SATS Coolport to provide meat transshipment services between NZ and EU

MEAT shipments from New Zealand, destined for the European Union (EU) markets, can now transit through Singapore via SATS Coolport, Asia's first on-airport perishable handling centre.

SATS, a leading provider of Gateway Services and Food Solutions, announced on Mondaythat it is the world's first ground handler to receive EU approval to provide the transshipment services.

Being an authorised centre, SATS can break down and reconsolidate meat shipments from New Zealand for redistribution to the EU markets within SATS Coolport's temperature-controlled premises. It can also present customers with cost-effective multimodal freight solutions that give them a competitive edge by hastening sale of perishable products to the European market.

The approval is not just limited to lamb products, but also extends to other meat types like beef, pork, poultry, wild and farmed game meat originating from New Zealand.

SATS successfully handled its first air-sea transshipment of lamb products from New Zealand to Britain in January.

This newly approved trade route for meat products presents many opportunities for Singapore, and SATS can establish itself as a consolidation hub and redistribution centre for perishable products from south-west Pacific to the rest of the world.

It also helps to increase New Zealand's capacity to export more lamb shipments to the EU. With this new trade flow, SATS is looking at about 10 per cent increase in lamb shipments over the next two years.

With its extensive network in the region and tight connectivity between its cargo operations, SATS is well-positioned to provide end-to-end airfreight handling solutions. It also plays a vital part in enhancing trade with speedier and seamless movement of goods, including perishables, across continents.

Alex Hungate, president and chief executive officer of SATS, said: "Multi-modal transportation enables exporters to transport products with greater speed and economy to Europe. SATS Coolport helps change the dynamics of exports for countries like New Zealand."

He added that the partnership with IE Singapore and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore has been integral in expanding its market by creating benefits for both importers and exporters.

Agricultural products constituted New Zealand's largest export to the EU in 2016. Of this, meat, mostly lamb, formed the largest agricultural export by value (NZ$1.5 billion or S$1.47 billion) followed by fruit and wine.