When you think about manufacturing, China is likely to be the first country to come to mind. However with costs rising, even Chinese companies are increasingly turning their gaze southward to Southeast Asia.
Though China’s manufacturing base continues to grow, the rate of growth has tapered in recent years. The country’s vast production base is changing with new manufacturing capacity being deployed to satisfy demand from Chinese consumers rather than serving the export market.
Buyers in western economies are therefore looking at other export platforms in Asia and are increasingly considering countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Why is Southeast Asia a smart opportunity?
The nations of Southeast Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are all united by one characteristic, which is growth. Being a rapidly growing region, Southeast Asia offers strong opportunities for sourcing goods for import to the UK.
As a region, Southeast Asia has made great strides as a manufacturing hub attracting significant growth from foreign investors. Vietnam has seen particular growth with manufacturing now accounting for 25 percent of its total GDP. Over the years, Myanmar too has grown into a manufacturing base for industries producing textiles and garments, food and beverages and construction materials. Similarly, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines have shown a significant potential in their manufacturing activities.
What’s more, as these nations are becoming more outward looking, there is a willingness to replicate China’s success to improve the living conditions of their populations. This means Southeast Asia manufacturers are engaging in meeting European demand for cost efficient production. With the overseas investment in these economies there is an opportunity to source from excellent suppliers. These suppliers offer the benefit of low cost production facilities and tax incentives.
How PFE can help
Whether your business is importing clothing, textiles, footwear or furniture, Southeast Asia is worth consideration. PFE offers Sea Freight services from the whole of the Southeast Asian region. Our extensive network of trusted partners in the area enables us to offer highly competitive supply chains and control them on your behalf. We offer good transit times from all key ports and make sure your goods are delivered safely into PFE’s own warehouses in the UK. Our customers’ goods are not re-handled anywhere in the process. So you can have peace of mind that your goods will be delivered securely, when and where you want them.
We operate imports from the following areas to the UK including:
- Yangon (Myanmar)
- Haiphong (Vietnam)
- Bangkok (Thailand)
- Sihanoukville (Cambodia)
- Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
- Manila (Philippines)
- Port Klang (Malaysia)
- Singapore (Singapore)
- Jakarta (Indonesia)
- Semerang (Indonesia)
If you would like a non-committal quote for your shipment, please get in touch.
