Groupage operator focuses on imports

The latest focus at CFR Freight airfreight division is to concentrate on imports, according to Cape Town-based airfreight manager, Karen Schoeman. “Our main source for imports,” she added, “is from China – which is proving a bustling market for SA.” To help promote this sector of the business, CFR has just had its agent out from China which proved to be a very successful exercise. “All our clients appreciated the professional and informative feedback that we were able to give them.” In order to boost Chinese imports, the company has organised block space agreements with KLM, Emirates and Thai Airways. “We had noted that our freight forwarding clients were struggling to get space out of China,” Schoeman added. “We therefore decided to introduce these block bookings all year round so that when the busy peak season comes about, we have space to offer for cargo consignments.” The company also has a viable product for imports out of Europe. In this case it has linked up with the Netherlands-based operation of its global partner, the Air Cargo Group, and has all of its imports from Europe slotted out through the Dutch hub airport at Schiphol, Amsterdam. “Also,” Schoeman told FTW, “we have a well-established product for imports from the US, with regular consolidations out of the country.” Meantime, the Cape Town seafreight side of the business is also highly focused on imports from the Far East, again with a Chinese speciality, according to seafreight manager, Sean Menzies. “That’s where the business is,” he said. Unfortunately for its clients in the Western Cape forwarding industry, it’s almost impossible to get shipments from the Far East sailing directly into the port of Cape Town. “So we are busy developing transhipment options to get the import consignments from China direct to the Western Cape,” Menzies told FTW. “To do this, we have been organising transit ports along this trade – with cargo transhipment at Singapore, Durban or other convenient hub ports along the route. “Also,” said Menzies, “we have identified that Cape Town is 50% up on exports into Africa – mainly West Africa. “What we have done to accommodate this demand from freight forwarders is to develop less than container load (LCL) export products around it. We have not only created these products for forwarders, but also consolidate their consignments on their behalf.”