Emerging Markets Index shows bright Asian prospects while
India and China growth cools

THE latest Emerging Markets Logistics Index from Agility reveals that Asia's developing countries are likely to grow faster than those in India and China in the immediate future.
The index compares 45 emerging markets and provides data on logistics, air cargo, shipping lines and freight forwarders. It is backed by the UK-based Transport Intelligence (TI) survey of more than 800 industry logistics executives with opinions on those quickly developing countries and those on the industry watch-list. >More
 

Sino-Vietnamese direct transport helps develop closer
China-ASEAN cooperation

CARGO moving between China and Vietnam once had to go through complicated procedures and be reloaded onto trucks from the country before they could be carried to the destination.
But in recent years there has developed direct trucking between the two countries, eliminating the need of unloading and reloading, greatly cutting time and cost, and deepening logistics and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, according to Xinhua reports.
Before the direct trucking service, reloading freight could cost a lot, said Tang Chao, a manager from a local freight forwarder in southwestern China's Guangxi Autonomous .... >More
 

China plunges into intra-Asia trade as east-west activity
slows

THE concentration of growth on intra-Asian trade lanes, compared to the mainlane east west routes in recent years, has led shipping lines to increase intra-Asian capacity, with Chinese companies playing a leading role, says Clarkson, the London shipbroker.
China has shown itself to be a major if not the leading player in this trend, with its container exports to the US and Europe having only posted one per cent annual growth since 2008 against its trade with ASEAN economies, which has increased 10 per cent over the same period. >More
 

More opportunities emerged for Asian countries in various
shipping aspects, says industry veterans

GLOBAL shipping is not merely suffering a cyclical downturn, but from "fundamental structural change", World Shipping Council chairman Ron Widdows told a large gathering at Hong Kong Trade Development Council shipping conference.
Speaking to the Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference last November, Mr Widdows said changes in ship finance, new mega alliances, environmental costs, emerging market growth will combine to change the face of global shipping. >More
 

Thailand begins Laem Chabang Port expansion ahead of
APEC 2015 entry

THAILAND plans to build transport infrastructure ahead of its entry into ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, starting with a port expansion at Bangkok's deepwater Port of Laem Chabang.
The Port Authority of Thailand aims to expand a third large basin to increase capacity by eight million TEU to total 18.8 million TEU first scheduled for completion by 2016, but expects to be delayed by environmental impact studies until 2020.  >More