Here in China, the way people are moving—as well as who is moving—is undergoing a great deal of change. Significant investment has been made over the past 30 years in infrastructure development, and the list of superlatives is a long one—four megacities, the world’s longest hi-speed rail network, the world’s largest container port, and many more miles of expressways than anywhere else on the planet.  Beijing and Shanghai each have two airports that, pre-Covid, processed 50 million+ passengers a year each. Moving domestically has never been easier or more common. International moving however, is still constrained by the customs environment, and the efficiencies in port throughput that commercial shippers enjoy are not available for personal effects moves due to Customs processes. I can’t see that changing anytime soon in the PRC.

Sustainability has become increasingly important, and China is a world leader in EV (electric vehicle) technology. I expect that within the next 10 years, most passenger cars in major cities in the PRC will be fully EV. This will filter through to smaller commercial vehicles also, and we are already starting to see full EV vans and trucks on the roads in Shanghai. As battery technology develops, and costs come down, then the larger, longer-distance trucks will also evolve to full EVs as well. China is committed to being the world leader in EV technology; the whole country is a gigantic test lab for EV technology and is a key strategic goal for the government. 

The biggest challenge to moving in China today is Customs. Our communication with regular partners on import shipments into the PRC begins months before a move is packed. It’s crucial to manage client expectations in terms of what can and cannot be shipped. It’s also crucial to clearly establish client eligibility, meaning that they must comply with China Customs requirements related to the import or export of their personal belongings before anything gets picked up.

Regarding customs and regulations, we try hard to avoid problems rather than have to solve them. We do this with clear, heads up, timely communication with both assignees and partners. Asking all the right questions at the right time and effectively managing expectations from the start is key.

Pure was formed in 2017, and has had to overcome many obstacles over the years. Covid was not part of the business plan! China’s epidemic management certainly presented a number of challenges. The next year or two will be challenging also as the economy recovers and China re-opens. The geo-political situation is also a cause for concern, and it has and will continue to influence foreign investor confidence and decision making as far as the investment into PRC is concerned. 

One thing we focus on is connecting with and retaining loyal customers. We are old school in that regard, and are not users of social media for marketing purposes. Our corporate clients and overseas business partners know who we are. We work hard on partner relations, and want to be known as a reliable and trustworthy partner in China. We won the Harmony Quality Award in 2021, after just three years in business, which we were really pleased with. It’s a testament to the experience and maturity of our team, along with achieving FAIM compliance in November 2022.