THE arrival of the world's largest containership at the Port of Felixstowe in November 2007 underlined the Haven Gateway's critical importance in serving the regional and national import needs of the UK.
The Emma Maersk – nearly quarter of a mile long and 57 metres wide and with a declared capacity of 11,000 teu (twenty-foot equivalent units) – was laden with a huge variety of goods made in China and destined for the UK's shops in the peak pre-Christmas period.
As the first European port of call after the vessel departed Yantian in China and called Hong Kong and Tanjung Pelapas, Felixstowe unloaded about 3,000 containers – the contents ranging from DVD players, toys and puzzles to clothes, crackers and Christmas decorations – before the ship went on to Rotterdam.
There has been some debate over the increasing number of Chinese imports into the UK, but globalisation is a fact and so is the UK's demand for these products.
With imports from China dominating volumes through the Port of Felixstowe, the Haven Gateway Partnership was delighted to get involved in two important logistics seminars organised in China earlier this month.
The seminars, entitled "Felixstowe and Beyond" were set up by East of England International, the inward investment arm of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
The first was held in the city of Shanghai, where ongoing port, commercial and residential expansion is on an almost unimaginable scale. The second was held in the important and fast-growing industrial and commercial hub of Shenzhen, which is on the Chinese mainland close to Hong Kong.
Speakers included Essex-based Keith Batterson, of COSCO Logistics, who discussed COSCO's massive third party logistics network in its home market of China and its complementary activities in the UK; Kate Teh of Birketts Solicitors, who explained the legal implications for Chinese companies looking to work with British companies; Robert Edge of East of England International; and myself, representing the Haven Gateway.
The seminars were organised to promote the Haven Gateway as a place to do business and were an ideal opportunity to explain on behalf of the Partnership why the sub-region's ports and hinterland add up to such a natural logistics platform for Chinese imports into the UK – and also into mainland Europe.
We presented an outline of the major container terminal developments planned for Felixstowe South and Bathside Bay, Harwich and explained why these are so important in regional, national and international terms.
Those attending the seminars ranged from representatives of Chinese logistics organisations to lawyers.
As well being able to give a clear message to key decision makers about what the East of England – and particularly the Haven Gateway – has to offer, we found that the seminars also brought us a lot of useful new contacts, both in terms of trade and in areas such as training.
We are developing those links further in support of the Haven Gateway's ever-growing ports, shipping and logistics industry.THE arrival of the world's largest containership at the Port of Felixstowe earlier this month underlined the Haven Gateway's critical importance in serving the regional and national import needs of the UK.
The Emma Maersk – nearly quarter of a mile long and 57 metres wide and with a declared capacity of 11,000 teu (twenty-foot equivalent units) – was laden with a huge variety of goods made in China and destined for the UK's shops in the peak pre-Christmas period.
As the first European port of call after the vessel departed Yantian in China and called Hong Kong and Tanjung Pelapas, Felixstowe unloaded about 3,000 containers – the contents ranging from DVD players, toys and puzzles to clothes, crackers and Christmas decorations – before the ship went on to Rotterdam.
There has been some debate over the increasing number of Chinese imports into the UK, but globalisation is a fact and so is the UK's demand for these products.
With imports from China dominating volumes through the Port of Felixstowe, the Haven Gateway Partnership was delighted to get involved in two important logistics seminars organised in China earlier this month.
The seminars, entitled "Felixstowe and Beyond", were set up by East of England International, the inward investment arm of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
The first was held in the city of Shanghai, where ongoing port, commercial and residential expansion is on an almost unimaginable scale. The second was held in the important and fast-growing industrial and commercial hub of Shenzhen, which is on the Chinese mainland close to Hong Kong.
Speakers included Essex-based Keith Batterson, of COSCO Logistics, who discussed COSCO's massive third party logistics network in its home market of China and its complementary activities in the UK; Kate Teh of Birketts Solicitors, who explained the legal implications for Chinese companies looking to work with British companies; Robert Edge of East of England International; and myself, representing the Haven Gateway.
The seminars were organised to promote the Haven Gateway as a place to do business and were an ideal opportunity to explain on behalf of the Partnership why the sub-region's ports and hinterland add up to such a natural logistics platform for Chinese imports into the UK – and also into mainland Europe.
We presented an outline of the major container terminal developments planned for Felixstowe South and Bathside Bay, Harwich and explained why these are so important in regional, national and international terms.
Those attending the seminars ranged from representatives of Chinese logistics organisations to lawyers.
As well being able to give a clear message to key decision makers about what the East of England – and particularly the Haven Gateway – has to offer, we found that the seminars also brought us a lot of useful new contacts, both in terms of trade and in areas such as training.
We look forward to developing those links further in support of the Haven Gateway's ever-growing ports, shipping and logistics industry.
