Dimerco beat off the competition to fulfil an urgent request to transport six civil light aircraft from USA to China navigating lockdown port congestion, unfavorable weather conditions and a time critical schedule.

Presenting 3 flexible solutions, identifying cost savings along the way and attending to every detail of the operation, including overseeing the re-assembly of the cargo to be tested on arrival at Guangyuan Airport to coincide with the granting of the customer’s flight permit application.

The journey for the fixed-wing aircraft weighing almost 12 tons took from 10th May to 27th June and relied on Dimerco’s long-term relationships with a network of carriers to secure passage of the cargo by rail from Kansas to the Port of Los Angeles, across the ocean to the Port of Qingdao and by truck to Sichuan.

The entire operation was coordinated by Dimerco teams in Chicago and Qingdao and each stage communicated to the client to support them through their first experience of importing light aircraft. This was particularly important when the transit time was extended with a 7-day sailing delay at LAX congestion and bad weather in Qingdao.

Dimerco’s experience with complex logistics ensured a seamless and efficient operation while a contingency plan helped to minimize delays. To keep costs down, the China team worked with local customs using manual documentation to identify the most appropriate HS Code which resulted in reduced import tax for the customer. To protect the high value cargo, Dimerco also applied for cargo insurance and set up GPS tracking.

Dimerco’s end-to-end optimization of the importation project was valued by the customer a leading light aircraft and business jet manufacturer, according to a Dimerco’s Central Service Center (CSC). “The client was impressed by Dimerco’s teamwork and efficiency in obtaining customs clearance which was completed the day after the shipment arrived and expressed their appreciation via WeChat group right after cargo was released.”