GERMAN ONLINE SHIPPING AUCTION REPORTS 40,000-TEU VOLUME

GERMAN ONLINE SHIPPING AUCTION REPORTS 40,000-TEU VOLUME    GloMaP.com, an electronic shipping marketplace provider based in Germany, said that it has placed 40,000 TEUs worth of containerized shipments since its launch last June.
   During the second half of 2000, the Hamburg-based marketplace operator handled freight transactions of more than DM200 million ($96 million), GloMapo.com said.
   The online marketplace covers the transatlantic, Asia/Europe and other main European trade routes, and its users are based in Germany, Korea and other countries.
   The main cargoes placed through the online exchange are container, breakbulk, project and heavy-lift cargoes.
   “Such figures mean that we are getting very close to the critical volume,” a spokesman for the company said.
   GloMap. com reported that more than 2,500 customers signed up under www.glomap.com in the first six months of operation, and each cargo placed has received an average of two bids by carriers.
   Commenting on trends in its business, GloMap.com reported that more and more customers place cargoes on the market place for a long-term period, that is to say yearly contracts.
   The German company’s report of strong volume follows the closure of several other online freight auctions in container shipping.
   “Certainly there are difficulties with the general Internet situation, setbacks in the stock markets and consolidation in business-to-business transactions,” said Markus Giesenkirchen, managing director of the German firm. “But GloMaP.com has a sound financial backing, works cost-consciously and produces a satisfying turnover,” he added.