Trump Ends Tax Exemption for Low-Value Imports from China; AliExpress Eyes Deeper Expansion in Germany with Hermes Tie-Up
Latest Dynamics of Logistics & Supply Chains in China's eCom
Here’s our pick for last week’s news:
Trump Ends Tax Exemption for Low-Value Imports from China
AliExpress Eyes Deeper Expansion in Germany with Hermes Tie-Up
Alibaba Bets on Flexible Supply Chains with HHO Acquisition
West Post Opens Major Logistics Hub in Germany
SF Express Bets on International Growth with Strong 2024 Results
JD Logistics Doubles Sorting Efficiency with New Hong Kong Center
Kerry Logistics' International Freight Sees 39% Profit Growth
AuGroup Sees 47.7% Revenue Growth in Logistics Services
CIMC's Net Profit Soars 605% in 2024
China Southern Air Logistics Sees 72% Profit Surge in 2024
SF International Cuts Shipping Times to Australia and India by 3 Days
FedEx Speeds Up Exports From China to Europe and Asia-Pacific with New Upgrades
FedEx Adds Over 700 Pickup Locations Across Hong Kong
CEVA Expands U.S.-China Shipping with New Charter Service
Ningbo-Miami Direct Cargo Route Opens with First Flight
China Expands Air Cargo Network with 58 New Routes in 2025
Trump Ends Tax Exemption for Low-Value Imports from China
On April 2nd, President Trump signed an executive order ending the tax exemption for low-value imports from China. Starting May 2, 2025, goods from mainland China and Hong Kong will no longer benefit from tax-free treatment, pending confirmation of the tariff collection system by the Secretary of Commerce. A report will be submitted within 90 days to assess the impact and consider extending the rules to Macau.
AliExpress Eyes Deeper Expansion in Germany with Hermes Tie-Up
Dennis Kollmann, the newly appointed CEO of German logistics giant Hermes, visited Hangzhou to explore a partnership with AliExpress. Their discussions focused on strengthening logistics and localized services in Germany, a key growth market for AliExpress. The move highlights AliExpress's deeper push into Europe, where Germany was an early adopter of its "Global 5-Day Delivery" service.
Alibaba Bets on Flexible Supply Chains with HHO Acquisition
Alibaba plans to acquire HHO, bringing its founder Chen Hang back as DingTalk's CEO. Chen, who originally created DingTalk in 2015, left in 2021 to start HHO, a cross-border e-commerce firm focused on building a SHEIN-like flexible supply chain. HHO's team includes several former DingTalk executives, aiming to integrate data across users, platforms, and factories for a low-inventory, high-efficiency model.
West Post Opens Major Logistics Hub in Germany
West Post Logistics has opened its DE03 warehouse in Bremen, Germany, a 32,755㎡ facility strategically located near Europe's key ports—Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Antwerp. Just an hour from Hamburg, Europe's second-largest container port, DE03 can handle 40 full-container shipments daily, with unloading completed in 24 hours and a maximum outbound capacity of 40,000 orders per day. With Europe's e-commerce market set to surpass €699 billion by 2025, Germany remains a key battleground for global brands.
SF Express Bets on International Growth with Strong 2024 Results
SF Express reported a 10% increase in 2024 revenue to ¥284.4 billion ($39.13 billion), with net profit rising 24% to ¥10.2 billion ($1.40 billion). The company is focusing on international expansion, with its "Supply Chain and International Business" segment growing 18% to ¥70.5 billion ($9.70 billion). SF entered the cross-border market in 2010 and strengthened its global presence in 2021 by acquiring a 51.5% stake in Kerry Logistics. In November 2023, SF completed a secondary Hong Kong listing, raising ¥5.3 billion ($729.21 million)for international expansion, domestic improvements, technology, and working capital.
JD Logistics Doubles Sorting Efficiency with New Hong Kong Center
JD Logistics has launched a 10,000-square-foot operations center in Hong Kong's Chai Wan, featuring automated sorting technology that will double efficiency. Since enhancing its services in 2023, the company has added four more centers across the city. To boost cross-border logistics, JD Logistics has set up self-pickup points at Shenzhen's major border crossings, allowing free parcel storage for Hong Kong and Macau customers. JD Express has experienced significant growth, with parcel volumes in Hong Kong and Macau surging 24x and 14x, respectively, and cross-border shipments between mainland China and Hong Kong rising 16x.
