DHL Launches LCL Services from Vietnam to Europe and the US

DHL has announced the launch of its guaranteed weekly direct Less than Container Load (LCL) services connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Hamburg, Germany; Genoa, Italy and Los Angeles, US. Through Danmar Lines, the company’s in-house carrier, the weekly direct LCL services enable shipments to arrive up to a week earlier.

The launch of the services taps into the key trade lanes for businesses in Vietnam. The two European destinations facilitate trade with Vietnam's largest export region, with the continent receiving US$12.2 billion in Vietnamese products in 2008. Following closely is the US, Vietnam's second-largest trading partner, which received US$11.86 billion worth of goods from the nation last year.

In the face of the global economic slowdown, Vietnam remains a resilient export economy and key sectors including agricultural goods, apparel, crude oil, furniture, technology and textiles will benefit from DHL's flexible new service. In the first six months of this year, garment and apparel-related industries accounted for US$10 billion worth of exports from Vietnam, contributing well over a third of the nation’s export trade which totaled US$27.6 billion in that period.

“Adding the LCL service to our offering provides another option for businesses in the fashion industry to deliver their products around the world. By enhancing our service to Germany, Italy and the US, which are traditionally busy trade lanes for Vietnam, our customers will benefit from the shorter transit times and reliable and seamless door-to-door service, complete with full track and trace capabilities,” said Michel Khaou, MD, DHL Global Forwarding Vietnam.