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Social responsibility of online trade in times of Corona
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Certificates required for the import of medical material
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How to transport respirators successfully and quickly
“Those who are successful must take responsibility for helping others.” These are not empty words for Cha Dô Teehandels GmbH from Bremen. Despite the Coronavirus crisis, the organic tea business is doing well. Since people are now spending so much time at home, they’re drinking more tea and coffee. Mirko Sprecher, the managing director of Cha Dô Teehandels GmbH, decided to use his business contacts in China to import urgently needed breathing masks to Germany. He knew from his previous cooperation that he could count on FreightHub as a reliable partner for this socially responsible initiative.
Cha Dô and the principle of social responsibility
Mirko Strecker, Geschäftsführer der Cha Dô Teehandels GmbH, in China
Cha Dô Teehandels GmbH has been active in China for many years: around 25,000 Chinese farmers grow tea according to high ecological standards and in compliance with fair trade criteria for the team around Mirko Strecker, who has been managing Cha Dô for 11 years. Cha Dô has made it its mission not only to sell tea, but also to advise producers – especially small farmers – in the production of high quality teas and on issues of ecological cultivation. The principle of “social responsibility” is reflected everywherein theproducts of Teehandels GmbH.
Therefore, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, Mirko Strecker acted quickly to activate his business and personal contacts in China in order to bring much-needed breathing masks to Germany instead of tea. After all, respiratory masks are lacking in clinics, doctors’ practices and wherever there is an increased risk of infection from Covid-19.
One of the main reasons Mirko Strecker acted quickly was because he heard that parents cannot visit their sick children in cancer wards due to an insufficient supply of protective clothing, especially breathing masks: a human catastrophe for all those affected. Strecker turned to Cannizin Pharma, a wholesaler of pharmaceutical products with whom he has personal contact. They told him that Cannizin was currently receiving a lot of enquiries for the import of breathing masks, but that they would form a partnership with Cha Dô Teehandels GmbH to implement Strecker’s plans to import respiratory masks from China.
The project is ambitious: Mirko Strecker plans to bring a million masks from China to Germany. In the first train, 25,000 masks will be imported. The German government, which learned of Strecker’s plan, asked him to order another 25,000 masks. The managing director of Cha Dô is taking a private sector risk, because the breathing masks must be privately pre-financed.
A strong partner for rapid transport of masks
Strecker knew that he would turn to FreightHub for transportation of the respirators to Germany. By Chinese New Year, FreightHub had already helped him divert his cargo. Normally Cha Dô transports its tea via ocean freight. But supply bottlenecks due to the Chinese holidays forced Teehandels GmbH to switch to air freight. No problem with FreightHub, because the digital platform, to which our customers as well as producers and carriers have access at any time, allows for easy changes of transport modes during the delivery process. Communication between all parties involved is greatly simplified: Nobody has to phone the logistics partners afterwards, nobody has to do annoying, manual paperwork. FreightHub also helped Cha Dô bring the goods to the USA, specifically to Los Angeles, despite the import ban due to the coronavirus.
The first breathing masks reach their destination
So Cha Dô’s respirators project was launched: the first masks were ready, and FreightHub helped to obtain the necessary certificates for transport with the help of its office in China and its expertise. FreightHub’s global partner network, in this case the airfreight division, ensured that 50,000 respirators arrived in Germany quickly – they actually arrived last week.
“I’m so glad to have FreightHub as a partner by my side to support our social responsibility projects,” said Mirko Strecker.
Incidentally, the masks imported by Strecker are sold at cost price to small paediatric practices, pharmacies and retirement homes. It is important to Strecker that these are small facilities and not bulk buyers. Because these small practices, like Strecker, live the practice of social responsibility. They limit themselves voluntarily, for example with the words “We only want 20 masks, because others should have something too.” It’s called taking responsibility for people in need.
Are you also planning to import medical goods? We would be happy to advise you and support you in the transport of these urgently-needed goods.
Register here or contact your FreightHub customer service representative.
