DHL Express opens newly expanded global hub in Hong Kong, positioning itself for global trade recovery 

DHL Express opened a newly expanded global hub in Hong Kong, firmly positioning itself for global trade recovery. 

DHL Express, an international express service provider, has launched its state-of-the-art, expanded Central Asia Hub (CAH) in Hong Kong, amid fast-growing global trade in recent years. 

“We believe that global trade matters and it’s here to stay. We have invested more than EUR 1.8 billion into our three global hubs, demonstrating our commitment to support our customers’ growth as they expand globally,” said the CEO of DHL Express, John Pearson. 

The total investment for CAH has reached EUR 562 million since its establishment in 2004. This emphasises DHL’s firm belief in the growth opportunities in Asia Pacific and commitment to developing Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. 

“CAH is important to our customers in Asia and globally, as it handles close to 20% of DHL Express global shipment volume. While global trade is normalising following a pandemic boom, our investments today will improve our global and regional network, putting us in an excellent place when global trade recovers,” Pearson added. 

“Asia is home to some of the fastest growing markets in the world. Since it was established in 2004, we have seen a continued increase in air cargo demand driven by trade between Asia and other regions, and cross-border e-commerce. Even as global trade normalises after the pandemic, we have seen over 30 percent growth in throughput between Asia and other continents in the first three quarters of 2023 when compared with the same period in 2019, far exceeding the pre-Covid level,” said the CEO for Asia Pacific DHL Express, Ken Lee. 

With direct access to the air side and land side, CAH is currently the only dedicated and purpose-built air express cargo facility in the Hong Kong International Airport. With a 50 percent increase in total warehouse space to 49,500 sqm and an automated material handling system, the Hub’s peak handling capacity has increased by almost 70 percent to 125,000 shipments per hour. 

“Additionally, the strategic location of the Hub in Hong Kong opens doors to many opportunities for our customers in this region. We are confident that the expanded CAH will foster interconnectivity and underpin Asia’s status as a powerhouse of global growth,” Lee added.