Temu Taps ShipBob to Streamline U.S. Fulfillment; Alibaba.com Expands In-Stock Push After U.S. App Surge
Latest Dynamics of Logistics & Supply Chains in China's eCom
Here’s our pick for last week’s news:
Alibaba.com Expands In-Stock Push After U.S. App Surge
Temu Taps ShipBob to Streamline U.S. Fulfillment
JD Expands in South Korea with New Delivery Centers
Loctek's Q1 Revenue Jumps 38% on Warehousing Boom
COSCO SHIPPING Q1 Profit Soars 72% on Strong Container & Port Gains
SF Holding Q1 Profit Hits Record on Parcel Boom
CIMC Q1 Profit Jumps 550% on Cold Container Boom
J&T Fulfillment Scales Up Global Warehouse Network
Cainiao Sees 30% Surge in North American Orders
SF Scales Up in Europe With German Warehouse
COSCO SHIPPING Expands Middle East Reach With Saudi Launch
Zongteng Acquires 30% of Lifecome in Backdoor Listing Move
UK Cracks Down on Duty-Free Loophole Used by Shein, Temu
Alibaba.com Expands In-Stock Push After U.S. App Surge
After topping the U.S. app shopping charts, Alibaba.com is ramping up its "overseas in-stock" initiative by onboarding sellers with ready-to-ship inventory in the U.S. and Europe. The B2B marketplace's expanded model now spans 27 European countries and the U.S., targeting merchants with local or third-party warehoused stock—primarily standardized goods. Sellers gain access to Alibaba's suite of growth tools, including direct links to overseas influencers, creator storefronts, and livestreaming agencies. (36kr)
Temu Taps ShipBob to Streamline U.S. Fulfillment
Temu has teamed up with ShipBob, a global fulfillment platform for SMBs and mid-market brands, to make it easier for U.S. sellers to onboard and scale. The direct integration allows ShipBob merchants to sell on Temu using their existing U.S. inventory and warehouse network—no extra software needed. Sellers gain access to Temu's growing customer base with real-time inventory syncing, order tracking, and full operational visibility. Temu, now open to all U.S. sellers, aims to accelerate growth and improve fulfillment efficiency through this collaboration. (PR Newswire)
JD Expands in South Korea with New Delivery Centers
JD.com has opened delivery centers in Incheon and Icheon via JD Korea—becoming the first e-commerce platform to directly operate logistics hubs in South Korea. Mirroring Amazon and Coupang's model, JD is setting up logistics services before launching full e-commerce. The Icheon site serves pet e-commerce, while Incheon handles U.S. brands and K-beauty exports. JD is also piloting 12-hour delivery in parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi, hinting at a broader rollout. (cyzone.cn)
Loctek's Q1 Revenue Jumps 38% on Warehousing Boom
Loctek reported Q1 2025 revenue of 1.544 billion RMB ($211.65 million), up 37.7% YoY, fueled by rapid growth in its overseas warehousing arm, Lecangs. Despite the topline boost, net profit fell 35.2% to 52 million RMB ($7.13 million). Lecangs—offering end-to-end services from sea freight to last-mile delivery—has become a key growth driver, with 2024 revenue up 155% to 2.42 billion RMB ($331.73 million). Loctek plans to double down on cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehousing in 2025, expanding from bulky goods to small-parcel overseas warehousing. (ebrun)
COSCO SHIPPING Q1 Profit Soars 72% on Strong Container and Port Gains
COSCO SHIPPING posted Q1 2025 revenue of 57.96 billion RMB ($7.95 billion), up 20% YoY, with net profit surging 72% to 13.23 billion RMB ($1.81 billion). Container shipping volume rose 7.5% to 6.48 million TEUs, generating 55.88 billion RMB ($7.66 billion) in revenue—up 20.07%. Port operations also delivered solid growth, with throughput up 7.5% to 35.75 million TEUs and revenue climbing 16% to 2.77 billion RMB ($379.71 million). (STCN)
SF Holding Q1 Profit Hits Record on Parcel Boom
