New UPS rail service accelerates Europe-Hong Kong trade

UPS (NYSE: UPS) announced today that it has launched a new Full Container Load (FCL) service between Europe and Hong Kong, which leverages on UPS’s existing Europe-to-China rail service to better connect businesses that are trading between these two regions.

The two-way service between Duisburg, Germany and Hong Kong is an alternative transportation mode that allows businesses to balance time and cost-savings; businesses can now enjoy faster transit times of up to 30 percent versus FCL ocean freight, and cost savings of up to 60 percent[1] versus air freight.

“Hong Kong is an important trading partner for the EU, with approximately €50 billion[2] in goods traded last year,” said Mike Harrell, president, freight forwarding, UPS Europe. “By launching this new rail freight connection, UPS is committed to helping our customers in both Europe and Hong Kong grow their businesses and reach new markets.”

The expanded rail service enables businesses to adapt their transportation requirements and expenditures to suit their supply chain needs. Businesses in the fast-paced high-tech, retail and manufacturing industries can benefit from faster speed-to-market with end-to-end shipment visibility for their high-value products. They can also capitalize on UPS’s brokerage expertise to navigate complex customs regulations so as to reduce risk of delays and achieve timely delivery of goods.

The new UPS Preferred® FCL-Rail service offers the following advantages:

• Convenience: Customers pack goods directly into containers; no transloading required.
• Security: Seal management, alarms, and optional GPS container tracking to monitor location, temperature, humidity and movement and light.
• Simplified Clearance: UPS systems are electronically linked to customs authorities, reducing the risk of errors and speeding up clearance processes.
• Sustainability: Rail services emit 25 times less CO2 than air freight and significantly less nitrogen oxide, non-methane hydrocarbon and sulfur dioxide than ocean transportation, making it a more environmentally-friendly mode of transportation.
• Visibility: UPS Flex™ Global View provides end-to-end visibility into shipment status and critical milestones to keep customers informed of the progress of their goods.

UPS offers an extensive portfolio of FCL and less-than-container-load (LCL) multimodal freight services that enables businesses to have a choice between speed and economy to meet both transit time expectations and cost-reduction objectives for their international shipments. The Hong Kong-Europe rail service is an expansion of UPS’s Preferred® multimodal freight services portfolio, which connects four stops in Europe and six stations in China by rail.