The FINANCIAL — UPS on October 10 announced it has substantially upped its investment in the Chinese market by enhancing its services across 20 cities to better serve the manufacturers and exporters that will be powering the country’s growth.
The investment comes at a time of renewed vigor in the Chinese economy. The government is seeking to increase the country’s connectedness with regional and global economies through a range of major initiatives, and exports projected to top US$2.5 trillion in 2018, according to UPS.
“China has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to furthering sustainable globalization and economic development, as evidenced by its proactive moves around the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Made in China 2025 plan, and free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),” said Ross McCullough, President of UPS Asia Pacific. “As the lifeblood of trade, logistics is going to play a key role in the long-term success and implementation of these initiatives. UPS’s investments in China are a direct response to this need.”
“At UPS, our business strategy has always been driven by anticipated shifts in the global and local economies, so it is imperative that we put logistics solutions in place ahead of demand so they are ready when businesses need them,” said Harld Peters, the newly appointed President of UPS China. “As industries continue to grow and move toward complex manufacturing, we are determined to provide faster and more efficient solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes.”
Customers in Xi’an, Fuzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Shenyang, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Suzhou, Kunshan, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Ningbo, Xiamen, Wuxi, Chengdu, Foshan, Changzhou, Huizhou, Nanjing, and the surrounding areas of these 20 cities, will experience a range of benefits as a result of this latest round of service enhancements, including:
Extended package pick-up cut-off times by up to 1.5 hours as late as 10:00 PM; giving exporters more production time and greater flexibility to finalize orders;
Faster transit times by up to one full day from China to key markets in the US, Europe and Asia, with most US and intra-Asia shipments now able to reach their destinations within 24 hours;
More convenient access to the UPS network in China across 33 cities;
Value-added services: Same Day Pick Up, Customs Brokerage and Warehouse Management Solutions
The service enhancements are part of UPS’s multi-year investment and growth plan for China focused on expanding its geographical presence and improving the customer experience for businesses in the high-tech, manufacturing and retail segments.
Earlier this year, UPS added six stations to its Preferred Full and Less-than-Container Load (FCL and LCL) multimodal rail service between Europe and China. UPS and S.F. Holding will establish a joint venture to provide international delivery services initially from China to the US. There are plans to expand in additional destinations.