T-Join and Kerry EAS to Handle Goods for Wal-mart in Fujian

Taipei, Aug. 18, 2009 (CENS)--T-Join Transportation Co., Ltd. and Kerry EAS Logistics have been jointly contracted to handle freight forwarding for the 14 stores of Wal-Mart and Trust-Mart in Fujian Province of China.

T-Join is one of Taiwan's leading freight forwarders and Kerry EAS is one of China's most recognized logistics service providers and also an affiliate of Kerry Logistics, a Hong Kong-based logistics solutions provider in the Asia Pacific.

Last year Kerry EAS, after obtaining the operating right of T-Join, has since combined the two companies' operations in China. Today Kerry EAS records annual revenues of four billion renminbi (RMB) or about NT$19.2 billion (US$581.82 million at US$1 = NT$33) in China, and T-Join believe its merger with Kerry would enhance its China operations.

Shen Jung-kuei, T-Join's chairman, says that T-Join has lost about NT$820 million (US$24.85 million) in China over the past decade.

Currently T-Join has a workforce of around 3,000 persons in Taiwan, with its China staff having been reduced to 1,100 from 1,300 and the number of outlets cut by three to 18, as well as having moved its headquarters in Shanghai to Beijing to integrate with Kerry's there.

Merging with Kerry will help T-Join explore the logistics market in Fujian. Shen says that that the cargo volume delivered to China from Taiwan via the three small links to Fujian currently reaches more than 3,000 tons daily, and the volume is expected to grow rapidly in the future as China has been actively developing Fujian's coastal economic zones.

Kerry will also soon have T-Join serve its three leading branded clients in Taiwan and Hong Kong.