SEOUL, South Korea, June 3, 2024 — Federal Express Corporation, one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is supporting local farmers and fruit exporters in Gyeongsangbuk-do to export fresh fruits to Hong Kong with same-day delivery. This is in collaboration with the provincial government to connect local businesses to cross-border trade opportunities since August 2023.
Effective June 4, 2024, the same-day delivery service will be offered through existing flights from Incheon to Hong Kong operating four times a week. A 120-square-meter cold chain facility at the FedEx Incheon Gateway will be used to preserve the quality and freshness of these temperature-sensitive shipments prior to transit. The facility comprises of three separate temperature-controlled chambers (freezer, cool, and ambient room) that comply with EU Good Distribution Practices (GDP) guidelines. It also caters to healthcare products and perishables.
Gyeongsangbuk-do is one of Korea’s most prolific fruit-producing regions, known for its specialty crops such as melon, grapes, peaches, and strawberries. Agri-food exports from the province reached a historic high last year, marking more than a three-fold increase from USD272.22 million in 2013 to USD933.14 million in 2023[1].
“At FedEx, we are committed to helping local businesses of all sizes grow and compete internationally,” said Wonbin Park, managing director of FedEx Express Korea. “Through our differentiated solutions and advanced digital tools, we are helping Korea expand its exports that include electronics, automotive, healthcare, e-commerce shipments and agricultural industries and now fruits to the rest of the world.”
“We are grateful to FedEx for supporting the delivery of fresh agricultural products from Gyeongsangbuk-do to consumers around the world starting from Hong Kong through their expertise and global network,” said Cheol-Woo Lee, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do. “We look forward to continued collaboration between Gyeongsangbuk-do and FedEx with the goal of further developing our cooperative relationship to support the air export of agricultural products and enhance overseas distribution channels. Additionally, we will explore opportunities to establish and expand cargo routes following the opening of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Airport, with the goal of nurturing it into a logistics hub in Asia.”
FedEx continues to transform its global network to meet the evolving needs of its customers. Earlier this year, FedEx enhanced its transpacific service between South Korea and the U.S. by introducing a new flight that offers additional capacity catered to international freight shipments. In addition, FedEx recently renewed its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification, making it the only express transportation company to maintain a class ‘AA’ level AEO accreditation in Korea, providing expedited and simplified customs procedures for imports and exports.
[1]https://www.gb.go.kr/Main/page.do?mnu_uid=6792&dept_code=&dept_name=&BD_CODE=bbs_bodo&bdName=&cmd=2&Start=150&B_NUM=373168701&B_STEP=373168700&B_LEVEL=0&key=4&word=&p1=0&p2=0&V_NUM=8091&tbbscode1=bbs_bodo