics Group, said.

    “As the demand continues to increase, ZhenYang is planning to develop LTL services to Vietnam in the third quarter of 2017, while also developing additional multimodal transportation hubs that link Vietnam, China and Europe,” Tung said.

    In another significant move to develop regional CBT routes, Malaysian-invested Overland Total Logistics Services Vietnam JSC (OTL)-which focuses on the Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand-Laos-Vietnam-China route-has partnered with Japan’s Yamato Transport to strengthen its market position.

    Trinh Manh Cuong, general manager at OTL, said “our volume of CBT goods has grown significantly, reaching 700-800 containers per month. We will invest in more facilities, open more hubs, and develop multi-model sea, rail, and cross-border road services in the future.”

    CBT between Vietnam and China is becoming increasingly more popular among international groups and Vietnamese firms alike. The popularity of this market is being driven by the expensive cost of air transport, and the huge risks inherent in sea-based routes.

    According to VLA’s statistics, in 2016, cargo shipped by land transit in Vietnam totalled 19,475 vehicle loads. Cargo shipments between China and Vietnam reached 107,600 loads. The shipping amount between China and Laos, China and Thailand, and China and others is estimated at 2,020, 128,000, and 1,076 loads respectively.

    Notably, cargo throughput at PingXiang and Huu Nghi rose from 1.1 million tonnes in 2013, to 1.5 million tonnes in 2015. At the same time, throughput at HeKou and Lao Cai rose from 650,000 tonnes in 2013, to 1.1 million in 2015.

    As Vietnam is now considered the destination for technology and garments by many multinationals, developing new transport routes has become a lucrative endeavour for CBT firms.

    Multinationals that are currently heavy users of CBT services are the electronics manufacturers Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and its subsidiaries, Foxconn, Canon, and Foster and its subsidiaries.

    Heavy CBT players in the garment sector include Lear, Adidas, Nike, and Levis, while in the automotive sector Honda, Toyota, Yamaha, and GMV are the primary users of CBT.

    These groups have been expanding their investment in Vietnam, which has led to an exponential increase in their CBT usage.

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  • DHL Supply Chain brings IoT to logistics

    DHL Supply Chain brings IoT to logistics

    DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics specialist within the Deutsche Post DHL Group, forges ahead on its path of digitalization by implementing Internet of Things technology into warehousing to optimize operational efficiency and lay the foundations for safer work practices. Together with Cisco and start-up Conduce, DHL is testing the technology at three pilot sites in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.

    The solution enables DHL to monitor operational activities in real-time through a responsive graphical visualization of operational data aggregated from sensors on scanners and material handling equipment, and DHL’s warehouse management system. Visualizing operational data with heat maps has changed the way data is analyzed and used at the pilot sites, and is expected to contribute to operational efficiencies and improve employee safety.

  • Rhenus expands global services in its sea and air freight business

    Rhenus expands global services in its sea and air freight business

    The process of internationalisation in the Rhenus Group’s sea and air freight business is continuing to gather pace. The company will increase the number of its business sites in the Asia-Pacific region by more than ten percent during 2017. Alongside Asia, Europe and South America are primary target markets this year. Rhenus is also aiming to improve the connections between air and sea freight and overland traffic networks by providing two new gateways.

    Six new offices, including two in the Philippines (Subic and Clark) and one branch each in South Korea (Busan), Indonesia (Semarang), Thailand (Rayong) and Singapore, have already been opened since the beginning of the year. Other business sites in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are due to follow. “We’re involved in a long-term growth course. We’re now continuing this process with our new business sites,” said Tobias Bartz at the “transport logistic” trade fair in Munich.

    Rhenus is planning to consolidate its network both in air and sea freight and overland services this year and offer new routes. Cross-border trucking, which Rhenus provides in Asia, is becoming increasingly important. However, Asia is not the only area of focus of the Freight Logistics business area.

    “Germany, France, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and South and Central America are also interesting markets for us,” said Tobias Bartz. Rhenus Air has been offering joint customer solutions involving different modes of transport in conjunction with Rhenus Intermodal Systems since April.

    Another goal involves connecting the air and sea freight sites more closely with the Rhenus overland traffic network. Rhenus is opening a sea freight gateway in Germany at Hilden near Düsseldorf this summer, where consignments from all over Europe will be consolidated and shipped via the ports in the west and south of the continent in future. During the course of the year, another consolidation point for air freight consignments is due to open at Frankfurt Airport.

  • Auchan renews contract with DHL

    Auchan renews contract with DHL

    European supermarket operator Auchan Retail has renewed its contract with DHL Global Forwarding for the management of its inbound supply chain operations.

    As part of the renewal, DHL International Supply Chain will continue to provide purchase order and vendor management, origin consolidation and destination coordination services.

