The French shipping company CMA CGM announced on its website the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Hangzhou with China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba to seek cooperation in the digital area.
Just by early January, another shipping company -Maersk Line-, announced a partnership with Alibaba to offer online container booking services.
Traditionally shippers need of freight forwarders services to book space on container vessels. However, with the cooperation of Alibaba OneTouch platform, shipping lines are allowing cargo owners to book directly the cargo spots via internet.
Alibaba acquired OneTouch in 2010 as a customs clearance and logistics services platform for small and medium-sized exporters and importers.
On the statement, CMA CGM said the MoU represented “one step ahead to create added value to its customers and to make the industry meet the digital world.”
The cooperation between both companies will provide digitalized services for the clientele via OneTouch import and export BPO service Platform.
This cooperation between CMA CGM and ALIBABA OneTouch will provide digitalised services for the clientele via OneTouch import and export BPO service Platform. Chinese customers will be able to have online booking for shipments to Mediterranean and Adriatic area through the CMA CGM MEX1 and CMA CGM BEX services.
The CMA CGM MEX 1 service, connecting Asia to Mediterranean area will propose ports of loading as Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian and port of discharge in West Mediterranean base ports as Barcelona, Valencia.
The CMA CGM BEX service, connecting Asia to Adriatic ports will propose the ports of loading as Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan and port of discharge in Adriatic base ports as Rijeka, Koper, Trieste, Venice.
Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-alibaba-maersk-idUSKBN14O0S7
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