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Tag: freight forwarding

  • FedEx Commits $150 Million to Build Automated Air Cargo Hub at Delhi Airport

    FedEx Commits $150 Million to Build Automated Air Cargo Hub at Delhi Airport

    FedEx will spend $150 million to build and equip a dedicated air freight terminal at Delhi international airport, expanding its international cargo processing capacity across northern India. The planned 230,000-square-foot facility will lift the carrier’s sorting rate at the airport from 600 packages an hour to 5,000.

    The investment will consolidate FedEx’s scattered pickup and delivery operations around the airport into a single base. It includes high-speed automated conveyor lines and computer vision scanners powered by artificial intelligence to route international parcels through customs and sorting lanes.

    Consolidation at GMR Cargo Campus

    Airport operator GMR Airports Ltd is developing the broader cargo zone to house airlines, freight forwarders, and logistics providers. Phase 1 will cover roughly one million square feet, with construction starting shortly. A planned second phase could add between 500,000 and one million square feet of space.

    FedEx is leasing the warehouse structure from GMR and financing all internal sorting systems, scanning hardware, and IT infrastructure. The site design allows for modular physical expansion as freight volumes increase.

    “India is a critical market in our global network, with North and East India playing an important role in the country’s growing trade and economic opportunity,” said Kami Viswanathan, president of FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa. Viswanathan noted that the expanded presence aims to give regional exporters faster links to overseas buyers as annual Indian merchandise trade exceeds $1.2 trillion.

    Expanding the Indian Triangle

    The Delhi project is the third major air cargo site FedEx has funded in India over the past nine months. In February, the Memphis-based logistics group committed $250 million for an on-airport freight facility at Navi Mumbai International Airport, an Adani Group project targeting 500,000 metric tons of cargo capacity in its initial phase. FedEx will run that site alongside its existing operations at Mumbai’s legacy airport.

    Before that, in December, the company opened a 60,000-square-foot hub at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, processing up to 4,000 packages an hour across pharmaceutical, industrial, and technology export lines.

    Connecting Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru gives FedEx dedicated airport-side sorting hubs across India’s three largest manufacturing and technology corridors. Construction on the Delhi cargo park begins in the coming weeks, with GMR preparing the phase one site for tenant fit-outs.

  • Apex Logistics Faces US Probe over Alleged Nvidia Chip Transshipment to China

    Apex Logistics Faces US Probe over Alleged Nvidia Chip Transshipment to China

    US authorities are investigating Singapore-headquartered Apex Logistics over the suspected diversion of Nvidia-powered artificial intelligence servers to mainland China through Southeast Asian transshipment hubs. The inquiry focuses on cargo handled in 2024 and could mark the first US enforcement action against a commercial freight company for illicit semiconductor trade.

    Swiss logistics group Kuehne+Nagel, which bought a majority stake in Apex in May 2021 and acquired the remaining shares in October 2025, confirmed the subsidiary is assisting the investigation. Kuehne+Nagel stated it has not been contacted directly by US investigators, describing the probe as an isolated issue concerning specific past shipments.

    How the Taiwan to Hong Kong routing worked

    Investigators are examining a supply line that moved Nvidia-powered server hardware from Taiwan to the United States, dispatched it to a destination in Southeast Asia, and then forwarded it to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, ground carriers transported the hardware across the border into mainland China. The US inquiry centers on the leg between American ports and Southeast Asian distribution points.

    Apex acknowledged US scrutiny regarding a limited batch of cargo moved during 2024 that reached prohibited destinations. The company stated it is cooperating with investigators and maintains compliance protocols across its network. Apex was founded in Shanghai in 2001 and registered its corporate entity in Singapore in February 2016.

    The servers under review were assembled by California-based Super Micro Computer. Super Micro maintains no direct contract with Apex, as the freight forwarder was hired directly by third-party buyers purchasing the hardware.

    Scrutiny on Southeast Asian hubs

    Washington has restricted direct sales of advanced AI processors to China since 2022, expanding those curbs to include custom chips such as the H20 over national security and military computing concerns. As export controls tightened, enforcement agencies increased audits on cross-border logistics firms that handle transshipment routes across Asia.

