It is not only the German shipping companies and ports that are struggling under the pressure of the Corona crisis, but freight forwarding companies are also feeling the squeeze in their daily business. In an interview with ARD television, Carsten Hellmers, CEO of Alexander Global Logistics GmbH (AGL) and Chairman of the Bremen Freight Forwarders' Association (VBSp), highlights the slump in cargo handling in German ports.

Photo Credit: Alexander Global Logistics

In the logistics sector, the decline in demand amounts to 35-40% in export and import. As one of the primary raw materials for hygiene products such as tissue and face masks, pulp continues to move. Consequently, pulp logistics, one of AGL's most extensive business areas, is still in high demand, said Carsten Hellmers, but there is a creeping standstill in the container sector, where AGL is also active. The main reason for this is the lack of containers in circulation since in the current situation fewer ships are sailing from China to Europe. As a result, the shipping companies have had to minimize their capacities. Carsten Hellmers and fellow Bremen based freight forwarders are hoping for an increase in demand soon, although further developments are difficult to foresee with the Corona Pandemic continuously impacting global trades and logistics.

AGL is one of the founding members of our New Silk Road Network (NSRN), and we are proud to see them as a significant voice representing logistics SMEs in Northern Germany.

Click Here, to watch the full video. The segment begins at 18:48 minutes.