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Logistics Execs Wary of 2024 Recession and Overreliance on China

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Majority plan Africa expansion despite guarded outlook on emerging markets 

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global logistics executives, still worried about recession, say they are battling higher costs, reducing dependence on sourcing from China, and planning to boost investment in Africa despite seeing emerging markets investment overall as somewhat riskier.

Half of the 830 industry professionals surveyed for the 2024 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index expect a global recession in the coming year – down from nearly 70% a year ago.

More than 63% of respondents say their companies continue overhauling supply chains by spreading production to multiple locations or relocating it to home markets and nearby countries. China, the world’s leading producer, stands to be most affected: 37.4% of industry professionals say they plan move production/sourcing out of China or reduce investment there.

“Shippers and carriers are struggling to minimize supply chain risk and find new growth opportunities. Inflation and recession risks have eased, but the industry is still living with the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic. At the same time, businesses are worried about geopolitics — troubled trade relations between China and the U.S. and Europe, and the thicket of sanctions against a growing number of countries,” says Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan.

The survey and Index are Agility’s 15th annual snapshot of industry sentiment and ranking of the world’s 50 leading emerging markets. The Index ranks countries for overall competitiveness based on their logistics strengths, business climates and digital readiness — factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, air and ocean carriers, distributors and investors.

Shipping and logistics costs that soared during the COVID pandemic and its aftermath are still climbing but at a slower rate, the survey found. One way shippers expect to cope is by increasing use of digital freight forwarding from 37.8% today to 52% in five years.

Meantime, the industry is gearing up for a surge in Africa investment. Nearly 62% of professionals say their companies are planning additional or first-time investments in Africa vs. only about 7% exiting or scaling back there.

China and India, the world’s two largest countries, held their spots at No. 1 and 2 in the overall rankings. UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vietnam, Mexico, and Thailand  rounded out the top 10. No. 24 South Africa and 25 Kenya were highest among countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Three of the four countries offering the best emerging markets business conditions are situated in the Arabian Gulf: UAE (1), Saudi Arabia (3) and Qatar (4). Malaysia (2) and Jordan (5) both moved up in the business fundamentals rankings.

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China and India were tops for domestic and international logistics. In digital readiness, China jumped three spots to No. 1, followed by UAE, Malaysia and Qatar. India fell from the top spot a year ago to No. 5 this year.

Outside of the top 10, many of the biggest swings in year-to-year rankings involved countries experiencing conflict, facing international economic sanctions, or suffering from chronic economic instability. Among them: Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia, Argentina, Lebanon, Tunisia.

2024 Index Highlights

SURVEY

  • Supply chain restructuringIndia, Europe and North America rank ahead of China as destinations executives expect to move production to in 2024 and onwards.
  • China – 40% expect their businesses to be less reliant on China in five years. Leading factors in decisions to de-risk in China: difficulty of doing business; U.S.-China trade friction; a slowing economy; the harshness of China’s COVID restrictions.
  • Climate change – 66% say climate change is something they’re planning for, or already affecting their businesses.
  • Emerging markets – the largest percentage sees increased risk/decreased rewards in emerging markets.
  • India – many see India growing in importance as a producer and market, but cite inadequate infrastructure and corruption as the biggest obstacles there.

COUNTRY RANKINGS

  • In the Middle East and North Africa, overall rankings were: UAE (3); Saudi Arabia (6); Qatar (7); Turkey (11); Oman (15); Bahrain (16); Jordan (17); Egypt (20); Kuwait (21); Morocco (22); Tunisia (37); Lebanon (38); Iran (40); Algeria (42); Libya (50).
  • Rankings in Sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa (24); Kenya (25); Ghana (31); Nigeria (36); Tanzania (41); Uganda (43); Ethiopia (45); Mozambique (46); Angola (47).
  • Index rankings in Asia: China (1); India (2); Malaysia (4); Indonesia (5); Vietnam (8); Thailand (10); Philippines (18); Kazakhstan (23); Sri Lanka (26); Pakistan (29); Cambodia (32); Bangladesh (33); Myanmar (49).
  • Rankings for Latin America: Mexico (9); Chile (12); Brazil (14); Uruguay (19); Peru (28); Colombia (27); Argentina (30); Ecuador (35); Paraguay (39); Bolivia (44); Venezuela (48).
  • In Europe: Russia (13); Ukraine (34).

