Maersk to expand online freight booking after partnering Alibaba

BEIJING: Maersk Line, the world largest sea box carrier, is looking for more alliances in China for online freight booking following a test programme in association with e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Introduced in December, the Internet-based service Cangweibao allows exporters to reserve Maersk’s boxes against a deposit. The carrier, owned by Copenhagen-based A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, is now looking to extend the programme to help gain smaller customers who otherwise might get squeezed out by the biggest manufacturers, according to Mike Fang, Maersk Line’s chief for Greater China.

“Digitisation is the trend forward and we will continue to invest in it,” Fang said in his office in Shanghai, without elaborating on investment or the partners. “We just have to ramp up investment in this and become a leader in digitising the shipping business.”

Shipping lines have been investing in technology to cut costs and boost efficiency in managing schedules and movements as the industry yearns for a recovery after years of overcapacity and slowing global trade.

The partnership with Alibaba helped address the issue of customers failing to show up despite a reservation and leads to better utilisation of space in containers, Maersk said.

The Hangzhou, China-based e-commerce company said in an e-mail that it is open to collaborating with logistics firms that want to join its platform. — Bloomberg