News
The Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding & Logistics (HAFFA) has announced that ten freight and logistics organizations in Hong Kong issued an urgent appeal to landlords to provide the industry with rental relief in light of the enormous negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the industry.
The freight and logistics industry is being hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with the global supply chain severely interrupted. They said, ''95% of the shipments are cancelled, put on hold or disrupted, and operators are facing unprecedented threats, tremendous risk of payment defaults and liquidity difficulties. Without timely relief from landlords' high rental costs at this critical moment, it is estimated that a substantial number of small and medium enterprises and micro companies operating within the industry will close down or go bankrupt, forcing tens of thousands of workers out of jobs.''
''The key role of freight logistics operators is to ensure the supply of food, necessities and other goods for Hong Kong citizens and communities affected by COVID-19. It is vital to the future of the industry and to the wider economy, including leasing and rental businesses, to work together to ensure survival in order to be able to maintain the delivery of shipments to users and consumers. Immediate, temporary rental relief is vital, and would go a long way towards tiding the industry over the current crisis, the forwarders bodies said.
