Hong Kong’s U-Freight: Industry only ‘scratched surface’ of e-commerce

After attending the recent Amazon Global Selling Expo in Hangzhou, China, Hong Kong-based logistics firm U-Freight Group said that the growth potential for global e-commerce is “far from exhausted,” even in well-established regions, such as the United States, Europe and Japan. U-Freight CEO Simon Wong added, however, that the air cargo industry will need “new approaches” to ensure the international supply chain will remain intact.

“We came away convinced that there is much, much more to come from the global e-commerce market and we are, in fact, only just scratching the surface,” Wong said, regarding the Amazon Expo, which was attended by selected shippers with revenues in excess of US$10 million per year that had been invited to share their needs regarding e-commerce logistics.

Wong added that U-Freight is currently interested in working with the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program to move freight from origin to delivery, including customs clearance, via Amazon Fulfillment Centers.

“Online retailers need to find new models and innovative platforms to deal with the logistics challenges they face,” Wong said. “That includes ensuring that they engage with their freight forwarder at an early stage of the process to ensure that they truly understand the complex logistical demands of e-commerce.”

U-Freight offers both standard and express customs clearance at origin in China and at destination in the U.S. and Europe. It also operates its own e-commerce fulfillment center in Shanghai for pick and pack services and another in Los Angeles that includes inventory storage, return services, customs work and record-keeping.