    Auchan Retail is the second largest supermarket operator in France, present in 16 countries in Western, Central & Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa with 3,836 hypermarkets and convenience stores.

    DHL currently manages more than 17,000 TEUs yearly for Auchan from origin countries such as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh to 14 destination countries including France, Russia and Senegal.

    “Our dual dedicated control tower structure – Hong-Kong at origin and Dunkirk in France, at destination – remains a key factor of successful coordination of day to day operations with customer’s teams in Asia and France; it ensures on-time arrivals of Auchan’s shipments using the most cost effective mode. DHL’s dedicated account management team holds the relationship with Auchan and drives the supply chain development agenda,” said Pascal Zakarias, Head of Operations DHL International Supply Chain France.

    Auchan Retail International’s Head of Operations Catherine Hennart added: “Auchan has benefited from the partnership with DHL for nine years now and we want to continue benefiting from their experience which will help us maintain our position in the retail market by allowing us enhanced visibility on our processes and continued reductions on operating costs thanks to DHL International Supply Chain’s constant effort.”

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  • DBS to reduce carbon footprint in 3-year partnership with DHL

    DBS to reduce carbon footprint in 3-year partnership with DHL

    DBS Bank will partner logistics company DHL Express Singapore to reduce its carbon footprint, according to a joint press release by the two firms on Tuesday.

    The three-year partnership will enable the bank’s global express shipments to become carbon neutral through DHL’s proprietary GoGreen Climate Neutral Service.

    Singapore’s largest bank will utilise the eco-friendly patented solution provided by DHL to calculate and estimate the carbon dioxide emissions of every DBS shipment based on weight and distance travelled.

    The emissions are then offset through reinvestments by the DHL carbon management programme into global climate protection projects. The entire process will be verified by an independent third party for accountability.

    “We believe that we have a role to play in promoting sustainable development,” said Ms Donna Trowbridge, group head of procurement services at DBS Bank.

    “Participating in this innovative initiative is another step we are taking to actively manage our carbon footprint, complementing ongoing efforts to cut our carbon emissions such as incorporating sustainable designs and practices into our offices and branches.”

    At the end of each year, DBS will receive an annual certificate that details the estimated carbon emissions from its GoGreen shipments that were neutralised in environmental protection projects.

    Examples of the global climate protection projects that are part of the carbon management scheme include a biomass power plant in India and wind farms in the eastern and north-central regions of China.

    “As large global companies, we have the power to make huge waves not only in the economy but also in the well-being of societies and the environment. Hence, we are obligated to utilise business practices that ensure both quality of service and future of our green environment,” said Mr Frank-Uwe Ungerer, senior vice-president and managing director of DHL Express Singapore.

    In 2016, DBS’ carbon emissions across its offices and branches in six key markets — Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia and Taiwan — fell by 4 per cent, said the bank.

    Other efforts to cut down on the bank’s carbon footprint include reducing air travel by encouraging video-conferencing and online collaboration tools.

    DBS was the first bank in Singapore to achieve the Green Mark certification endorsed by the National Environment Agency for its branch network in Singapore.

    The DHL GoGreen policy is part of the international group’s commitment to contribute to the communities and regions in which the company operates, and covers environmental management, waste consumption and sustainable sourcing.

    In Singapore, DHL Express tracks its annual carbon emissions and is the official logistics partner of the e-waste recycling Renew programme.

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  • SF Express opens branches in Vietnam and Thailand

    SF Express opens branches in Vietnam and Thailand

    SF Express, a subsidiary of SF Holdings, a Shenzhen, China-based express delivery firm, recently announced that its service centers in Vietnam and Thailand have formally opened for business, providing export and import express delivery services to local companies and individuals.

    The opening of the two offices are further evidence of the company’s continued efforts to invest in and expand its network in the ASEAN region, on the heels of the opening of service centers in Singapore and Malaysia.

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  • Anchanto raises funds to expand its Southeast Asia e-commerce network

    Anchanto raises funds to expand its Southeast Asia e-commerce network

    Anchanto, a Singapore-based e-commerce logistics and selling platform, announced that Luxasia Group (Luxasia), Asia’s leading omnichannel retailer, and transcosmos inc. Japan (TCI), a TSE-listed global end-to-end e-commerce enabler, have made investments to be part of Anchanto’s growth story and offer overall partner services across its network.

    This partner round exemplifies the confidence that two of the largest players in the Asian e-commerce domain have in Anchanto’s current and future business plans.

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  • Siemens partners with MMH to provide technology for Myanmar’s ports

    Siemens partners with MMH to provide technology for Myanmar’s ports

    Myanmar Mahar Htun (MMH) to provide technology and solutions for Myanmar’s busy ports with ever-increasing requirements. Through this collaboration, MMH will equip ports with cranes that feature Siemens’ technology, which would enable them to upgrade their services, enhance safety features and improve productivity. This is in alignment with the focus of Myanmar Port Authority (MPA) to increase capabilities of the country’s port facilities.

