Maersk readies for China's emerging markets

Maersk Line, the shipping unit of Denmark's Maersk shipping and oil conglomerate, is speeding up plans to offer a wider range of services in China because more Chinese companies are keen to move to emerging markets to benefit from booming bilateral trade, preferential trade tariffs and investment opportunities.

Jens Eskelund, managing director of Maersk China, said China will continue to grow. But the country will also change, and one of the most important changes is the composition of its foreign trade. Growth in trade with mature markets in the United States and European Union is modest, while trade with new markets in Africa and South America is surging.

In Africa, Maersk Group's logistics arm, Damco, is partnering with a major Chinese petroleum company to expand the African market. Because it needs to send large machinery and equipment from China to plants in Africa, Damco is putting a strong emphasis on timely deliveries and product security with zero damage to the cargo.