China’s trade volume exceeded 4 trillion dollars in 2013. Simultaneously with the publication of last year’s data, the Middle Kingdom declared itself the largest trading power in the world (Chinese exports grew year-on-year by 7.9 percent to 2.21 trillion dollars, and imports recorded an increase of 7.3 percent to 1.95 trillion dollars in the same period).
Polish companies conduct lively trade with Asia, and China remains an important market for domestic business. DHL Global Forwarding, meeting customer expectations, has launched the DHL Direct Box export service on the Łódź – Shanghai route. The advantage of the new connection is a faster transit time from Poland to China – it will be reduced from 43 to approximately 38 days.
Direct Box services are direct sea connections dedicated to the transport of less-than-container-load (LCL) shipments. They are organized according to a fixed schedule on the most sought-after routes. The service is dedicated to customers whose goods cannot fill an entire container, and whose shipment value and urgency do not justify choosing air freight. The task of consolidating the container lies with the forwarder, and the customer receives a solution similar to full-container-load (FCL) freight, while paying only for the space occupied by their shipment in the container.
LCL shipments are a practical and cost-effective solution for smaller consignments that travel by sea in a container along with other cargo. Direct Box, implemented as a direct connection, translates into minimizing the number of transshipments, which allows for time savings. Goods loaded at a selected terminal are transported in a container sealed once, which contributes to greater shipment security and reduces the risk of damage to the transported goods.
– Recognizing the market need and the potential for further development of this direction, we have expanded the Direct Box service with a new Łódź – Shanghai connection. This solution is aimed at minimizing transit time, so it is suitable for industries where rapid product turnover is essential – says Michał Kołodziejski, Ocean Product Director, DHL Global Forwarding. – This is another expansion of our network of regular LCL sea connections. DHL Global Forwarding provides the Direct Box import service to the terminal in Łódź from the following directions: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Keelung, New York, and Mumbai. Export of goods from Łódź using the DHL Direct Box service is now possible to Shanghai, in addition to New York.
DHL Global Forwarding has its own network of over 300 terminals with a defined connection schedule, including the national sea freight terminal in Łódź. Direct Box services depart according to a fixed schedule, regardless of the container’s load factor. The DHL shipment tracking system allows you to check the location of a given shipment using the bill of lading number.