FedEx Express to acquire express business of Chinese transportation company DTW Group

FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) announced today that its FedEx Express unit had signed an agreement with Tianjin Datian W. Group Co., Ltd. ("DTW Group") to acquire DTW Group's 50 percent share of the FedEx-DTW International Priority express joint venture and DTW Group's domestic express network in China for US$400 million. FedEx and DTW Group entered into a joint venture agreement in 1999. JPMorgan acted as exclusive financial advisor to FedEx. PricewaterhouseCoopers acted as exclusive financial advisor to DTW Group.

The acquisition will include:

— DTW Group's 50 percent share in the International Priority express joint venture, converting the joint venture into a wholly FedEx-owned company;

— The DTW Group assets used to perform International Priority services; and

— DTW Group domestic express assets from 89 DTW Group locations.

Upon closing, FedEx will employ more than 6,000 people in China. The transaction is subject to customary conditions, including government approvals and licensing.

"China is changing the world's economic landscape, and FedEx has been part of this great change since we established express operations in China more than 20 years ago," said Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corp. "This strategic investment in the long-term growth of China will broaden and deepen our relationship by improving access to important markets, fueling economic development for years to come."

"Since we began our partnership in 1999, FedEx and DTW have created a standard of service unparalleled in China," said Wang Shusheng, chairman of the board and founder of DTW Group. "With China's rapid growth, its entry into the World Trade Organization, and the transformation of the business climate, the marketplace in China is developing rapidly. We are confident that this move will help position the company and its employees to take advantage of future opportunities in China." DTW Group will continue to operate international freight forwarding, general cargo transport and merchandise distribution businesses.

"This acquisition deepens our engagement with the China market. Our customers will benefit from seamless access to key areas worldwide, including China's second and third tier cities," said David L. Cunningham Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. "Cities outside the eastern seaboard, like Wuhan – which is itself twice the population of Los Angeles – are a crucial part of growing China's economy and vital to the long-term growth of FedEx in this region."

FedEx has embraced China's consistent progress in deregulating its market under World Trade Organization protocols. Reliable transportation networks are a critical part of the government's development plan and, as wealth spreads, must extend beyond major cities. The U.S.-China Business Council reported that a majority of China-based companies said gaps in China's transportation networks diminished their competitiveness.

Earlier this month, China reported that exports in 2005 reached a record US$762 billion, a year-over-year increase of 28 percent. Imports rose to US$660 billion, an increase of nearly 18 percent over the previous year. Total foreign trade in 2005 exceeded US$1.4 trillion, making China the world's third largest foreign trading power. It is the second largest domestic air cargo market in the world and is expected to be the fastest-growing market for air cargo, averaging more than 10 percent growth per year between 2003 and 2023.

"China's economy is expected to continue its extended cycle of strong growth, thanks to the pivotal role it plays in the global supply chain," said Gene Huang, FedEx chief economist and Shanghai native. "China's solid manufacturing base is essential to neighboring Asian economies, which export key electronic components. Its emerging middle class and growing consumerism will continue to attract capital goods and luxury items from the rest of the world."

Benefits for China

With this acquisition, FedEx will build upon beneficial relations it has established within China. The business experience gained from operating in this dynamic market will allow FedEx to better serve local businesses with an expanded suite of transportation solutions.

In this expanded role, FedEx employees will be able to contribute more fully in the communities where they live and work in China. FedEx has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in shipping and direct contributions to support causes such as health, education and the arts in China.

China also will benefit from the FedEx tradition of recruiting local employees and training them for management positions. In 2005, FedEx was ranked among the Top Ten "Best Companies To Work For" in China by Hewitt Associates. Of the FedEx Express-DTW Co., Ltd. managers in China, more than 80 percent are Chinese citizens.

FedEx: A history of leadership in China

This acquisition underscores the ongoing FedEx commitment to China and bolsters FedEx leadership in the global, air cargo industry. For example, FedEx:

— Was the first express air carrier to enter the market in 1984;

— Was the first express carrier to directly serve China with its own aircraft in 1996;

— Launched the express industry's first direct flight from mainland China to Europe in March 2005;

— Initiated the first overnight express link between India and China in September 2005;

— Was the first express transportation company to be linked electronically with China customs;

— Currently serves China with 23 frequencies per week, the most of any cargo airline, and plans to add three more in March;

— Connects more than 200 Chinese cities to the FedEx international network and plans to add 100 additional cities during the next few years;

— Will employ more than 6,000 workers in China when the acquisition is complete; and

— Earlier this month broke ground on a new US$150 million Asia Pacific hub in the southern China city of Guangzhou that will employ about 1,200 workers.

About FedEx Express

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., connects areas that generate 90% of the world's gross domestic product in one to three business days with door-to-door, customs-cleared service and a money-back guarantee. The company's unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure make it the world's largest express transportation company, providing fast, reliable and time definite transportation of approximately 3.2 million packages to more than 220 countries and territories each working day. FedEx Express has more than 140,000 employees and has approximately 51,000 drop-off locations, 677 aircraft and 43,000 motorized vehicles in its integrated, global network.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of US$31 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brands. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 260,000 employees and contractors to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information about this acquisition, visit www.fedex.com.

FedEx buys out venture partner CHINA
Financial Times UK, London Ed1, Sec. COMPANIES ASIA-PACIFIC, p 30 01-25-2006
By By ANDREW YEH
BEIJING

FedEx, the global express mail carrier, yesterday announced the purchase of its Chinese joint-venture partner's 50 per cent stake for Dollars 400m as part of its continued expansion into the country's domestic mail and package delivery business.

US-based FedEx said it would buy Tianjin Datian W. Group's stake in the venture, called FedEx-DTW International Priority, turning it into a wholly foreign-owned enterprise.

FedEx, along with several other international express mail companies based in the US and Europe, is seeking to broaden services to medium-sized markets in China, some of which are far away from the wealthier eastern seaboard.

FedEx will assume control of DTW Group's domestic express assets in 89 locations around the country. The purchase needs final regulatory approval.

DTW Group operates international freight, general cargo and merchandise distribution operations in the country. These services will continue after the sale to FedEx.

FedEx is implementing an aggressive strategy in China. The company, which after the purchase will employ some 6,000 people in the country, broke ground this month on a Dollars 150m Asian hub in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. About a fifth of its total China workforce will be based there.

The company said it now had services to more than 200 Chinese cities and would target another 100 over the next five years, many of which are second or third- tier cities.

David Cunningham, president of FedEx for Asia Pacific, said heavily-populated cities such as Wuhan, a booming metropolis in inland Hubei province, could become a vital part of the company's future plans in China. "There's a whole domestic segment out there," he said of central and western cities.

Logistic services to and from some locations in such parts of China can be challenging. But the Chinese government has been determined to boost spending on large infrastructure projects in those areas.

Mr Cunningham said the latest purchase would give FedEx access to many of DTW Group's on-the-ground pick-up and delivery operations in China.