UPS Enhances Asia Trade Connectivity as Region Looks Toward Growth

The series of service enhancements UPS revealed today impact almost 1.4 million postal codes in 41 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region, enabling worldwide connectivity for over 22 million businesses.

“At the root of the investments in our Smart Logistics Network is a simple desire to make global commerce easier for Asian businesses—because when they grow, we grow too,” said Ross McCullough, President, UPS Asia Pacific Region. “More UPS customers in the region will now be able to have their shipments sent and received in less time; they’ll be able to find us easily in more cities and towns, and they’ll be able to send shipments later in the day than before—all of which will open new opportunities for businesses in the region to trade more efficiently with the rest of the world.”

In the first half of 2019, UPS completed the following as part of its strategy to bolster economic development in the region, which is projected to account for 63 percent of global GDP growth in 2019 :

• Shenzhen Asia Pacific Air Hub upgrades increase the hub’s processing capacity by nearly 50 percent in preparation for volume gains in the coming three years.

• Transit times reduced across 2,300 trade lanes: Intercontinental transit times reduced by up to 4 days, while shipments with destinations in Asia see transit times improved by up to 2 days.

• Improved the geographic reach of UPS Worldwide Express® services, offering international shipping with time-definite deliveries in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea; Customers in Xi An, China and new provinces in Vietnam can now access UPS Worldwide Express Freight™, a guaranteed door-to-door service for palletized shipments over 70kg.

• Extended pick-up times by up to five hours for export shipments from China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, widening production windows and giving businesses additional time to fulfill customer orders.

• Strengthened supply chain flexibility with Saturday pick-up services in the U.S. enabling import shipments destined for eight markets in Asia to be delivered one day earlier than before.

“We’re seeing new realities in this region that demand not only inventive solutions, but also higher levels of service,” said Wilfredo Ramos, Vice President of Strategy, UPS Asia Pacific Region. “Businesses have come to rely on UPS’s extensive experience to help them navigate the volatile highways of trade today. Together with our brokerage capabilities, upgrades like the one at our Shenzhen Hub will give UPS the flexibility to support increases in intra-Asia trade volumes in the coming years.”

“As the emerging economies in Asia Pacific remain bullish on growth, UPS fulfills its commitment as a trade enabler to design configurable solutions that bolster our customers’ business operations and goals,” said Chris Buono, Managing Director of UPS Philippines and Indonesia. “These service enhancements, facility upgrades, and our unparalled brokerage services fortify our Global Smart Logistics Network, which businesses can use to their best advantage and be more competitive internationally.”

UPS’s Shenzhen Hub serves as a transfer point for shipments moving within the region, and the enhancements improve both reliability and quality of service provided to UPS customers in Asia. About 550 employees maintain round-the-clock operations at the hub, which houses separate sorting and handling facilities for express and cargo shipments, on-site customs office and processing – including China Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) clearance for import commodities – and a dedicated 150,000 square meter ramp with 13 aircraft parking positions. Self-operated aircraft ground-handling provides UPS, as a logistics integrator, with greater control over the 86 weekly UPS flights in and out from the hub.

UPS has operated in the Asia Pacific region since 1988, and has grown to service 41 countries and territories in the region over the past 30 years. In 2018, the company implemented the largest expansion of the UPS My Choice service since its launch, offering users enhanced visibility in 96 new countries and territories, including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam in Asia Pacific.