(Yicai) March 27 -- Global logistics giant DHL Group is linking arms with Chinese solar technology manufacturer JA Solar and the logistics arm of home appliance firm Haier Group to accelerate the green and intelligent transformation of supply chains while supporting more Chinese companies to go global in an era of uncertainty.

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight arm of Bonn-based DHL, teamed up with JA Solar at the DHL Now & Next Summit held in Shanghai on March 24. The collaboration covers air and ocean freight, multimodal transportation solutions, overseas warehousing services, as well as digitalization programs and sustainable solutions, it said yesterday.

The company also joined forces with Qingdao-based RRS Supply Chain Technology to collaborate on international logistics and supply chain services at the same event.

“China remains a cornerstone of global trade. Our partnerships with JA Solar and Haier | RRS demonstrate how DHL combines its global logistics capabilities with local market insights,” said Oscar De Bok, chief executive officer of DHL Global Forwarding. “We support Chinese companies in enabling long-distance exports to new global markets, provide essential multimodal transport capabilities, as well as cross-border expertise and support foreign expansion through outbound investment logistics.”

“Ensuring reliable and efficient logistics for solar products is increasingly important. Through our collaboration with DHL Global Forwarding, we aim to enhance supply chain efficiency and ensure that our solar technologies can be delivered safely and reliably to markets around the world,” said Wu Tingdong, president of global supply chain center at JA Solar.

“By deepening our collaboration with DHL Global Forwarding, we are integrating scenario-based logistics capabilities with DHL’s worldwide network, building a more agile and resilient supply chain for Haier’s continued growth in international markets, while also supporting other companies in their global ventures,” said Haier | RRS CEO Ju Yanling.

Opportunities Amid Uncertainty

Since 2020, the global supply chain has been frequently disturbed by shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, de Bok told Yicai during an interview. Taking the recent Middle East conflict as an example, about 18 percent of global air freight capacity has been affected and a number of container vessels were stuck in the region when the conflict broke out, so DHL had to find alternatives for its customers.

“Global supply chains are getting more complex, however, the average distance products travel to reach the market is actually still increasing. That is because many companies have to organize their flows, and you need to make sure you have alternatives, that means the logistics market as a whole is growing,” de Bok said.

“If you have a higher complexity, then companies like ourselves who sit on that or invest in it and invest in digitalization, invest in people, and have a consistent presence around the globe, have the ideal position to support the market, and that actually will help us in the end to grow with our customers,” he added.

Moreover, Chinese companies, especially small and medium-sized firms, are increasingly looking to extend their business around the globe, and DHL sees this as an opportunity to take them by the hand and help them to set up their supply chains, de Bok said.

“That’s what excites us because we feel that we can add a lot of value to Chinese customers going into new markets or growing into those markets with our local presence and our capabilities of optimizing those flows,” he added.

Editor: Kim Taylor