DHL adds LCL links between Germany and Africa
Deutsche Post’s air and ocean freight unit DHL Global Forwarding has strengthened its operations between Germany and Africa. The company has set up three new ocean freight routes to the continent, expanding its less-than-container network from the German port of Bremen to Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
It said today delivery times for LCL shipments have dropped from 31 to 25 days between Bremen and Tema in Ghana, with two days shaved off the previous 33-day transit time from Bremen to Cape Town and transit from Bremen to Mombasa now taking 45 days, rather than 49.
DHL Global said the service means faster transport, but also a 10% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for shipments.
Volker Oesau, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle Europe, said: “Movement of goods between Germany and Africa is on the upswing. We note a growing demand among our customers for transports to these emerging countries. Our LCL services take account of this demand.”
DHL Global said it is constantly expanding its LCL network, which currently boasts 45,000 internatinal line operations and almost 2m cubic metres of consolidated partial loads each year.
The company said the energy, automotive and manufacturing industries would particularly benefit from the three new ocean freight lines into Africa, with “relatively strong” business activities in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa translating into strong demand for smaller freight shipments.