LX Pantos has entered into a strategic partnership with Sinotrans, China’s largest logistics company, to establish a Korea–China joint venture aimed at capturing the rapidly growing sea-air multimodal transport market. The new entity, named FutureLinks, will leverage accelerating e-commerce cargo flows from China to strengthen Incheon’s role as a premier logistics hub in Northeast Asia.
JV Agreement Signed in Beijing
On November 13, LX Pantos announced the signing of the joint venture agreement at Sinotrans’ headquarters in Beijing. The ceremony was attended by LX Pantos CEO Lee Yong-ho, Sinotrans Chairman Zhang Yi, and senior executives from both companies.
Sinotrans, China’s top global logistics enterprise and the world’s No. 1 ocean freight forwarder, handled 4.87 million TEUs in 2024. Under the agreement, LX Pantos will hold a 60% stake, while Sinotrans will retain 40% in FutureLinks.
Building a Sea-Air Transshipment Network Centered on Incheon
The joint venture will establish a transshipment network along the Incheon–Weihai corridor, one of the most critical logistics routes between Korea and China. It will provide integrated end-to-end logistics solutions spanning major global consumption markets, including North America and Europe.
FutureLinks’ operating model transports cargo from locations across China to Korean ports by sea, followed by air transport from Incheon International Airport to destinations worldwide. Amid rapidly growing e-commerce volumes, China’s domestic air logistics capacity has become constrained, reinforcing Incheon’s strategic importance as a competitive sea-air hub.
Incheon Airport, with connections to 192 global destinations, handled 118,000 tons of multimodal cargo in 2024, up roughly 20% year on year, highlighting strong market momentum.
Capturing Rising Multimodal Demand
By combining LX Pantos’s global network and air cargo expertise with Sinotrans’s massive freight forwarding capacity, the companies aim to position FutureLinks as Northeast Asia’s leading sea-air logistics provider and capitalize on fast-growing transshipment demand.
Executive Commentary
“This collaboration marks a new growth model to preempt the Northeast Asia transshipment market and represents the culmination of our long-standing strategic partnership,” said LX Pantos CEO Lee Yong-ho. “The surge in e-commerce cargo from China will further enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s logistics industry.”
Sinotrans Chairman Zhang Yi commented, “LX Pantos is Korea’s leading logistics company, with strong air cargo capabilities and an extensive global network. Together, we will create new synergies in the Korea–China multimodal transport market.”
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