COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCON) has signed an agreement with compatriot electronics and technology manufacturer Midea Group, pledging to work together on container transportation, digitalisation, end-to-end logistics and centralised procurement.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]COSCON’s deputy general manager, Huang Xiaowen and Midea vice-president Wang Jianguo, signed the agreement on behalf of both parties on 21 January 2021.
COSCON and Midea said that they have maintained a long-term collaborative relationship, with Midea noting that despite the well-documented crunch in container supply, the Chinese shipping group has continued to provide good services that has laid the foundation for its global supply chain.
During the signing ceremony, COSCON’s management stated that the company will help the recovery of domestic and foreign economic and trade and provide high-quality services to global customers.
In the last 20 years, the homegrown Midea, which was founded in 1968 as a maker of bottle lids and car parts by He Xiangjian, has expanded into producing home appliances. Overseas expansion started in 2007, when Midea opened its overseas production facilities, outside Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since then, Midea has formed joint ventures with partners in Belarus, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and India.
It is the second such agreement that COSCON has signed with a major customer in the last two months, after concluding a similar contract with Midea’s minority shareholder, smartphone maker Xiaomi.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent[/s2If]
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