Amazon may be fighting to be able to use drones in product delivery, but that doesn't mean it's not looking into other delivery methods, too.
The company's Chinese subsidiary has registered to be able to operate as an ocean freight forwarder, essentially meaning that it can now organize shipments of goods from one region, like China, for example, to another region like the U.S.
"Amazon China now has the appropriate paperwork to provide ocean freight services for other companies," said a blog post by Flexport, a San Francisco-based company that unearthed the news. "This is Amazon's first step toward entering the $350 billion ocean freight market."
While once, Amazon simply used postal services to deliver packages, it has increasingly been looking for ways to deliver packages on its own. This will ultimately enable the company to cut down on costs, which could help persuade people to purchase more on the platform. Not only that, but Flexport notes that Amazon will have an advantage over older freight forwarders by automating some of the processes required in freight forwarding, basically meaning that it can cut down on labor costs.
It's important to note that Amazon doesn't necessarily have a license to register as a freight forwarder, it has just registered to be one. A company is able to operate without a license as long as it meets regulatory requirements.
Via: Re/Code