    Freight forwarders across Singapore and Malaysia face heightened compliance checks from Western trade officials seeking to close multi-leg shipping channels. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated on August 23 that the country will not permit illicit trade through its facilities, while noting ports cannot audit the full manufacturing chain of every container in transit. The US Commerce Department is reviewing freight documentation from the 2024 shipments to determine if formal export violation penalties apply.

  • NY/NJ Foreign Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association Announces 2025 “Captain of Industry” Award Recipient

    NY/NJ Foreign Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association Announces 2025 “Captain of Industry” Award Recipient

    The NY/NJ Foreign Freight Forwarders & Brokers Association,  announces that Charlene Riley has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Captain of Industry Award. This prestigious honor is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment, and long-standing service to the association and the international trade and logistics community. Ms. Riley will be honored on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, during the association’s annual Dinner Cruise, an event co-hosted with the Traffic Club of New York (TCNY).

    An industry veteran and licensed Customs Broker since 1989, Ms. Riley currently serves as East Coast Import Operations Manager at J.W. Allen. With a distinguished career spanning several decades in freight forwarding and customs brokerage, Ms. Riley has served in a variety of managerial roles. Ms. Riley began her career with Barthco, where she managed numerous offices across the country. She then spent over two decades with John A. Steer Co., rising to the position of Vice President of their NY/NJ office.

    “Charlene Riley exemplifies the integrity, expertise, and dedication that define our industry,” said Jeanette Gioia, President of NYNJFFF&BA. “Her leadership has guided not only our Association but the entire trade community through complex challenges and periods of great change. It is a privilege to recognize her with the 2025 Captain of Industry Award.”

    Ms. Riley has held several leadership positions with the NYNJFFF&BA, including Board of Governors, Treasurer, Vice President of Imports, and President, and most recently as Senior Advisor and former Chair. Her strategic guidance and deep operational knowledge have been instrumental in advancing the mission of the association. She is also a key contributor on the national stage through her active involvement with the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) especially the Future Role of the Broker Committee. She had represented the Port of New York/New Jersey on the Customs Committee, chaired the Legislative Committee, and headed the FIATA Committee, having represented the U.S. at two FIATA World Congress events.

    The celebration will take place aboard the Cornucopia Destiny, departing from Liberty Harbor Marina, 11 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, NJ, with boarding beginning promptly at 6:00 PM and disembarking between 9:30-10:00 PM. For details see Dinner Cruise 2025 – NYNJ.  Guests will enjoy an evening of networking and celebration featuring an open bar, appetizers, full dinner and dessert, DJ music, and dancing. Contact (732) 741-1936 for more information.

  • ZIM buys 7 ships in move from charters to owning vessels

    ZIM buys 7 ships in move from charters to owning vessels

    In a clear move away from chartering to owning ships, Israeli carrier ZIM Integrated Shipping Services announced the acquisition of seven secondhand vessels – five 4,250 TEU vessels and two 1,100 TEU vessels – for a consideration of approximately $320 million.

    “Since going public our focus has been to allocate capital to strengthen our commercial prospects and create long-term shareholder value,” Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO, said. “With the opportunistic acquisition of these much-needed vessels, we have drawn on our strong cash position and our agile approach to maintain and expand our operating fleet to meet growing customer demand, while remaining committed to delivering industry superior profitability.”

    Glickman said ZIM will continue to complement the primary strategy of chartering in the vast majority of vessels by selectively acquiring second-hand tonnage.

    ZIM had earlier this month announced the launch of Ship4wd, a digital freight forwarding platform to offer end-to-end shipping solutions.

    NYSE-listed ZIM had reported a revenue of $4.1 billion for the first half of 2021, an increase of over 150 percent from $1.6 billion in the corresponding period of 2020. Net income had zoomed to $1.5 billion from $13 million.

    For the second quarter, ZIM had reported a revenue of $2.4 billion and net income of $888 million. ZIM carried 921,000 TEUs in the second quarter of 2021, a year-over-year increase of 44 percent. Average freight rate ($/TEU) more than doubled in Q2 to $2,341 from $1,071. For the first half of the year, the average freight rate ($/TEU) nearly doubled to $2,145 from 1,081.

    “Our outlook for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022 is very positive and we are excited about our strategy to further enhance our position as an innovative digital leader of seaborne transportation and logistics services,” Glickman had said while announcing the results.

    ZIM is expecting second-half 2021 results to exceed first-half results.

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