News2007
Russia Logistics Seminar Held
2007/09/26
KWE held a "Russia Logistics Seminar" on September 7th at the Tokyo International Forum in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
This Seminar represented an opportunity for KWE and JSCO TransContainer (below, "TC"), a 100% subsidiary of Russian Railways, to explain to our valued customers about the conclusion of an exclusive agency agreement in Japan between KWE and TC as well as shipping services using the Trans-Siberian Railway.
On the day of the Seminar, 76 companies were represented, with some 101 individuals in attendance, at the venue despite a major typhoon over the Tokyo Area that greatly disorganized transportation facilities enabling us to witness the fantastic fervor our valued customers have concerning rail shipping across Siberia.
During the first part of the Seminar, KWE President and Chief Executive Officer: Hirokazu Tsujimoto spoke of our Trans-Siberian Railway logistics service strategy. Then, from Russia, Mr. Gennady Bessonov, Director of the Trans-Siberian Railway Coordinating Council made a speech followed by Mr. H.J. Pak, President of Unico Logistics, TC's South Korea agency, who described the current status of service to Russia-NIS via South Korea. Lastly, a presentation was given on TC services by its Director, Mr. Valeriy Korotkikh.
In the second part, 4 specialists on logistics in Russia held a panel discussion during which opinions were shared from variegated perspectives concerning the use of the Trans-Siberian Railway for shipping services.
The following is an overview of our CEO Tsujimoto's speech made during the first part of the Seminar.
In the execution agency tasks for TC by KWE, 5 goals were set and 4 separate measures are to be implemented to achieve them.
<5 Goals>
- Although Western Europe was our destination during the 1970s and 80s, now, our destination shall be inside Russia, across the CIS and part of Eastern Europe.
- Target customers shall include manufacturers that produce and assemble products locally in Russia and surrounding countries as well as Japanese companies that sell products and consumable goods within Russia.
- Transportation time shall be half the time it takes by ocean shipping through the Suez Canal and Europe.
- Shipping cost compared to the total cost expended to reach the inland of Russia shall be made to be just as competitive as ocean shipping service via Europe.
- Providing high quality services and stable operations that can be depended on by our valued Japanese corporate customers.
<4 Measures>
- A TransContainer Center shall be established in Tokyo by KWE as the main hub for the TC organization.
- In order to ensure smooth communication with TC and coordinate operations in Japan, Russian staffers from TC shall be stationed in Tokyo.
- TC containers shall be stored at three locations in Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe and shall be made available for our valued customers when needed. A system shall be put in place by which needed containers shall be provided whenever they are needed by entrusting a comprehensive management to Kamigumi Co., Ltd.
- Because of the limited number of container ships bound for Vostochny in the Russian Far East from Japan, we will not be dependent on direct service but rather make use of the numerous regularly scheduled service routes via South Korea.