    Myanmar, with its strategic location that is connected to key regional markets China and India, and bordering three other Asian countries, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos, currently is able to handle around 20 small tankers with around a total of 220,000 deadweight tonnes (DWT). This number is set to further rise with the expansion of its ports. In particular, its Yangon port is expected to handle ships with maximum of 50,000 DWT, putting it in front of ports in other Southeast Asian markets.

    Christian Beckers, head of business development, Digital Factory and Process Industry and Drives, Siemens Myanmar and Cambodia, said: “Growing demand for quality goods plus increase in trade and investments will create new opportunities for expansion of Myanmar’s port and logistics sector. Hence, it is important for the terminals to be equipped with the ability to handle the surging amount of imports and exports expected in the coming years.”

    “Siemens’ innovative technologies can enhance productivity, energy efficiency and flexibility while at the same time fulfil the highest international safety standards and increased competitiveness in the market. Along with MMH and the MPA, we aim to enhance port optimization to reliably handle increased traffic and trade volumes,” he continued.

    Yamon Win, executive director, Myanmar Mahar Htun Co., Ltd said: “Through our solid joint partnership, Siemens and Myanmar Mahar Htun Co. Ltd are able to provide a value-added product range which comprise of a combination of totally integrated and complete range of technologies and tailor-made solutions as well as local contact support for our customers in Myanmar. Our aim is to make Myanmar’s ports more efficient as they expand, and this will in turn make the country more competitive on a regional level, and all the more attractive to investors and operators.”

    Cranes are indispensable for transporting loads in terminals, industrial operations and shipyards. Wherever they are used, they must operate with the greatest performance and safety, as well as optimal availability, reliability, maintainability and cost-effectiveness.

    To underline their commitment to the industry in Myanmar, Siemens and MMH have also recently organized a seminar for their customers to discuss challenges faced by different terminals and identify potential solutions to address these challenges. The seminar, which was also organized with the support of MPA, enabled Siemens to showcase how its technology would enable the companies to enhance their offerings to meet with current and future industry demands.

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  • Changi Airport Group names DHL Partner of the Year

    Changi Airport Group names DHL Partner of the Year

    Changi Airport Group (CAG) recognized its top airline partners at the Changi Airline Awards 2017, where a total of 25 awards were presented to airlines whose efforts over the past year contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Singapore air hub.

    The Partner of the Year award was presented to DHL Express, in recognition of their strong partnership with CAG to grow and strengthen Changi Airport’s air cargo hub status. DHL Express launched their fully-automated South Asia Hub at Changi Airfreight Centre in October 2016, which tripled their cargo handling capacity to 628 tonnes during the peak processing window, and increased their parcel-sorting speed by six-fold  to 24,000 shipments and documents per hour.

    DHL Express also added new flights through its joint venture (JV) airlines and other airline partners. Last year, with the expansion of the DHL Express operations, Changi Airport welcomed Neptune Air and the return of K-Mile.  As of April 2017, the company’s JV and partner freighter flights at Changi Airport totalled over 30 weekly services or about 12% of Changi’s total weekly freighter services.

    Sean Wall, Executive Vice President, Network Operations and Aviation, DHL Express Asia Pacific said, “The successful launch of our South Asia Hub last year was made possible thanks to the close collaboration we had with Changi Airport Group as well as the Singapore Government. As the heart of our DHL network in South and Southeast Asia, the South Asia Hub in Singapore has allowed us to add more network flights in and out of the country to meet our customers’ needs, and to further capitalize on the country’s prime position for regional and global trade. Singapore remains a strategic node in our global network and we are honored to be named Partner of the Year by the Changi Airport Group.”

    Speaking at the awards event, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of CAG said, “As we celebrate our successes, we will continue to transform Changi Airport, in preparation for challenges in the future. We will do so by catering supply for future growth, as well as working with our partners to grow sustainable demand for aviation services. Mr Lee mentioned the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) initiative as an example of Changi Airport adding capacity to the existing airport eco-system. He said, “ACDM was only possible with the strong support and commitment of all our airline, ground handling and airport partners. As a result, there has been a reduction of 90 seconds in the average taxing time for departing flights during peak hours, translating into fuel savings for airlines.”

    2016 was a positive year for the aviation industry, with lower oil prices offering some respite amidst a highly competitive environment. Changi Airport saw a record-breaking 58.7 million passengers passing through its gates, a growth of 5.9% year-on-year. Changi also welcomed four new airline partners and eight new city links during the year. The airport is on track to receive 60 million passengers in 2017.

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