Paperless trade solution provider essDOCS has opened its first mainland China office in Shanghai.

The company explains that the new office will allow it to serve its growing China customer base and expand its presence in Asia Pacific. The office will be led by newly-appointed China vice-president, Raymond Sham, who will work closely with essDOCS’ other Asia Pacific offices in Singapore and Taiwan.

Sham has over 25 years’ industry experience, having previously worked for BHP Billiton in Hong Kong and China. Over the course of his career at the mining giant, he managed the distribution execution team for carbon steel materials, primarily focusing on iron ore in China, in addition to serving as network supervisor, trader manager and contract administration manager. Before joining BHP Billiton, Sham worked as sales administration officer and system co-ordinator for Aluminium Company of Canada (Alcan).

“Opening an office in the mainland has been a core priority for us due to the swift growth in the use of CargoDocs in China over the past two years,” says Alexander Goulandris, essDOCS CEO. “China continues to dominate global trade and we see our office there as central to providing a locally responsive presence that supports Chinese customer success and improves local understanding of the far-reaching benefits of paperless trade.”

The Shanghai office is essDOCS’ eighth global office.