Will the port activity be affected by the global crisis? We doubt that. Logically speaking, the Lebanese economy is at one of its lowest points in the history, due to regional socio-political instability. Seeing the future from a bright side and hoping for stability, our economy will escalate, regardless of the financial crisis. We would like to point out the recent declines in Gulf markets which are sponsoring investments in Lebanon and the relocation of companies from the Gulf to Beirut. Above all, the financial crisis is also encouraging the return of expatriates into their homeland and Cargomaster along with their agents are present in major countries to ensure and serve the return of Lebanese compatriots.
Regardless of the global crisis impact on Lebanon, our market relies on foreign industries and we need imports in order to produce, consume, survive and pursue our ways of living. This results in a continuous turnover of merchandise moving in and out of Lebanon thru various points of entry and carried by freight forwarders. Cargo is being transported thru main & most popular points such as Beirut seaport, airport and land borders with Syria. The choice is based on several factors such as urgency, size, weight and distance.
The basic role of the freight forwarder is to move goods from a certain point to another. Forwarders can also be qualified as third parties appointed by an organization to ensure the synchronized movements of their goods thru successive carriers/vessels/aircrafts/trucks/warehouses. Most importantly and we would like to stress on the following, forwarders are strategic elements emphasizing the competiveness of traders.
Nowadays with the speed of communication, markets dynamics and complexity, movements of cargo is not longer carried from simple point A to point B but forwarders also contribute in the mapping of goods and indentifying the best way to transport merchandise. A simple example would be the manufacturing of high tech equipments in which raw material are produced in China at low labor cost, electronic parts are ordered from Japan and user manuals are printed in Lebanon. All of the above are consequently moved into the Netherland for assembly and quality checking. The final products will be sold worldwide. Freight forwarders like Cargomaster must be present in every strategic country to ensure the various movements in the production line and to deliver the finish product to its end users globally.
Taking into consideration the relocation of manufacturers into the Far East, the diversity of the sources of material and the complexity of paperwork, Cargomaster has taken a special interest in customer services. Consolidating cargo from different locations is Cargomaster's expertise since 1985 (groupage.com). The delicate part is to properly synchronize the flow of movements to reach appropriate connections and ensure proper paperwork and commercial documents to avoid penalties and delays. Another important part is to carefully select the carriers handling cargo to guarantee reliable schedules, minimize delays and of course damages.
In order to satisfy customer's needs and handle shipments professionally, Cargomaster has carefully selected their representative in every country around the globe. Local presence is an important asset but it is not the only one, our agents have been trained and are familiar with procedures and paperwork requirements in Lebanon. Every aspect of transportation is constantly controlled to ensure smooth and safe operations.
We regularly meet and visit our agents abroad as well as we invite them to visit our beautiful country. Our last visit was to Hong Kong were Mr Jacques Abouzeid met with the senior management of Vanguard Logistics Services to empower the services described above. It is also our company's policy to strive for innovation and offer new solutions to our customers. We are now present in all major cities in the Far East thanks to the existence of our agent's office and warehouses. We are closer to your suppliers and agents hence we can collect your goods form any village in northern China and we offer more departures for faster transit time in to Lebanon.
Realistically, freight forwarders physically move the business of traders. How your cargo lands today has a direct impact on where you will land tomorrow. Cargomaster stresses on the notion of partnership with all our customers and colleagues. We operate in full transparency and honesty for the well being of our economy and for good business practices.
Roy E. Abouzeid
