DHL Introduces Weekly Direct LCL New York City-South Africa Service

DURBAN, South Africa, July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- New offering serves 18 destinations in Southern Africa

DHL, the world's leading logistics company, announces it is now offering a new direct Less than Container Load (LCL) (Note 1) service from New York City to Durban, South Africa. This service will serve as a gateway for U.S. customers interested in breaking into the African market with the option of transporting small amounts of cargo. The LCL weekly service schedule that went into effect June 23, 2011 will have sailings every Thursday from New York City.  

(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2010/09/02/20100902467742-l.jpg )

This service will allow U.S. exporters and Southern African importers to ship cargo to and from New York City directly, rather than routing via Europe. This weekly guaranteed service will reduce transit times, freight costs and carbon footprint, ultimately benefiting customers interested in growing their business in the African market. Through this service, customers will be able to target Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa, Gaborone in Botswana, Maputo, Beira & Nacala in Mozambique, Harare in Zimbabwe, Lusaka in Zambia, Port Louis in Mauritius, Maseru in Lesotho, Manzini in Swaziland, Luderitz and Walvis Bay in Namibia, Luanda and Cabinda in Angola and Matadi in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Amadou Diallo, CEO, Africa and South Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding, said, "Trade increase between the U.S. and Africa is on the rise. According to the International Trade Administration, in the first quarter of this year U.S. exports to Sub Saharan Africa increased by 30 percent compared with the same period last year (Note 2). DHL Global Forwarding definitely sees potential in the U.S-Africa trade lane."

The Port of Durban handled over 74 million tons of cargo during the 2008/2009 fiscal year, with some of its main commodities including corn, metals, minerals, and oil and petroleum products, among others.  

According to Joseph Oguta, Director of Ocean Freight and Head of LCL Management Africa, "Durban is the largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphere, and is the ideal gateway for U.S. customers interested in breaking into the African market with the option of transporting small amounts of cargo."

Marc Meier, Senior Vice President, Ocean Freight & Head of Global LCL, DHL Global Forwarding, said, "DHL currently operates the world's largest LCL network with close to 2,000,000 cubic meters of LCL freight handled annually via 45,000 point-pairs. As America aims at doubling its exports over the next few years, DHL is in prime position to help our U.S. customers reach farther internationally, and with this new service, help them trade with Africa more easily and efficiently."

As a global leader in LCL, DHL carries more than 97 percent of its total volumes in house. The in-house systems and strong global network enables the control of cargo flow, information flow, speed, accuracy, cost efficiency and reliability. Going beyond port to port, DHL LCL service also offers a complete end-to-end supply chain management that includes pick-up at origin, consolidation and deconsolidation, delivery at destination and customs clearance.

All LCL services are accompanied by DHL's first-class IT solutions such as DHL Track & Trace and other tools to allow full visibility throughout the whole supply chain. For complete peace of mind, DHL also provides insurance services to customers as a value-added service. DHL's Shippers Interest Insurance (SII) covers losses or damages of all cargo transported by DHL, as well as transportation costs.

- End -

DHL - The Logistics company for the world

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and "The Logistics company for the world". DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 275,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 51 billion euros in 2010.

For the latest news and happenings about DHL in Asia Pacific, visit http://press.ap.dhl.com.

   

    Note 1: Less than Container Load (LCL) refers to smaller amounts of ocean
            freight cargo that are insufficient to fill a Full Container Load
            (FCL) on its own. The service is widely used by customers across
            many industries as it offers greater flexibility in the management
            of supply chains by being able to ship smaller quantities on a
            timelier basis.
    Note 2: International Trade Administration, http://www.agoa.gov/build/
            groups/public/@agoa_main/documents/webcontent/
            agoa_main_003358.pdf