Deutsche Post expects sales decline in US express operations

Deutsche Post World Net AG is increasingly facing the impact of the US subprime crisis on the US economy in its express operations, Chief Executive Klaus Zumwinkel told Capital magazine in an interview to be published tomorrow.

He said he sees sales declining by a one-digit percentage, to which Deutsche Post will react by cutting costs and capacities.

Deutsche Post in November said it no longer expects to return to profitability in its US express operations by the end of 2009, as previously expected, but did not give a new date. It has posted unspecified losses since it entered the US express market in 2004.

Separately, Zumwinkel reiterated the German mail services company could sell off its banking unit Deutsche Postbank AG. ‘During the current year, we will consider how to proceed with Postbank,’ he said.

He said he preferred a German buyer for the bank.

‘Postbank is perfectly suited as an inexpensive and efficient platform on which the German capital market can advance,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Postbank could face further losses due to the US subprime woes, if the crisis spills over to other investment types such as equities, Zumwinkel said.

Deutsche Post World Net AG is increasingly facing the impact of the US subprime crisis on the US economy in its express operations, chief executive Klaus Zumwinkel told Capital magazine in an interview to be published tomorrow.

He said he sees sales declining by a one-digit percentage, to which Deutsche Post will react by cutting costs and capacities.

Deutsche Post in November said it no longer expects to return to profitability in its US express operations by the end of 2009, as previously expected, but did not give a new date. It has posted unspecified losses since it entered the US express market in 2004.

Separately, Zumwinkel reiterated the German mail services company could sell off its banking unit Deutsche Postbank AG. ‘During the current year, we will consider how to proceed with Postbank,’ he said.

He said he preferred a German buyer for the bank.

‘Postbank is perfectly suited as an inexpensive and efficient platform on which the German capital market can advance,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Postbank could face further losses due to the US subprime woes, if the crisis spills over to other investment types such as equities, Zumwinkel said.