China's Air Freight Prices Soar Amid Record Growth in Cargo Volume; Cainiao Sees Threefold Growth in Black Friday Orders in North America
Latest Dynamics of Logistics & Supply Chains in China's eCom
Here’s our pick for last week’s news:
Cainiao Sees Threefold Growth in Black Friday Orders in North America
Trendyol Opens First Logistics Center in Romania
Taobao Slashes Free Shipping Threshold in Singapore and Malaysia
ZTO International Launches New Trucking Routes to Central Asia and Europe
NOBLELIFT to Spin Off Wuxi Zhongding for Hong Kong Listing
Kerry Logistics Expands Integrated Logistics Network to Nine Countries
China's Air Freight Prices Soar Amid Record Growth in Cargo Volume
YTO Express Sees 50% Surge in China-Japan Shipping During Peak Season
Cainiao Sees Threefold Growth in Black Friday Orders in North America
Cainiao reported robust growth in overseas warehouse orders during this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In North America, peak daily orders surged threefold compared to last year. Top-selling items included 3D printers and robotic vacuums, with 3D printer orders climbing 150% YoY and exceeding typical daily volumes by over 200%.
Ahead of the shopping season, Cainiao opened two 70,000-square-meter warehouses in Los Angeles and Savannah to streamline U.S. logistics, reduce delivery times, and lower last-mile costs for merchants. During the peak, Cainiao offered 3-day delivery across North America and Europe, with next-day service available in select cities.
Trendyol Opens First Logistics Center in Romania
Trendyol, Alibaba's leading e-commerce platform in Turkey, has opened its first logistics center in Ștefăneștii de Jos, Ilfov County, Romania. The 50,000-square-meter facility, set to create up to 250 jobs, will begin operations in December and aims to enhance deliveries across Romania and the region.
The company launched its Romanian-language app in January 2024, marking its fastest growth in Central and Eastern Europe. Stock preparation at the warehouse will begin by late 2024, with customer deliveries slated for early 2025. Trendyol projects the facility will handle over 2.5 million orders by the end of next year.
Founded in Istanbul in 2010, Trendyol is Turkey's first decacorn, connecting over 250,000 merchants with 40 million customers globally. Its localized apps span markets including Turkey, Germany, Azerbaijan, the Gulf states, and more recently Romania, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Taobao Slashes Free Shipping Threshold in Singapore and Malaysia
Alibaba's Taobao has lowered its free shipping threshold for Singapore and Malaysia from RMB 199 (USD 27.41) to RMB 99 (USD 13.64), further enticing regional shoppers. Users can also claim vouchers for free upgrades from sea freight to air freight, cutting delivery times by up to a week.
Since mid-2024, Taobao has been expanding its free shipping services to international regions, enabling merchants to sell overseas with ease—no additional stores or setup required. Currently, 12 regions, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, are part of this initiative.
ZTO International Launches New Trucking Routes to Central Asia and Europe
On December 10, ZTO International introduced new trucking routes to Central Asia and Europe. The service reaches key countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, and an extensive list of European destinations, such as Russia, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and the UK, among others.
The service handles general and special shipments, including electronics and batteries, with options for full truckloads or consolidated shipping. Delivery times are 6–7 working days to Central Asia and 17–22 days to Europe.
NOBLELIFT to Spin Off Wuxi Zhongding for Hong Kong Listing
NOBLELIFT announced plans to spin off its subsidiary, Wuxi Zhongding Integration, for a Main Board listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The move aims to boost resources, expand its smart logistics systems business, and enhance Wuxi Zhongding's financing and growth potential.
Founded in 2009, Wuxi Zhongding provides customized logistics solutions, from automated warehousing and sorting systems to control software and equipment manufacturing. In 2022, the company's revenue grew 30% YoY to RMB 1.657 billion (USD 228.27 million), with new orders totaling RMB 2.8 billion (USD 385.73 million). Revenue for 2023 is projected at RMB 1.7 billion (USD 234.20 million). Internationally, Wuxi Zhongding is expanding in Southeast Asia and Europe, with new operations in Singapore and Hungary.
Kerry Logistics Expands Integrated Logistics Network to Nine Countries
Kerry Logistics announced on December 9 that it has expanded its integrated logistics network to nine countries, adding Sri Lanka, Japan, Mexico, and Dubai. Liu Jianpei, President of Integrated Logistics Asia, noted that more Chinese businesses are investing in Mexico to avoid U.S.-China trade tensions and explore South American opportunities. He also highlighted Hong Kong's strong infrastructure and transport potential.
Founded in 1991 as one of China's earliest international freight forwarding companies, Kerry Logistics has expanded globally, with operations now in 59 countries and regions. In the first half of 2024, the company saw a 10% revenue increase, reaching HKD 25.432 billion (USD 3.27 billion), driven by strong sea and air freight performance.
Specifically, integrated logistics profits reached HKD 693 million (USD 89.13 million), with contributions from Southeast Asia, while international freight forwarding profits rose 18% to HKD 740 million (USD 95.18 million), driven by growth in major markets like the U.S., China, and Hong Kong. Air freight also saw stable growth during traditionally slow periods thanks to cross-border e-commerce.
China's Air Freight Prices Soar Amid Record Growth in Cargo Volume
China's air cargo industry has seen a significant surge this year, with the Civil Aviation Administration reporting a 19.3% increase in volume from January to October compared to 2019, totaling 7.298 million tons. The fourth quarter, typically a peak season, has been boosted by global shopping demand, driving record growth in both volume and pricing.
Ezhou Huahu Airport, processing 500,000 cross-border e-commerce parcels daily—five times last year's level—saw its total cargo throughput exceed 1.1 million tons by November. Air freight prices have soared, with rates on the Zhengzhou-North America route now over ¥70 ($9.64) per kilogram, more than double earlier in the year.
China's international cargo network is also expanding, with 11 new routes and 30+ weekly round-trip flights added in November. The number of cargo flights to Southeast Asia, Central and South Asia, Europe, and the Americas has more than doubled since 2019.
YTO Express Sees 50% Surge in China-Japan Shipping During Peak Season
YTO Express saw a 50% increase in China-Japan shipping volumes during this year's cross-border e-commerce peak season. The company has established international warehouses in cities like Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Dongguan to handle collection and storage for local merchants. Shipments are then transported via YTO's dedicated air cargo fleet or sea-air routes.
In the past five years, YTO Airlines has launched 15+ China-Japan routes across regions such as Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shanghai. With sea-air logistics backing, YTO ensures daily cargo flights to East and South China and Hong Kong. Its streamlined operations cut delivery times to Japan by 2–3 days. Beyond Japan, YTO operates over 50 specialized logistics routes to Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and Central Asia.