Dimerco, Cathay Cargo trial multimodal logistics solutions

Dimerco, a global freight forwarder, has teamed up with Cathay Cargo to successfully test a new air-sea solution moving cargo from Singapore to Dongguan, China through Hong Kong, saving a full day from the standard air-truck schedule.

The Dimerco team worked closely with Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to optimise the transit time for a shipment of integrated circuits for a leading semiconductor distributor. Originating in Singapore, the shipment travelled by air to HKIA, then by sea to the Port of Dongguan, by truck to DGM Logistics Park and on to the delivery destination. Total transit time took just three days.

In a seamless operation, Dimerco coordinated the whole process, evaluating opportunities to save time and costs at each stage. After the cargo was released from the air terminal without the need for customs clearance, it was towed to the seaport. The sea portion of the operation provided a more cost-effective alternative to trucking, and Dimerco had identified that with the planned introduction of more frequent sailings, transit time could be reduced between 12 and 24 hours.

“Dimerco is always searching for new ways to reduce transit times and save costs for customers," says a spokesperson for the Central Service Center (CSC) of Dimerco. "We are honoured to be the first freight forwarder to partner with Cathay Cargo on this solution. Our Hong Kong team’s excellent performance prompted a letter of congratulation from HKIA on the completion of the successful pilot. More importantly, we can now offer two multimodal solutions to our customers for handling imports and exports to/from Southern China.”

The three participants in the pilot – the Airport Authority, Cathay Cargo and Dimerco – analysed the outcomes of the pilot and identified further efficiencies including the documentation procedure and customs data integration. This will further improve the process flow for future operations.