The reefer market in Northern China is a sector characterized by its constant evolution and diverse commodities that travel its bustling ports. Among these, Qingdao stands out as the region’s primary reefer hub, exporting agricultural produce, particularly garlic and apples in substantial volumes that reach global destinations across Asia, covering countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, as well as West Africa and even reaching the Caribbean market. Notably, the Intra-Asian market also plays a pivotal role in this trade, with routes that extend through the Suez Canal to destinations like Israel and Turkey.
Additionally, frozen seafood makes up another significant segment within the reefer market in China with a main focus serving US and Canadian markets.
The pharmaceutical industry in China has been experiencing a remarkable growth, making it a thriving export sector in the country, particularly to the United States. Luke Xie, ZIM North China Country Sales Manager shares, “Over the past 2-3 years, we've witnessed an impressive increase within this sector, establishing pharma logistics as one of our core focus areas. Central China including Shanghai and the Yangtze River area have emerged as centers for pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these high-value pharma products and supplies.”
Exploring new export trends
Over the past year, China has uncovered a promising export commodity within the solar panel industry, marking a significant shift in China’s focus. Given China's massive scale of solar panel production and exports, which exceed 50 thousand TEUs annually, the demand for these panels as raw materials has surged.
This heightened demand can be directly attributed to the extensive production of solar panels. With China realigning its supply chain towards Southeast Asia, an increasing number of solar panel companies have established their presence in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Luke Xie adds, “We have not only recognized this emerging trend but also proactively identified it as an opportunity and devised a tailored solution for our customers to successfully navigate their business.”
This sector is certainly reefer-focused and considered high-value due to a crucial component in solar panels – the film. This component demands precise temperature control owing to its sensitivity to heat. This precision adds significant value to the product because any excess heat can lead to melting, making it unusable.
Mastering temperature control for high-value goods
When it comes to shipping high-value products, two critical elements come into play: ensuring timely deliveries and closely monitoring cargo temperature. “We understand the importance of reliability and maintaining a seamless connection for high-value cargo, ensuring their punctual delivery.”
With ZIMonitor and the unique capabilities featured in our reefers, we are able to track, monitor and maintain precise control over the cargo’s temperature throughout every stage of their journey, which is crucial for keeping these high-value goods safe.
Catering to China’s diverse markets with expertise
In the expansive landscape of North China's reefer market, ZIM has established two dedicated reefer teams, each covering distinct regions to serve our diverse customer base all across China with a collective goal of coordinating and advancing our reefer presence. The first team oversees Northern China, encompassing key ports like Qingdao, Tianjin, and Dalian while the second is based in the central region, serving Shanghai, Ningbo, and the Yangtze River area.
Luke Xie also shares, “What sets us apart is our agility and coordination, attributes that define ZIM’s unique customer-centric approach. Our rapid response capability ensures we meet our customers’ needs promptly. This unity across our teams and various departments, from local customer service, sales professionals, to equipment experts, enables us to accommodate urgent requests and guarantee on-time deliveries of these high-value commodities to meet customer deadlines.”
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