Airfreight leader predicts change in globalisation of manufacturing

Emirates SkyCargo’s divisional senior vice-president, Ram Menen, predicts that globalisation of manufacturing is likely to change in the years ahead – as countries look for ways to protect job creation. “We’re likely to see products being finished off near the point of consumption - but the fact remains that you still need to be price-competitive and in order to do that you need to produce the majority of goods in a low-cost area. So China and India will continue to get a boost and that in itself will provide more air cargo business.” We can also expect to see China beginning to outsource to Africa, the US and Brazil – a trend that has already become evident over the past two or three years, said Menen. “And it’s all thanks to the advent of information technology.”