Cainiao plans to deliver packages to Europe by road
The Chinese logistics company Cainiao, which is part of the technology giant Alibaba, has launched a new road route. Now cargo delivery from China will be carried out to Liege, located in Belgium. The carrier explained the decision to use road transport by the fact that this option is cheaper than air transport and takes less time than shipping by sea.
Cainiao plans to use this route to transport electronics, cosmetics, and batteries. The route begins in the Chinese city of Duanguan, in the southern part of the country. And then the goods are sent to a logistics center in a Belgian city, from where the parcels are distributed to various destinations in 20 countries. The carrier notes that delivery by air of goods such as powders and liquids is expensive, so the best solution is to transport them by car. On average, trucks from China to Europe transport parcels within 14 days.
Cainiao was founded in 2013 as a joint project of nine companies, including Alibaba Holding. The business is headed by the creator of the Internet giant, Jack Ma.
Cainiao’s sphere of activity is the delivery of goods; in this case, the customer can order a parcel to their home or to a pickup center. The services are available around the clock. Together with its partners, the company has an extensive network of logistics facilities, including warehouses, transport depots, and post offices throughout China.
The airfreight hub is Hangzhou Airport, and the largest logistics hub in Europe is the Liège facility.
Cainiao uses a variety of innovative solutions to improve delivery methods and service. For example, the company’s warehouses have special robots that carry out the duties of distributing, moving, and structuring goods. Also, drones take care of parcel transportation. In addition, Cainiao, in cooperation with other Chinese operators, operates a network of containers for the recycling and disposal of packaging material. The company uses biodegradable packaging for parcels and does not use adhesive tape. In this way, the carrier contributes to its climate strategy and tries to reduce its carbon footprint.
In 2020, Cainiao became one of the top 10 global unicorns with the largest market value and continues to develop actively. The company delivers to Europe via rail, and it also owns a stake in Air China Cargo. Cainiao postal machines operate in Paris, and parcels from AliExpress to Brazil are delivered in just 12 days. In this way, the company holds a high position in the international logistics market.