Kerry Logistics' International Freight Sees 39% Profit Growth
Kerry Logistics reported a 23% revenue increase to HK$58.27 billion (US$7.49 billion) for 2024. The integrated logistics segment saw a slight 3% decline in profit to HK$1.25 billion (US$197.91 million), while the international freight forwarding business experienced a 39% profit surge to HK$1.95 billion (US$250.61 million). Additionally, the joint venture with SF Holding at Ezhou Airport's international cargo terminal generated over HK$200 million (US$25.70 million) in revenue in its first year, surpassing expectations.
AuGroup Sees 47.7% Revenue Growth in Logistics Services
Shenzhen-based AuGroup reported ¥10.71 billion ($1.47 billion) in revenue for 2024, a 23.34% increase. The growth was driven by strong sales in furniture, home appliances, and power tools, alongside a 47.7% rise in logistics services, which reached ¥2.44 billion ($335.71 million), making up 22.8% of total revenue. The company operates 33 overseas warehouses across North America and Europe, totaling 8.36 million square feet, with an additional 3.18 million square feet added in 2024 to support its international expansion and cost-efficiency strategy.
CIMC's Net Profit Soars 605% in 2024
China International Marine Containers (CIMC) reported a 39.01% increase in revenue to ¥177.66 billion ($24.44 billion) for 2024, with net profit surging 605.60% to ¥2.97 billion ($408.63 million). Strong growth in both domestic and international markets contributed 46% and 54% of total revenue, respectively. The container manufacturing segment saw a 105.89% revenue increase to ¥62.21 billion ($8.56 billion), with net profit rising 127.84% to ¥4.09 billion ($562.73 million). Dry cargo container sales hit 3.43 million TEUs, a 417.03% growth.
China Southern Air Logistics Sees 72% Profit Surge in 2024
China Southern Air reported 2024 revenue of ¥174.22 billion ($23.97 billion), an 8.94% increase, with the logistics segment growing 18.36% to ¥19.65 billion ($2.70 billion) and net profit surging 72.33% to ¥4.19 billion ($576.49 million), driven by strong performance in air freight. Increased all-cargo fleet capacity and the recovery of international passenger bellyhold capacity expanded market supply, while booming cross-border e-commerce platforms like SHEIN and Temu boosted air transport demand, driving market rates higher.
SF International Cuts Shipping Times to Australia and India by 3 Days
SF International has enhanced its express shipping services to Australia and India by expanding customs clearance hubs, optimizing air freight routes, and refining last-mile delivery, reducing transit times by 2–3 days. These upgrades strengthen SF's Asia-based logistics network and now extend into South Asia and the Southern Hemisphere. To celebrate, SF is offering a 25% discount on express shipments to Australia for individual customers.
FedEx Speeds Up Exports From China to Europe and Asia-Pacific with New Upgrades
FedEx has upgraded its international shipping services in Shijiazhuang and Baoding starting April 1, enhancing exports to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The upgrades include same-day export flights to Europe and Asia-Pacific and a one-day reduction in transit times for deliveries to the Asia-Pacific.
FedEx Adds Over 700 Pickup Locations Across Hong Kong
FedEx has partnered with Hongkong Post to expand its self-pickup network to over 700 locations in Hong Kong, including 7-Eleven stores, iPostal stations, and Hongkong Post counters. This expansion provides customers with greater flexibility to collect packages at no extra cost, with the option to choose pickup locations via WhatsApp or the FedEx website.
CEVA Expands U.S.-China Shipping with New Charter Service
CEVA Logistics has introduced a new trans-Pacific charter service between Wuxi, China, and Chicago, USA, using Boeing 747 freighters. With three weekly flights, the service caters to diverse cargo, including industrial equipment, electronics, oversized goods, e-commerce shipments, and apparel, to meet increasing demand.
Ningbo-Miami Direct Cargo Route Opens with First Flight
On March 31, a Boeing 747-400F freighter took off from Ningbo Lishe International Airport, carrying 114 tons of cargo, marking the official launch of the Ningbo-Miami direct cargo route. This new route, Zhejiang's first of the year, creates a key air corridor between China's Yangtze River Delta and the southeastern U.S. It also leverages Miami as a hub to access the Latin American market, enhancing trade links between North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Each flight is expected to carry over 100 tons of cross-border e-commerce cargo.
China Expands Air Cargo Network with 58 New Routes in 2025
In March, China launched 21 new international air cargo routes, continuing its rapid expansion of the air freight network. By March 31, a total of 58 new routes were added this year, with over 123 extra round-trip flights weekly. Most expansions focused on Asia and Europe, adding 27 and 25 new routes, respectively. The main cargo types include cross-border e-commerce goods, fresh produce, electronics, auto parts, and apparel.