DHL: Latin America is becoming increasingly important

Ongoing geopolitical tensions and shifts in global shipping routes have exposed vulnerabilities in traditional trade lanes, prompting shippers to seek more resilient, high-efficiency routing through LATAM. Uruguay stands uniquely positioned to capture this shift. Located at the intersection of Atlantic shipping routes and the Southern Cone’s primary inland waterways, the country serves as a strategic gateway connecting Mercosur, North America, and key international markets. DHL Global Forwarding’s expansion into Montevideo builds on this advantageous location alongside Uruguay’s robust Free Port framework and expanding deep-water infrastructure, enabling agile freight solutions that help mitigate global bottlenecks and improve access to LATAM’s high-growth markets. The acquisition also underscores DHL Group’s Strategy 2030 ambition to accelerate sustainable growth through targeted investments in high-growth markets and evolving trade corridors.

With more than 58 years of experience in the South American logistics sector and a 33-year relationship with DHL Group, Aero Cargas S.A. brings expertise in air and ocean freight, industrial project logistics, land transport and customized multimodal services. The company has also developed a strong track-record in Free Trade Zone operations, pharmaceutical and regional inventory management.

By transforming a long-standing partnership into a wholly owned operation, DHL Global Forwarding is expanding its ability to support customers across LATAM. Combining local knowledge with DHL’s global network will provide customers with greater supply chain flexibility, improved market access, and a broader portfolio of logistics solutions.

Strengthening specialized logistics offerings

Oscar de Bok, CEO DHL Global Forwarding: “Latin America is becoming increasingly important as companies diversify supply chains and strengthen regional distribution networks. With Aero Cargas S.A., we are establishing DHL Global Forwarding’s first direct presence in Uruguay and are adding a strategic logistics platform that enhances connectivity across the Americas. Beyond expanding our geographic footprint, Aero Cargas S.A. strengthens our capabilities in Life Sciences & Healthcare, Free Trade Zone logistics and industrial project forwarding. Together, we are creating a stronger platform for customers across the Southern Cone, combining global reach with deep local expertise and operational excellence.”

The acquisition enhances DHL Global Forwarding’s strengths in Life Sciences & Healthcare through pharmaceutical logistics know-how, regional inventory consolidation services and an established healthcare customer base. It also adds further depth in industrial project logistics and multimodal transportation, supporting customers across a range of high-value sectors. This comes at an opportune time as Uruguay’s data center sector continues to expand, anchored by massive investments from multinational tech giants and state-backed AI infrastructure, cementing the country’s status as a premier South American digital hub. DHL is known for its expertise in complex, specialized logistics required to import and deploy heavy machinery, cooling systems, and advanced technology components key to the data center operations.

Erik Meade, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Latin America: “Expanding into Uruguay directly accelerates the execution of our dedicated Life Sciences & Healthcare strategy. In 2025, DHL Group announced an investment plan of EUR 2 billion, with about 10% expected to be invested in Latin America. Establishing a direct presence in Montevideo allows us to place part of that investment where our healthcare customers need these services most. More than $1 billion worth of pharmaceuticals moves through Uruguay annually, as global pharma brands increasingly rely on the country as their regional distribution center for Latin America. As Uruguay serves as a key regional distribution hub for active ingredients and finished products arriving from Europe and North America to be reprocessed, repackaged, and re-exported to markets like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia, this step ensures our clients can immediately tap into our specialized capabilities to navigate Latin America’s most critical supply chains.”

Building on a trusted partnership

“Over the past three decades, our partnership with DHL has allowed us to build strong customer relationships and develop specialized logistics capabilities,” said Natalia Sadurskas, General Manager of Aero Cargas S.A. “Joining DHL Global Forwarding marks an exciting new chapter for our employees and customers. Together, we will be able to offer even greater reach, operational excellence, and service solutions across Latin America and globally.”

Aero Cargas S.A. will become part of the DHL Global Forwarding Peru-Ecuador-Argentina-Chile (PAC) cluster led by Eduardo Rodrigues, CEO PAC DHL Global Forwarding. All employees of the former company will transition to DHL Global Forwarding.