Cainiao Network, (Cainiao), the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, has announced the launch of direct sea freight route between China and South Korea citing increased e-commerce volumes.

In a statement, it noted that parcel volume to South Korea from AliExpress, the global retail online marketplace that's also part of Alibaba Group, grew by nearly 100% in the second half of 2021 compared to the same period last year.

Five days delivery between China-Korea

"Operating six times a week, the sea freight allows Korean consumers to receive parcels in five days for selected products after placing orders on AliE­­xpress, with some areas as fast as three days," Cainiao said in a statement.

Upon leaving ports in Shandong Province, the cargo ship will arrive in South Korea within 12 hours, reducing shipping costs by up to 30%, it added.

"Part of the growth can be attributed to the rising e-commerce demand in South Korea, where AliExpress insights revealed that the most popular items are cosmetics and 3C devices, largely driven by competitive pricing and fast shipping," Cainiao said.

The logistics firm said China is the largest importer partner for South Korea, with a 22.2% share or US$108 billion. It said this has grown by 105% from a decade before in 2009, at 17.2% share or US$52.6 billion.

“The launch of a direct sea freight route will accelerate the overall shipping efficiency from China to South Korea, further fueled by our full-chain logistics services including digitalized customs clearance and last mile delivery,” said William Xiong, Cainiao’s chief strategist and general manager of exports logistics.

Cainiao’s distribution centers are able to handle a peak volume up to 10 million orders, with cross-border network spanning over 200 Chinese cities, and more than 50 warehouses located in key cities to support exports, he added.

In October 2020, Cainiao announced the launch of its logistics and supply chain services to support South Korean businesses.