Logistics and Maritime Transport Working Group meeting

Dear Members,

We are pleased to inform you that the Italian Chamber’s Logistics Working Group, together with the European Chamber of Commerce in China will be hosting the joint Logistics and Maritime Transport Working Group meeting. It will be held on Thursday, 20 December, 6pm-7:30pm, at the European Chamber Shanghai (Shui On Plaza, Unit 2204, 333 Huai Hai Zhong Road).

At this meeting, we welcome Mr. Sergio Prete, President of Taranto Port Authority, who will provide an overview of Italy’s second most important port. In order to compete successfully with the ports and economies of other Mediterranean countries, the port authority has adopted a number of planning initiatives to transform the potential offered by Taranto’s geographical location into the reality of a major intermodal logistics centre. The aim is for Taranto to not only operate as a transhipment centre or a facility serving industrial plants, but also provide a logistics platform linked directly with production and transport chains. This platform is part of a wider logistics project affecting the whole region of Puglia to attract additional trade to and from northern Italy and northern and central Europe.

In October 2011, Taranto Port Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of Shenzhen Municipality to promote trade between the two ports and the development of an ongoing collaboration in various fields of application. This was followed by an MoU with Port of Rotterdam in April 2012, which aims to set up joint ventures with the main objective to attract investment to the Taranto region, while raising qualitative standards of port services and boost maritime traffic.

Tentative Agenda
     - Introduction to Taranto Port Authority, Mr. Sergio Prete, President, Taranto Port Authority
     - Q&A session / discussion on freight trends, with focus on gap between Mediterranean and North Continent freights

As always, we welcome your suggestions for agenda topics and possible speakers for this and future meetings.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please register with Ms. Amanda Wu at ywu@europeanchamber.com.cn by Thursday, 12 noon.

Please notice that participation is open to European Chamber and Italian Chamber’s Logistics Working Group’s Members only.