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UK Business Post experiences more suffering as trading fears persist

Fears that trading at Business Post Group may have deteriorated since last month’s shock profits warning pulled the FTSE 250 mail operator down a further 5 per cent. At the time of last month’s alert, the company said the rate of decline in volumes in its UK parcel delivery service had slowed from August’s trough. However, Altium Securities remains cautious, suggesting that continued gloom from the retail and technology sectors indicates that the key Christmas period may be poor. Further, Andrew Nussey, analyst, believes there is a risk that selective price rises in delivery charges will not stick as business customers become more cost conscious.

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Dempsey threatens to remove Irish An Post’s monopoly

The Government is threatening to remove the final part of An Post’s letter post monopoly if the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) goes ahead with industrial action at the troubled State company.

With a ballot already underway for strike action that is likely to disrupt the mail in the busy pre-Christmas period, Government sources said that the Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey was minded to remove the monopoly immediately instead of waiting until an EU directive takes force in 2009.

Such an action would cause severe commercial difficulties for An Post in the long run, as it would free the hand of rival private sector companies to introduce their own mail services in big urban areas.

Despite the difficulties that such action would prompt for An Post, Government sources said the Minister believes that no alternative course is open to him as any intervention in the company’s industrial relations process would be in breach of social partnership.

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UPS set to report higher results, despite fuel costs

Fighting high fuel costs in the air and on the ground, UPS Inc. is still expected to report higher earnings next week when the shipper turns in its third-quarter results.

Analysts expect UPS to earn 86 cents a share, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson First Call. Revenue is forecast at USD10.369 billion. Last year, the company earned 70 cents a share, according to First Call.

Against the backdrop of high fuel prices, competition is not relenting on any front. When rival FedEx Corp. reported its first-quarter results in late September, the company raised its outlook for the fiscal year even though fuel remains volatile.

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UK Postal regulator warns off government price control proposals

The postal services regulator has warned the government not to interfere in its fight with Royal Mail over future price controls, in spite of the fact the controls will be crucial in determining the financial health of the state-owned company.

Sarah Chambers, chief executive of Postcomm, said Sir George Bain – who is reviewing Royal Mail’s future for the government – had been told any arbitration between the regulator and the company had by law to be carried out by the Competition Commission.

“The discussions we’ve had with Sir George have made it clearer what he’s not going to be doing – he’s not trying to determine our price control or somehow act as an arbitrator,” Ms Chambers told the Financial Times. Asked if Sir George was acting as a go-between, she said: “I think at the beginning that might have been the way they saw it but we made it clear that was not as we saw it.”

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Deutsche Post expands in India with DHL

With bags of optimism and a lot of money, German postal company Deutsche Post is getting into the world’s fasting growing logistics market with its subsidiary DHL.

A key region in their Asian expansion strategy is India, which, like its neighbour China, has high levels of growth. Deutsche Post chairman Klaus Zumwinkel, recently opening a logistics HQ in Bombay, announced increased involvement in India and the whole Asia-Pacific area. Around 250 million dollars is invested there every year.

The Bonn-based company, which already has half of its turnover abroad, is set to become the clear world market leader in logistics (air and sea freight and contract logistics) with the agreed takeover of the British firm Exel. Zumwinkel said the takeover is due to be completed by December. He sees Asia as the engine of growth to cement this leading position.

“Asia is the world’s strongest growth market for us,” he notes.

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GLS Portugal commences operation

General Logistics Systems BV, Amsterdam (GLS), and its Portuguese network partner, Personalis SA, headquartered in Lisbon, have founded a joint venture – GLS Portugal. The agreements were signed on September 23rd and operations will start on November 1st. “The GLS holds 51 per cent of the company”, explains Rico Back, Chief Executive Officer of General Logistics Systems BV, Amsterdam. “With our entrepreneurial effort we are strengthening our position in Portugal.”

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DHL Danzas Lemuir further enhances network infrastructure with new corporate office in Mumbai, India

DHL Danzas Air & Ocean announced today the opening of its new DHL Danzas Lemuir headquarters in Mumbai, India. The new enlarged headquarters is a testament to the strategic importance that DHL places on India, touted as the next growth engine of the world. DHL Danzas Lemuir employs over 300 staff and has 17 offices and warehouse facilities in major cities in India, with three more offices scheduled to open in 2006. DHL has been building its logistics presence and strengthening its leadership position in India for almost 40 years, when the company commenced working with Lemuir. Over the last three years, it has invested USD250 million in the country, including setting up DHL Danzas Lemuir, a joint venture company with the Lemuir Group since 2003. “India has experienced phenomenal growth rates in recent years and the prospects for the next few years look just as magnificent” said Dr Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman, DPWN at the opening of the new logistics headquarters.

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