Chinese logistics companies should use advanced technologies and better management to embrace new challenges in the industry, said Ma Zengrong, Director General of the China Logistics Technology Association. China’s logistics industry now accounts for some 7% of the nation’s GDP. It has been growing at an average annual rate of 20% over the past decade. According to statistics from the China Logistics Information Center, the industry registered year-on-year growth of 9.1% in the first eight months of this year, 0.6 percentage points lower than the same period last year. Though it showed a slight decline, compared to 2012 when growth dropped 3.8% in the period, the industry is making up ground this year, Ma said. He added that several factors are influencing the country’s logistics industry－overall economic development, market demand, technology, rising costs and pressure for environmental protection. As a result, China’s logistics industry will show several new trends. “The first trend is that the overall logistics industry will maintain good momentum,” Ma said. The second is that the industry will gradually be concentrated in the hands of a few leading enterprises that have competitive facilities, networks and management systems. With the rise of the information industry, Ma said electronic businesses will have a great impact on the logistics industry. “Information technology will make the whole logistics chain more intelligent, and the Internet of Things will have a big impact on the logistics industry,” said Ma, as reported by the China Daily.