Welcome to the China Logistics Club - the forum for SME freight forwarding and logistics companies involved in shipping to and from mainland China. Our focus is on developing closer ties between the Chinese freight forwarding companies and other global freight forwarders keen to increase their business with the 'Middle Kingdom'. Our aim is to supplement an 'agents own network' by informing you of new opportunities on how to grow your China business even further.

As you already know, it is vital to meet new agents face to face. CLC offers this opportunity, like no other network, especially away from the main Chinese tier-one cities - which are often over-exploited already - where others repeatedly hold their conferences. As the locals in China know all too well, most regional offices in the mainland work independently from their central HQ and very often establish their own overseas network. Hence it is critical that you are aware of this and that you get to visit regional offices and cities if you're serious about your own firm's China expansion. As we're not an exclusive network that insists upon you attending a yearly conference, we can offer you and inform you of potential supplements that tie in with your other Asian business trips. As a result, you'll gain local updates at our conferences and benefit from coinciding your sales with other events making your trips even more productive and worthwhile. It's a double whammy - we provide mutual benefits to both the Chinese and overseas companies who are both seeking financially reliable partners.

2007 was a busy year for the China Logistics Club with four successful conferences in mainland China. We are looking forward to offering many more new conferences in 2008, in such second-tier cities as Wuhan, Chongqing and Chendu and Ningbo. Our next conference will be in Xiamen between 10^th to 12^th April.

On another note, 2008 will be a key year for Training and Education services offered to our members. During the year, we plan on offering introductory courses - separate from the main conferences - which allow members to attend training courses as well as meeting agents in one-on-one sessions .

We would also like to thank the companies who joined CLC in 2007. A full list of new firms who recently joined our ranks will be sent separately with the attached company profile. However, in the meantime, here's a brief outline of some of our new members:

Avenue Transport, Los Angeles, USA, Air Partner PLC, UK our air charter partners, Zapsibtransblock, from Novosibirsk in Russia, Spyrou Exelixi SA, from Greece, Container Port Canda, Legend Global Logistics from Taiwan, Maxxima Logistics Kazakhstan, International Liner Agencies from South Africa, Shinki International Co. Ltd., from Japan, Parisi Grand Smooth Logistics Ltd., Hong Kong, NES Cargo Express Int'l Corp. from the Philippines, Xiamen Changhao Int'l Freight Agency Co. Ltd. China, Caribbean Freight Handlers, Jamaica, STL Logistiks Ltd., Uzbekistan, Bellville Rodair International, from UK and USA, Lineup Logistics (PVT) Ltd, Pakistan, Waterlane Resources from Nigeria and Total Freight International from Dubai.  

XIAMEN Conference - 10th to 12th April 2008: This will be our second conference in Xiamen. We look forward, once again, to meeting the many Xiamen freight forwarders who attended the conference in January this year. This event will also include a second track with our new training courses. The courses are organised by Mr. Peter Sanden, an expert in logistics and management training.

The Xiamen Trade Development Office has also suggested that we hold a small trade exhibition and invite trading companies who wish to expand their exports to China. We are working on this and will advise you of any updates in the next newsletter. We hope we will see many of our members at this conference. Full details will be available on our conference web site shortly.

The CLC Training + Education Programme offers various courses that form the degree of success and provide a real insight into the workings of modern transport, logistics, freight forwarding and professional businesses. The Programme helps participants to understand business dynamics, how business develops, sets targets and strategies and provides inside knowledge of why things happen. The course will also assist participants in developing their knowledge and skills which are so highly valued by our member companies and their customers. These include the ability to absorb and evaluate complex information quickly together with tips on presentation and communication skills.

The Training programme will also help attendees plan their future with the company and ensure that they have the ability – and correct skills - to create new and continually evolving ways to improve their future work and life environment. Most courses are designed around a particular subject (namely management, sales or freight forwarding). Each course is different but they are all designed to provide attendees with a basic knowledge of our industry plus covering such topics as HR, teamwork, leadership, etc. They each focus on gaining expertise in business, customer services and explain how to create job satisfaction and improve self-confidence and marketing your own firm.

During 2008, we'll also be launching a new Project Division which will see our project members help many Chinese freight forwarders with their projects from and to China. We established the Project Division in response to demand from Chinese forwarders who asked us to find qualified project forwarders. For example, our Kazakhstan member - STL Logistics - has handled many projects in Kazakhstan and is currently working with a Chinese forwarder on a large project to Uzbekistan. If you, or you know of any other members, are also handling such projects then let us know so that we can bring them into the Project Division.