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2003 Press Releases
HONG KONG, Sept. 2, 2003 - FedEx Express
(FedEx), the world's largest express transportation company, today
launches its first direct flight from Shenzhen (SZX) to its hub in
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A. (ANC), providing customers across Southern
China with next-day delivery to North America.
FedEx Express Asia Pacific Division President David L. Cunningham Jr.,
said the manufacturing growth in Southern China over the last several
years has resulted in an increased market demand for air express
transportation services.
"In order to remain competitive, manufacturers are looking for ways to
extract the greatest efficiencies from their supply chains," said Mr.
Cunningham. "In many ways, Southern China has been a beneficiary in
that process, as more and more companies continue to shift
manufacturing away from other locations in Asia for improved
efficiencies."
Guangdong Province is China's top manufacturing performer and has
generated US$124.6 billion in foreign trade in the first six months of
this year alone, a 27.3 percent year-over-year increase, making it one
of the strongest export markets in the world (according to the
Guangdong Customs Department's July 2003 report).
"With nearly 40 percent of all foreign direct investment flowing into
China earmarked for the Pearl River Delta, the region has clearly
become the primary driver of China's booming economy. The result is a
distinct need for a transportation and logistics system that is able to
connect Southern China to the rest of the world," said Mr. Cunningham.
Anticipating Market Demand
FedEx created the air express transportation industry just 30 years
ago, and has built its business and its reputation by acting as a
primary facilitator of global trade for many multinational companies.
The Shenzhen to Anchorage flight further expands the company's airlift
capacity from China, offering even more tangible benefits to customers
including:
- Extended telephone pick-up cut-off times by one and a
half hours for FedEx U.S.One ® and FedEx AsiaOne ® next-day
delivery service in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhongshan
- Next-business day delivery for shipments from Southern China to North America by 10:30 a.m.
- Expanded capacity on an MD11 from Shenzhen to Anchorage five times weekly
"For China to sustain the kind of growth we have seen in the last five
years, it is essential that it establishes stronger links to the
economies of Europe and the United States," said Mr. Cunningham.
"Having access to air express transportation provides that link, and is
fast becoming a fundamental determinant in whether a company will
locate its production facilities in Southern China. The flight from
Shenzhen direct to Anchorage is able to provide a significant advantage
to companies depending on time-definite delivery in order to stay apace
with customers' needs."
First in China
Since entering the China market in 1984, FedEx has been a pioneer in
the industry, chalking up an impressive list of "firsts," including the
first international express company to:
- Link electronically with China customs (1994)
- Receive operating permits for U.S. to China direct services (1996)
- Fly its own aircraft into and out of China with weekly flights (1996)
- Offer a Chinese language Web site for customers on the mainland (1999)
- Offer Shenzhen air express service, five times weekly
- Open a dedicated express-handling facility at the Huangtian International Airport in Shenzhen (1999)
With annual revenues of $22 billion, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) is the
premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply chain
management services. The company offers integrated business solutions
through a network of subsidiaries operating independently, including:
FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company;
FedEx Ground, North America's second largest provider of small-package
ground delivery service; FedEx Freight, the largest U.S. provider of
regional less-than-truckload freight services; FedEx Custom Critical,
North America's largest provider of expedited time-critical shipments;
and FedEx Trade Networks, North America's largest customs broker and a
provider of international freight forwarding and trade facilitation
services. FedEx ranked highest in the J. D. Power and Associates 2002
Small Package Delivery Service Business Customer Satisfaction
Study™ in the categories of air, ground and international
delivery services.
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