April 19 - Exporters looking to serve the Iraq oil and gas industry might be interested in the guaranteed twice-weekly express road trailer services between Western Europe and Iraq recently launched by independent freight forwarder F.S. Mackenzie.
F.S. Mackenzie says that the service, which caters for express groupage and part-loads, has been launched in response to increased business demand to supply goods to growing markets in Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan region. It follows the creation of a business partnership with leading Iraqi freight forwarder and integrated logistic solutions provider, Mateen Express.
The service operates twice a week from hubs in Dortmund, Germany and Basildon, England and goes to the Mateen Express hub at Erbil, Iraq. The trailers travel via Italy where they are taken by ferry to Mersin, Turkey for onward travel to Erbil.
Alfred Stienen, managing director, F.S. Mackenzie, says: "The Iraqi business community is demanding more Western European goods. From our German hub near Dortmund,we can process shipments from all over Germany, as well as other EU countries. The UK depot at Basildon is convenient for motorway access to many of the UK's manufacturing districts. We are able to move valuable and demanding cargo such as equipment for the oil and gas industries. This demonstrates that the export community can trust us with their valuable cargoes. Many customers will be attracted to the fact that cargo on this service is not transhipped on the journey."
Mateen Express is a full service freight forwarder with five branches in Iraq (Erbil, Baghdad, Basra, Sulaimanya and Duhok), a full set up in Dubai and two of its own branches in China.
