【China-Europe Connectors】Maersk North Asia Chief Representative Jens Eskelund: China and Europe will keep the dialogue going and find solutions for the challenges together

In Feb. 2023, A.P. Moller-Maersk held the groundbreaking ceremony for its first green and smart flagship logistics center in Lingang, Shanghai, which marks a new stage of Maersk's business in China. As one of the world's leading container shipping and logistics company, Maersk's investment in Lingang means Shanghai plays a critical role for the company's global network and the resilience of global supply chains.

An attractive location

The big project in Lingang will give Maersk additional 150 thousand square meters of warehousing storage capacity, and Shanghai is one of the strategic locations for Maersk to achieve the goal of becoming the global integrator of container logistics.

Jens Eskelund, North Asia Chief Representative of A.P. Moller-Maersk, emphasized the importance of Shanghai: "If you look at the figures -- a third of the world's export come out of China, and a third of China's export come out of the Yangtze River delta. So, we need to be in Shanghai."

As a special area of Shanghai free trade zone, Lingang is a very attractive location for Maersk, because "it is in close proximity to the world's largest port and the world's largest single manufacturing area".

Shangha's center is also featured as green and sustainable. "Now we have ability and opportunity to introduce some of the latest technologies in term of digitalization and decarbonization, which make it even more attractive," Mr. Eskelund said.

See growing business opportunities

As Mr. Eskelund introduced, besides the flagship logistics center, Maersk has continued to invest in China, even during the pandemic. "We undertook a very significant acquisition of LF logistics in 2022. The acquisition provides us 73 warehouses in China. We have just launched a number of new air freight services connecting China with Europe and the U.S., so we are developing quite positively in China and we will be doing best to serve our customers in the country. "

With China is relaxing COVID policies, Maersk sees growing business opportunities ahead. Mr. Eskelund said: "We are very busy in 2023, because China is opening up again. We can travel freely, and on basis of this, we expect to see of economic activities."