Transport Intelligence (Ti), a leading analysis and research firm for the logistics industry, has compiled the Index since it was launched in 2009.

John Manners-Bell, Chief Executive of Ti, said: “Supply chain managers are still coming to terms with the political and economic instability characterising the post-COVID global economy. Geopolitical relationships are changing rapidly, and this is having a major impact on international trade and risk profiles. Businesses need to be alive to the opportunities and threats that exist in emerging markets and use data, such as that the Agility Emerging Market Logistics Index, to inform agile decision-making.”

2024 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index: agility.com/2024index

About Agility

Agility is a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation with 45,000+ employees across six continents. A multi-business operator and investor, Agility specializes in growing and scaling operating businesses. Agility’s companies include the world’s largest aviation services company (Menzies Aviation); a global fuel logistics business (Tristar); the market leader in logistics parks across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa (Agility Logistics Parks); and a commercial real-estate company developing a mega-mall in the UAE (UPAC). Other Agility companies offer customs digitization services, remote-site infrastructure services, defense and government services, and ecommerce-enablement and digital logistics. Agility invests in supply chain innovation, sustainability, and resilience, and has minority holdings in a growing portfolio of listed and non-listed companies.

For more information about Agility, visit: www.agility.com

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BingX Introduces ALTCOIN Index Futures Trading: One Click, Countless Trends

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VILNIUS, Lithuania, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, is excited to announce the launch of ALTCOIN Index, the first futures trading pair involving top altcoins. This innovative trading product offers users a one-click solution to efficiently track and trade major cryptocurrency trends with ease.

Traditionally used in stock markets, a futures index is a financial derivative that tracks the performance of a group of assets, such as stocks of commodities. These instruments were first introduced to simplify trading by allowing investors to speculate on or hedge against the collective movements of selected market sectors. Instead of purchasing individual stocks, traders are able to access broad market exposure in a single transaction, saving time and reducing costs.

In the cryptocurrency market, this new ALTCOIN/USDT futures trading pair works similarly by bundling the performance of the top mainstream cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoins. The current index includes ETH, XRP, SOL, BNB, DOGE, ADA, TRX, AVAX, and SHIB. This approach is more efficient compared to buying individual cryptocurrencies or ETFs as this allows for direct speculation using tiered leverage options without the need to manage multiple positions, effectively diversifying trading risks associated with individual asset volatility.

Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer of BingX, commented on the new offering: “By aggregating a range of leading cryptocurrencies into a single trading instrument, we’re giving users a practical and efficient way to better capture market trends. This index trading pair should help our less experienced users with their trading goals more easily, particularly when they are unsure which asset to trade and just want to trade major altcoins in general with leverage.”

BingX users can take advantage of tiered leverage options and competitive rates consistent with the platform’s perpetual futures terms, simplifying open order management and enhancing trading efficiency. The platform also ensures that the index composition remains current, with regular quarterly adjustments and temporary updates in response to market conditions.

About BingX
Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading crypto exchange, serving over 10 million users worldwide. BingX offers diversified products and services, including spot, derivatives, copy trading, and asset management – all designed for the evolving needs of users, from beginners to professionals. BingX is committed to providing a trustworthy platform that empowers users with innovative tools and features to elevate their trading proficiency. In 2024, BingX proudly became the official crypto exchange partner of Chelsea Football Club, marking an exciting debut in the world of sports.

For more information please visit: https://bingx.com/

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Nodepay Raises $7M Total Funding To Power AI Growth with Real-Time Data Infrastructure

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SINGAPORE, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nodepay, a decentralized AI platform transforming unused internet bandwidth into real-time data pipelines for AI training, today announced it has raised a second round of funding, bringing its total to $7 million.

