Frankfurt is home to the team that drives business with customers and partners in China for the M&M air sea cargo GmbH in Germany. No easy task, as the market environment in the world’s second largest economy is highly competitive.
The importance of China for the German import and export balance could hardly be greater: for the eighth time in a row, China was Germany’s most important trading partner in 2023. Goods worth almost 255 billion euros were traded between the two countries. As a result, this trade lane is highly competitive for logistics companies.
“The market is turbulent,” says Jie Li, Trade Lane Manager China at the M&M air sea cargo GmbH. “In airfreight, the industry is experiencing capacity bottlenecks in some cases due to the sharp rise in e-commerce volumes generated by the industry giants Shein and Temu. The local economy is showing the first signs of a downturn, which we are preparing for at an early stage.” For Militzer & Münch, this means intensifying the exchange with Chinese partners and prioritizing increases in efficiency. Key technologies such as AI are to help simplify processes and shorten response times.
Militzer & Münch has a wealth of experience in the import and export business with China: the company has been active in the country since 1981. “In Trade Lane Management, we work together to maintain existing partnerships, develop new products and support our sales team here in Germany,” explains Simon Lu, Trade Lane Manager China. “Our task requires a lot of intercultural negotiating skills and diplomacy.”
Due to the six-hour time difference between Germany and China, mornings in particular are always very busy for the team in Frankfurt. “I’ve gotten into the habit of having breakfast after 1 p.m.,” says Jie Li. “That may seem unusual, but it allows me to be as productive as possible and respond quickly to our customers’ needs.”