For years I’ve been going to the local post office in China to send off express letters; or, I’ve called a local private carrier to come to the office to pick up and deliver parcels of the same paperclip weights. Local providers, for the most part, have been quick and efficient handling my letter-sized packets. All that changed in October of last year with the Chinese government’s implementation of a law barring private companies – domestic and foreign – from competing with the State in the express letter market. Though it seems like a government plot against foreign companies, I see the move as more of guojinmintui; literally, “the state advances as the private sector recedes”.

The China supply chain and logistics magazine Chaina, based in Shanghai, this month carried my first column on China’s supply chain and logistics scene. This month, I talk about the impact the new law is having on Chinese private businesses and the large international parcel delivery services like UPS, FedEx and DHL. You’ll find the magazine here, with the article on page 16 of the online (and print) publication.