Specialist demand buoys Italian imports

While general exports out of Italy to South Africa are decreasing, the demand for high-quality goods and specialist equipment – such as agricultural spare parts – is keeping the market running, says sales manager for General Export (Genex) in Italy, Chiara Paoli. FTW spoke to her and Raymond Cutts, marketing director for International Liner Agencies (ILA) – Genex’s exclusive partner in SA since 1995 – during Paoli’s annual visit to South Africa last month. She said there was currently a demand from South Africa for products such as tiles, plumbing supplies, building supplies, machinery and specialised industrial supplies. Cutts told FTW that ILA’s exclusive partnership with Genex over the years had enabled it to compete against the trend of appointing global service providers. “This has empowered us to grow our market share on this key trade lane,” he said. Paoli added that ILA’s neutrality, reliability, consistency and ‘old school values’ were what had enabled Genex to continue to serve the SA market. “This is one of the best and most strategic partnerships we have, mainly because ILA has been so consistent in such an inconsistent marketplace. They provide constant feedback and our strategies are continuously aligned.” Cutts said that freight movement and consolidation was very complex – for example having to ensure that cargo fits, the special arrangements for hazardous cargo and/or irregularly sized cargo. “Over and above that, pricing is always a concern and long-term business can be lost for a difference in price of one dollar. We are always looking at compromises and have to carefully weigh the value of the cargo versus the client’s expectation,” he said. CAPTION Raymond Cutts and Chiara Paoli… strategic partnership.