The latest funding round welcomed new strategic investors IDG Capital ($23 Billion AUM), Mythos, Elevate Ventures, IBC, Optic Capital, Funders.VC, Matthew Tan (Etherscan founder) and Yusho Liu (CoinHako Co-founder & CEO) as notable angels. They join an impressive roster of previous backers that includes Animoca Brands, Mirana, OKX Ventures, JUMP Crypto, Tokenbay Capital and more.

Nodepay’s network taps into a global community of users running privacy-protected nodes. By sharing their spare internet bandwidth, these participants earn rewards for creating a real-time data source that improves AI inference with accurate, timely information—an approach known as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).

Darren Nguyen, co-founder of Nodepay commented: “Our mission is to develop solutions that create tangible value for both AI developers and its end users. We give contributors a share in the AI ecosystem they help fundamentally build.”

Nodepay’s infrastructure platform integrates real-time data retrieval, a Web3-focused decentralized answer engine, reinforcement learning for more accurate model output, and gamified human verification. Together, these components combine to create a fair, collaborative, and innovative AI ecosystem.

Eric Le, investment director of IDG Capital, said, “The team at Nodepay is democratizing the AI economy by providing a platform that allows users to share directly in the value they create. We’re proud to support their vision of making AI more accessible and beneficial to all.”

With this funding, Nodepay will continue to commercialize its infrastructure to benefit both its community and partner AI labs. As it prepares to launch on Solana, Nodepay stands ready to lead the next era of decentralized AI development and training.

Already serving over 1.5 million active users worldwide, Nodepay continues to expand its reach, solidifying its role as a leader in the integration of AI and blockchain technology. Users can expect further updates and new announcements through their social channels and official website.

About Nodepay
Nodepay is a decentralized AI platform dedicated to democratizing AI training through real-time data retrieval. By turning idle internet bandwidth into a valuable resource, Nodepay fuels the next generation of AI models and stands at the forefront of AI decentralization.

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SM approaches 2025 with cautious optimism

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PASAY CITY, Philippines, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The SM Group is approaching the coming year with cautious optimism, encouraged by the continued growth of the Philippine economy.

SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said that despite ongoing challenges of peso volatility and higher inflation, the business sector has adapted well.

Consistent demand sustained household spending in the third quarter, with Household Final Consumption Expenditure posting a year-on-year growth of 5.1%, maintaining the same level in the same quarter last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

“Any moderation in inflation should trigger a strong confidence rebound. This could create opportunities in consumer-focused sectors in the country and we are poised to cater to these evolving demands,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

To cater to growing demand, SM continues to expand into more underserved areas, contributing to sustainable economic development and collaborating with government stakeholders to enhance access to modern retail, financial services, and integrated property developments.

“By investing and expanding to more areas nationwide, SM creates new markets and improves access to these essential sectors, serving more communities and helping stimulate sustained economic activities,” he said.

Mr. DyBuncio also said SM continues to invest in promising ventures such as renewable energy and logistics, that foster economic activity.

SM has invested in the clean energy industry through Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC) which produces 300 Megawatts of geothermal steam supply. SM aims to continue to develop geothermal concessions through PGPC in support of the Department of Energy’s goal of reaching 50% renewable energy supply by 2040.

To encourage circularity towards green energy production, SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings partnered with GUUN Co. Ltd. (GUUN) to implement the Japanese technique of reducing landfill impact. The technology converts non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle packaging into alternative fuel.

SM’s banking arm, BDO Unibank is one of the largest funders of renewable energy projects. BDO has funded PHP898 billion in sustainable finance, including loans to 59 renewable energy projects as of December 2023. 

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In logistics and tourism, the improvement of transport networks across the country’s archipelago connects tourist and industrial areas that will help create inclusive growth. SM though its subsidiary 2GO launched MV Masigla and MV Masikap in 2024 to help better connect goods to 19 ports across the country including Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Manila, further supporting the government’s push for medium term growth through an upgraded tourism infrastructure and ecosystem.

“Our focus for 2025 will be to drive purposeful growth, empowering communities and partners through our investments towards a sustainable future,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

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