Ethiopian airlines has signed a strategic partnership agreement to jointly commence sea-air multi-modal transportation with International Djibouti Industrial Park (IDIPO) and Air Djibouti for swift transportation of goods for Africa.
Based on this agreement, the cargo will be transported from China to Djibouti Free Zone by sea and will be uplifted by air from Djibouti International Airport. The collaboration between air and sea transportation is highly instrumental in facilitating trade between Africa and China through fast and easy movement of cargo.
The collaboration will save both time and energy in addition to boosting the growth of cargo market in Africa and beyond. The transportation deal will enable traders to order their products from China to Africa via Djibouti port and Ethiopian airline will further facilitate the air movement of goods to different parts of Africa through its vast network.
“We are pleased to have signed this agreement which will establish the necessary infrastructure and institutional system to enable us provide new logistics product called ‘SAM’ (Sea -Air-Modal) which is highly cost-effective multi-modal transportation solution for African businesses,” said Ethiopian Airline Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam.
This product will use Sea Freight from China to Djibouti sea port and air freight from Djibouti Airport to all African cities. This new multi-modal logistics solution will enable African businesses, multinational companies, Chinese companies and other business people across the globe to enhance their supply chain management system with the best combination of speed, cost and quality services.
Ethiopian Airlines Group has a long time experience in providing similar product through Dubai Sea and air ports. “We are committed to help customers deliver their goods safely and efficiently across our network in association with our partners- International Djibouti Industrial Park Operation and Air Djibouti. We have kept on playing a key role in both African and global cargo and logistics business and will continuously advance our cargo services to meet our customers’ increasing demand,” said GebreMariam.
The partnership will simplify trade from China to different countries in Africa with the vast Ethiopian network in the continent and beyond. The markets of China and Africa are highly complementary and the partnership has huge potential in facilitating cost and time efficient logistics solutions for African traders.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner with a trade volume of $254 billion in 2021. As the world’s production base, China is the largest supplier, while Africa with a population of 1.3 billion has a huge market demand. Taking advantage of the best African sea port in Djibouti and the best airport in Ethiopia, Sino-African Sea-Air Express has been created by combining their respective wide freight networks for the betterment of the continent.
