Extreme fluctuation in general cargo rates

A growing trend towards
smaller rural areas in the East
being used to manufacture
and produce items for export
has seen ports continuously
opening up and growing the
import/export channel.
“For companies like ours,
which are Far East based
and owned and focused on
this market, the growth is
important,” says Martine
Forbes, director of Linex Air
Services. “We will use our
expertise and skills to grow
the business in and out of this
region.”
Part of the Lenton Group,
Linex has its head office in
Hong Kong and offers an
extensive Far East footprint.
As The GSA for Cathay
Pacific Cargo/Courier the
company understands the
challenges and complexities
of doing business in the
region, says Forbes.
“The main challenges are
protocol and bureaucracy.
What is important is to
always make sure that you are
on top of the many changes
that happen in a very short
time frame in many ports in
the Far East. These changes
are driven by local customs
authorities and can seriously
hamper the transit times and
the handling of shipments.
Having local people who
speak the language and
specialists who are experts on
customs rulings is critical to
managing these challenges.”
Forbes believes that the Far
East will continue to show
positive growth in the year
to come. “We have already
opened new offices in the
region this year to keep up
with the growth and market
diversification. The opening
up of new ports in Hangzhou,
Xiamen and several offices in
Asia and Vietnam is paying
off with volumes on these new
routes both in and out of the
Far East already picking up.”