Expeditors & Apple
Expeditors International manages a significant portion of Apple's global freight forwarding, primarily for air freight of high-value components and finished goods during iPhone launch periods. Apple charters cargo aircraft to move components from Asia to assembly sites and then finished devices to distribution centers around the world, and Expeditors coordinates much of this logistics infrastructure.
Why it matters: The economics of Apple's supply chain require extremely fast transit of high-value, low-weight components like chips and displays. Air freight costs are significant but justified given that each day of supply chain delay on iPhone launch represents hundreds of millions of dollars in deferred revenue. Expeditors' customs expertise and carrier relationships reduce clearance delays at borders.