China's Major Container Shipping Companies Integrated Logistics Strategies

As the supply still exceeds the demand in the container shipping market in the coming years, container shippers are facing throat-cut competition now. On the other hand, a wave of Logistics rush into the realms of economy and business management as it entering 21 Century. In this situation, Chinese container shipping giants have to adjust their strategy and develop themselves into a provider of 3PL (Third Party Logistics) .At present there is no theory systemically directing the Container shipping giants how to fulfill the logistics strategy while some theories concerns on the essentiality of it or some theory only do some research on the measures of fulfilling the logistics strategy.Under this condition, the writer tries to shape a theory, from the viewpoint of strategy management, which can be used as a guidance by container shipping giants when fulfilling their logistics strategy. This paper follows the theory of strategy management. Firstly, this paper analyses the strategy condition of the container shipper and deduces that the container shipping giants have to develop 3PL service. Secondly, the writer discusses the theories of 3PL and the characteristics of Chinese container shipping giants and draws the conclusion that the integrated logistics is the fitful strategy mode for Chinese container shipping giants. Lastly, the writer associates the theory of business' outspread with the theory of synergy to direct the integrated strategy fulfillment.This dissertation makes some contribution to the theory of business1 outspread as it points out that an enterprise can outspread its business not only by merging or developing it by its own force but also by alliance and outsourcing. And this paper can be used as a guidance for the Chinese container shipping giants to develop their 3PL presently. Also its methodology can be referred by other researches on strategy management.