The new group also includes the European Shippers' Council (ESC). The signing took place in Surabaya, Indonesia. The joint statement pledges cooperation "in the field of air freight, maritime transport and trade facilitation." According to the partners, the GSA will engage in "constructive dialogue" with national governments, supranational bodies, non-governmental organizations, transportation organizations and groups of logistic services providers. AAEI and ESC have been working together on global issues since 2013.
