cargo-partner expands contract logistics network in Southeast Asia

March 1, 2018: cargo-partner is strategically expanding its network in Southeast Asia. The most recent additions were the opening of an office in Myanmar (May 2017) as well as new logistics centers in Bangkok (August 2017) and Singapore (January 2018).

cargo-partner began its expansion to Asia in 2004 with the opening of two offices in China and Taiwan. Four years later, the logistics provider broadened its focus to the ASEAN region with the opening of an office each in Thailand and Singapore. During the following years, cargo-partner’s growth in Southeast Asia continued to Malaysia (2011), Vietnam (2013) and Myanmar (2017).

In January 2018, cargo-partner took the first step in the expansion of its contract logistics network to Singapore with the opening of a TAPA-certified logistics center. At the new logistics center, cargo-partner provides a range of standard and customised logistics services to serve clients in the ecommerce, fashion and lifestyle and retail industries. The logistics center is strategically located 45 minutes from Changi Airport, 15 minutes from the border crossing to Malaysia, and 20 minutes from the city center.

In August 2017, a new cargo-partner logistics center was opened in Bangkok, Thailand, specialising in spare parts logistics. The warehouse is situated in the Bangkok Free Trade Zone, which provides a range of benefits including import and export tax and VAT exemption. Services offered at the warehouse in Bangkok include cross-docking, kitting, labeling, re-labeling, re-packaging, quality checks and returns management. For urgent spare parts deliveries, cargo-partner offers personal pick-up and delivery by motorbike as a way of bypassing traffic in the busy streets of Bangkok.

Since the opening of cargo-partner’s first office in Myanmar in May 2017, the logistics provider has developed a range of solutions for air, sea and road transport, with average transit times of 2-3 days for air transport, 29-33 days for sea transport, and 5-10 days for combined air/road shipments. The specially designed air/road solution includes trucking from Myanmar to Thailand within 2-4 days, airfreight from Thailand to Europe or the USA within 2-3 days, and on-carriage to the final destination within 1-2 days. In addition, cargo-partner handles all customs formalities at borders and airports.

Luca Ferrara, chief executive officer Asia Pacific and Western Europe, explains the strategic expansion saying, “Southeast Asia is significant not only for its variety of export goods, but also for its growing and relatively young population and rapid economic growth in the past several decades. cargo-partner makes use of its extensive network of own and partner offices to offer air, sea and road transport solutions covering the entire region.”

As of 2018, cargo-partner has over 120 employees in Southeast Asia and is represented with offices in Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.