DHL launches Shanghai-Keelung direct LCL service

DHL today announced the launch of its direct less than container load (LCL) weekly service from Shanghai to Keelung in Taiwan, enhancing its cross-strait connectivity.

Danmar Lines, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house carrier, is operating the new service. With cargo shipped directly from Shanghai to Keelung instead of being routed via Hong Kong, customers can expect shipments to arrive in Keelung within four days.

As one of the world’s busiest cargo ports, the cargo throughput in the port of Shanghai reached 590 million tonnes in 2009, making it the largest in the world for five consecutive years.

With container traffic reaching 25 million TEUs, Shanghai was ranked the second largest in the world last year.

Situated at the northeast of Taiwan, Keelung is the second largest port on the island, with high-value shipments as its main import and export cargo. In 2008, 8,053 vessels carrying almost 91.3 million tonnes of cargo that included over two million TEUs of containerised cargo called at Keelung.

“We have seen robust year-on-year growth in our LCL volumes in China,” said Kelvin Leung, CEO, North Asia Pacific at DHL Global Forwarding.

“Since cross-strait traffic between Mainland China and Taiwan commenced on December 15, 2008, direct air and shipping services have significantly facilitated trade between both sides.

“As cross-strait container volumes continue to grow, we are confident that the timely launch of our new LCL service between Shanghai and Keelung will further boost bilateral trade and benefit businesses from both markets.”

In the first four months of this year, Shanghai’s total import and export volume with Taiwan reached US$10.13 billion, representing a 77.3 percent increase year-on-year, which made Shanghai-Taiwan the third fastest growing trade lane after Shanghai-ASEAN and Shanghai-Korea.

Steve Huang, CEO, China for DHL Global Forwarding, said the new service was the first cross-strait direct LCL service for DHL Global Forwarding.

“With Shanghai as the gateway, this new service will benefit customers with cross-strait businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises in the Yangtze Delta including Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Wux,” Huang said. 
(Source:www.cargonewsasia.com)