Wide port range caters for growing Americas trade

As the year draws to a close, neutral consolidator CFR Freight can reflect on better than expected results from both its air and seafreight divisions – and the Americas trades have contributed significantly to these figures. With the weaker dollar playing into the hands of South African importers, groupage volumes from the US are encouraging, says CFR Freight director Peter Schmidt-Löffler. While New York will always be the main hub for imports and exports from and to South Africa, CFR also offers direct weekly services out of Chicago to its seafreight customers. CFR’s New York service provides direct sailings to all ports, including the likes of Port Elizabeth. Direct export services to New York are offered from Durban, Cape Town as well as Port Elizabeth. For the airfreight division, the US has always been a strong contender, with the company reaping the dividends of its recently introduced new US tariff. “We’re offering reduced rates and named day consol services out of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta,” said general manager – airfreight, David Graham. With the Air Cargo Group network, an association of neutral airfreight consolidators and wholesalers, CFR can offer a door-to-door service to freight forwarders who do not have a global footprint. Recent initiatives like the proactive tracking system Airtrak and online tariff engine have been well received by the company’s airfreight client base, he said. And as the world’s focus turns to the growing South American market, with agreements like Mercosur (the Common Market of the South) and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) adding impetus to growth, CFR Freight is well placed to serve the market. From a seafreight perspective, the entire subcontinent is served through Buenos Aires – and thanks to the strength of the company’s World Wide Alliance partner in the region, the market is showing encouraging growth, says Schmidt- Löffler. A regular direct service is on offer to Argentina, with transhipment to other destinations. For imports Argentina offers a fortnightly service into Durban along with the well established weekly services from Santos/Brazil into both Durban and Port Elizabeth. In another milestone for CFR’s ongoing clientfocused IT development, this week sees the launch of a new website. “It incorporates a ‘client zone’ which enables the customer to access all information related to shipments, documentation and tariffs from his or her computer at the touch of a button,” says Schmidt- Löffler.