1. Amazon Global Store to Establish Central Region Center

On December 14th, Amazon announced the establishment of the Amazon Global Store Asia-Pacific Innovation Center and the Central Region Center. The Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, the first of its kind for Amazon Global Store in the Asia-Pacific region, will be located in Shenzhen Qianhai. It aims to explore innovative mechanisms, conduct innovative practices, build innovation benchmarks, and promote innovative achievements for the global export cross-border e-commerce industry.

Amazon Global Store also announced the establishment of four regional centers in East China, South China, West China, and North China. By 2024, Amazon plans to establish the Central Region Center in Wuhan and Zhengzhou, introducing additional service teams to further enhance service efficiency and quality for sellers in these regions.

Source: Amazon Global Store

2. Temu Tops the 2023 U.S. App Store Download Chart

On December 14th, Apple revealed the highest downloaded applications on its App Store for 2023, with Temu leading as the most downloaded free application, surpassing major U.S. tech giants like Meta and Google. CapCut and TikTok secured the 3rd and 5th positions, respectively. Additionally, Temu has surpassed Amazon in average user usage time.

The specific ranking on the 2023 iPhone free application download chart is as follows: Temu, CapCut, Max, Threads, TikTok, Instagram, Google, YouTube, WhatsApp Messenger, Gmail.

Source: AMZ123

3. FedEx and Floship Strategically Partner for Cross-Border E-commerce Logistics and Warehousing Solutions

On December 14th, FedEx Express and Floship announced a strategic partnership to launch an integrated global logistics and warehousing solution. This one-stop smart solution addresses the complexities of storage and transportation distribution in the global supply chain, streamlining the cross-border returns process and intelligent management of after-sales returns for merchants.

Source: FedEx China

4. Cross-Border E-commerce Logistics Service Provider Pan Asia International Expected to Go Public on December 22nd

On December 14th, Pan Asia International released an announcement stating the company plans to globally issue 140 million shares. This includes 14 million shares for public offering, 126 million shares for placement, and an additional 15% over-allotment option. The offering period is from December 12th to December 19th, with the expected pricing date on December 20th. The offering price is set at HKD 0.90-1.22 per share, with a trading unit of 4,000 shares. Zhongyi Capital Limited is the exclusive sponsor. The expected listing date on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is December 22, 2023.

Pan Asia International is a well-known cross-border e-commerce logistics service provider based in China, offering end-to-end cross-border logistics services.

Source: Pan Asia International

5. Wish Prepares for 33 Promotional Events in Q1 2024

On December 14th, Wish announced that it has prepared up to 33 various promotional events of different scales and categories, covering different market ranges for the first quarter of 2024. The company highlighted three specific promotional events: Winter Sale Promotion from January 14th to January 21st, Fashion Apparel Promotion from February 20th to February 29th, and Wishmas Shopping Event from March 30th to April 5th. Merchants are advised to select suitable promotional events to actively participate and boost sales.

Source: Wish Merchant Platform

6. SHEIN and Prologis Jointly Build Smart Industrial Park in the Western Bay Area

On December 14th, Prologis and SHEIN held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Xiyin Bay Area Smart Industrial Park project in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. This collaboration aims to create an integrated smart and green benchmark supply chain base, marking a new stage in their strategic partnership to enhance the upgrading of the cross-border e-commerce industry.

The project has a total investment of approximately CNY 3.5 billion in infrastructure development and related facilities. It includes the introduction of overseas funds through Prologis' logistics infrastructure development fund. The park covers an area of about 680 acres, with the main construction expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and trial production scheduled for the first half of 2026. After reaching full production, it is estimated to achieve an annual output value of CNY 3.5 billion and complete service trade exports of CNY 3.5 billion, creating over 20,000 jobs.

Source: Prologis GLP

7. Best Express Market Value Surpasses HKD 125 Billion

As of the close on December 13th, Best Express's total market value reached HKD 125.485 billion, approximately twice the market value of JD Logistics (HKD 59.077 billion) listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Currently, SF Holding has a total market value of CNY 197.521 billion, and ZTO Express has a total market value of HKD 131.441 billion.

Source: Yulinkuang

8. DHL Shifts CVG Cargo Flights to Avoid Strike Impact

On December 14th, DHL confirmed the relocation of cargo flights from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to avoid the impact of a strike by over 1,100 workers on air cargo operations. This strike coincides with the traditional peak period of air cargo transportation, but DHL Group stated in a statement that they can maintain normal operations across all aspects of their U.S. network.

CVG serves as a major international hub for DHL Express in the United States, with 60 DHL planes and 130 DHL flights daily. At CVG, DHL handles goods destined for the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America, processing approximately 50 million international freight tons annually.

Source: aircargo news

9. China Southern Airlines Resumes Zhengzhou to London Route with Stable Supply of Subsequent Flights

On December 14th, the China Southern Airlines Zhengzhou-London passenger flight successfully took off from Zhengzhou Airport, marking its resumption. The flight carried a total of 15 tons of cargo. The airline also ensured a stable supply of subsequent flights, transporting popular categories such as e-commerce goods, computers, and electronic cigarettes. The Zhengzhou-London route is the first intercontinental route opened by China Southern Airlines in Zhengzhou, resuming operations on December 12th, using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with one flight each on Tuesday and Saturday.

Source: Dahe Cai Lifa

10. Chongqing's First Direct Flight to the UK Regular Cargo Route Opens

On December 14th, Titan Airways officially launched a regular round-trip cargo route between Chongqing and London (Stansted). This marks Chongqing's first direct cargo route to the UK. With this, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport has now actualized a total of 12 international (regional) cargo routes, operating 31 flights per week. The Chongqing-London round-trip cargo route plans to operate three flights per week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, using an A330-300 all-cargo aircraft with a payload of 62 tons, primarily transporting cross-border e-commerce goods.

Source: Shangyou News

11.  Maersk, DHL, and Hapag-Lloyd Release Latest Price Increase Announcements

On December 14th, Maersk, DHL, and Hapag-Lloyd released their latest price increase announcements.

Maersk: Announced the collection of Emergency Risk Surcharge (ERS) for cargo discharged at ports in Israel. This fee applies to all goods imported into Israel and is effective from January 8, 2024.

DHL: Announced an increase in the Freight All Kinds (FAK) rate for Asian to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa routes, effective from January 1, 2024. The scope includes goods from all Asian ports to all Northern European ports and goods from all Asian ports to the Western Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

Hapag-Lloyd: Announced a General Rate Increase (GRI) for the Asia to the West Coast of Latin America, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and the East Coast of Latin America routes. The new GRI will be effective from January 1, 2024, and applies to 20-foot, 40-foot dry containers, as well as 40-foot high cube and 40-foot non-operating refrigerated containers.

Source: China Shipping Gazette