SF Holding reported Q1 2025 revenue of 69.85 billion RMB ($9.58 billion), up 6.9% YoY, and record net profit of 2.23 billion RMB ($305.69 million), a 16.9% increase. Parcel volume rose 19.7% to 3.56 billion, with March express shipments jumping over 25%, outpacing the national average. All core segments—express, supply chain, and international—posted growth, led by a 9.9% gain in supply chain revenue. Earnings per share rose 15.4% to 0.45 RMB, with net margin improving to 3.2%. (STCN)
CIMC Q1 Profit Jumps 550% on Cold Container Boom
China International Marine Containers (CIMC) posted Q1 2025 revenue of 36.03 billion RMB ($4.94 billion), up 11.04% YoY, while net profit attributable to shareholders jumped 550% to 544 million RMB ($74.57 million). Operating cash flow rose by 7.5 billion RMB ($1.03 billion) from a year earlier. The surge was driven by rising global container trade and strong demand for refrigerated containers, with sales up nearly 291% to 36,400 TEUs. (STCN)
J&T Fulfillment Scales Up Global Warehouse Network
By Q1 2025, J&T Fulfillment had established operations in 12 countries with 132 warehouses covering over 500,000 square meters. Backed by J&T Express, the company provides end-to-end logistics for B2B and B2C clients, supported by a last-mile network across 13 countries and full digital visibility. J&T plans to scale further with new self-run sites in Mexico and Brazil and double its warehouse footprint in Southeast Asia. Its growing list of platform-certified partnerships cements its role as a trusted logistics provider for global sellers. (10100.com)
Cainiao Sees 30% Surge in North American Orders
As overseas demand for Chinese goods surges, Cainiao is scaling up services to improve cross-border delivery, especially in North America, where orders have jumped over 30% since April. The Alibaba-backed logistics firm has added English-language support, video tutorials, and live customer chat to streamline the user experience. Its Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) service now simplifies taxes, and new parcel consolidation features help users cut costs by bundling orders from multiple platforms. First-time users benefit from perks like free shipping and $10 coupons, with more countries to be added soon. (CAIJING)
SF Scales Up in Europe With German Warehouse
SF Express has opened a 23,000-square-meter smart logistics warehouse in Mönchengladbach, Germany, with 7,000 square meters of expansion space. The move follows its Madrid launch and marks a shift from goods circulation to full-scale supply chain services across Europe. (ebrun)
COSCO SHIPPING Expands Middle East Reach With Saudi Launch
COSCO SHIPPING Lines has opened a new office in Saudi Arabia, marking a key step in expanding its Middle East footprint. The company will tap into its investments at Jeddah Port and a planned rail terminal in Jubail to strengthen regional operations. COSCO currently operates 426 vessels on 402 routes, connecting 638 ports across 146 countries. Trade between China and Arab states topped $400 billion last year, with exports to Saudi Arabia up 18.2% in 2024. (Seatrade Maritime)
Zongteng Acquires 30% of Lifecome in Backdoor Listing Move
Lifecome Biochemistry plans to transfer a 29.99% stake to Zongteng Group, a major cross-border logistics firm, in a deal seen as Zongteng's strategic entry into China's stock market via backdoor listing. The move gives Zongteng nearly 47 million shares of the listed company. In 2024, Zongteng posted 27.1 billion RMB ($3.71 billion) in revenue and 1.12 billion RMB ($153.53 million) in profit, with a 4% margin. (cyzone.cn)
UK Cracks Down on Duty-Free Loophole Used by Shein, Temu
The UK is reviewing its tax exemption on low-value imports amid rising pressure from retailers who say Chinese platforms like Shein and Temu are exploiting the rule to undercut domestic sellers. Goods under £135 ($152.45) currently enter the UK duty-free, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves signaled the loophole may soon close to protect British high streets. The move follows similar action in the U.S. and EU to curb de minimis exemptions as low-cost parcels from China surge. Retailers, including Sainsbury's, Next, and Ryman, have welcomed the review as a step toward fairer competition. (The Guardian)