Retailers and consumer goods companies in the developed world are increasingly shifting logistics operations from their home countries to China. Goods are sorted, labelled and even placed in displays for direct shipment to individual stores before leaving Chinese ports.

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Robert Wright on the outsourcing of logistics to China

Shipping lines, logistics companies and warehouse operators say costs spur customers to move the sorting process away from consuming countries, continuing the outsourcing trend to lower-wage economies that began with manufacturing going to China.