While there has been much media attention lately on Australia’s trade status with the USA and China, at Colless Young we are keenly aware that Europe is still of major importance to many of our clients. This is true of Italy in general, and the vibrant hub of Milan in particular.
Although it is not a sea port, Milan’s central location within Italy – and indeed Europe – makes it a natural gateway for LCL cargo movement. Looking at it geographically, Milan’s advantage is clear. It is perfectly positioned to act as a collection and consolidation point.
When we think of Milan, the first images that come to mind are often of high fashion, stunning design, and its cultural icons. Milan is also the beating heart of Italy’s most productive and industrialized region. The surrounding areas hosts thousands of dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These are the businesses behind the ‘Made in Italy’ brands in fashion, furniture, machinery, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, and gourmet food products.
For these Italian companies, success depends on a supply chain – especially their forwarding agent – that is as agile and efficient as they are. They don’t always ship in FCL loads and they need flexible, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to get their high-value goods to international markets.
The city of Milan serves as a key LCL shipping hub, leveraging its strong transportation network. The city’s unparalleled road and rail connections place it at a crossroads of European trade, making it a true continental hub for export consolidation. As such, it offers efficient loading of shipments, optimizing costs and transit times to Australia.
Milan has swift and direct access to the major ports of Genoa, Trieste, Venice and La Spezia. This means cargo can be efficiently moved from consolidation warehouses to vessels bound for Australia in a matter of hours, not days.
Although Australia is yet to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union as a trading bloc, we already have strong historical and ongoing commercial relationships with Italy, with numerous bilateral agreements in place.
Italy maintains a trade surplus with Australia, meaning they export more to Australia than they import from us. Our imports from Italy broadly consist of pharmaceutical products, recreational travel services, and medicaments (including veterinary), according to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Colless Young maintains strong links with our European network, and Milan is a pivotal part of that framework. We provide regular LCL services from all the major European shipping hubs to Australia.
With decades of industry experience, our team is well-equipped to serve the needs of global shippers, offering end-to-end supply chain products that include landside transportation, ocean shipping, freight forwarding, and warehousing. Rely on our expertise and we’ll craft individual solutions that work for you.
If you’d like to know more about services from Milan, Italy – or any point in Europe – give us a call at Colless Young. Talk to Andrew, Tel: +61 7 3890 0800 email enq@collessyoung.com.au.
