UPS now offers express service inside 16 additional countries
Shippers will be able to consolidate all of their package delivery services with one carrier, effectively eliminating multiple shipping processes.
Read MoreTag: Chile
Chilean Postal Workers demand a stop to lay offs
In light of this situation, the union has engaged in a relentless fight in defence of the jobs of its members.
Read MoreChile, Spain and Uruguay launch new electronic money transfer service through postal network
Chile, Spain and Uruguay launched a new electronic money transfer service linking their countries, bringing Latin America into the fold of the Universal Postal Union’s international financial network.
People in all three countries will now be able to use the postal network to send and receive money to and from abroad. The service is currently offered in 110 post offices in Chile, in 2,300 in Spain and in 60 in Uruguay. The service is fast and secure; money transfers can be executed and delivered in 15 minutes.
The service relies on the International Financial System (IFS) application developed by the UPU’s Postal Technology Centre. IFS is the backbone of the UN specialized agency’s international financial network. The launch of the new service between Spain and Latin America is part of the UPU’s global efforts to modernize the obsolete paper postal money order and respond to some of the challenges posed by the phenomenon of international migration, including better access for migrant workers to secure remittance services through formal channels, such as the 660,000 or more post offices around the world.
According to World Bank data, more than 220 million migrant workers send over 300 billion dollars annually through formal channels. But officials believe that just as many remittances are being sent through informal channels, promoting money laundering and financing terrorist-related activities. Spain is home to 4.5 million immigrants, 1.6 million of them from Latin America. In 2006, these immigrants sent in excess of 6.25 billion euros to their families in their countries of origin, according to the Bank of Spain. By joining the UPU’s international financial network, Spain will be better able to meet the needs of this Latin American population, and there is now the potential for opening exchanges with countries in North Africa.
The new service is being launched following an agreement signed last December between Spain and the UPU.
Read MoreDHL expands product portfolio in Latin America
DHL introduced the largest two new time-definite express products in 12 countries across Latin America: DHL Express 10:30 a.m. for deliveries to the United States and DHL Express 12:00 p.m. for delivery services within Latin America.
The new morning express delivery services respond to customers’ time-sensitive needs, empowering them with the choice as to when and at what time they want their urgent materials delivered.
These new offerings are now available for customers and businesses sending shipments to major business centers within Latin America and to the U.S. from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Both products will serve the steady growth of exports from South and Central America which increased by 5 percent in 2007 while the region’s real merchandise imports increased by 20 pct, more than three times the global average in 2007, according to data from the World Trade Organization.
The service guarantees door-to-door, next day or second day delivery of documents and parcels. Additional service features for these services include the latest possible collection times-a clear competitive differentiator-proactive delivery notification by email, delivery guarantee, dedicated operations procedures for priority handling.
Read MoreDHL, UPS target Latin America growth
DHL Express and UPS plan to invest more in Latin America this year to grow their business in the region and partly compensate for the impact of the slowing US economy.
Roger Crook, CEO DHL Express International Americas, told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio that the company planned to invest about USD 70 million in Latin America during 2008 and aimed to grow about 12 pct. Plans include two new offices in Chile but he did not disclose further details of the investment.
A significant proportion is likely to go to Mexico, however, in view of DHL’s plan to spend USD 112 million there over the next five years. Crook said early last year that DHL would invest USD 80 million in the region and was aiming for 15-20 pct growth in 2007.
Meanwhile, UPS, which during 2006-07 invested USD 7 million on 15 new operation centres to extend its Mexican network to 35 locations, is opening a further eight centres in the country this year, according to Mexican newspaper El Financiero.
Rubén Medina, UPS international sales manager, told the newspaper that despite the US economic slowdown, the operator’s Mexican exports grew by 5 pctin the final quarter of 2007. UPS will also aim to win more business among manufacturing companies along the Mexican border and SMEs this year, he added.
Mexico is the largest market in Latin America for UPS which has five daily flights from Mexico City to five different US airports. UPS has invested USD 39 million in Mexico since launching operations there in 1989, the newspaper said.
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