DHL expands online import service

Express delivery firm DHL has broadened its import express online service to include 95 countries worldwide, including the top 30 U.S. trade lanes. New countries include: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Morocco, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

A web-based tool that provides importers with full control over their import or third-party (country-to-country) shipments, DHL said import express online is designed specify all instructions for international shipments – including terms of sale, pickup schedule, service levels, and amount of insurance desired – eliminating the time and expense of filling out forms manually.

All waybill numbers for tracking are easily accessible in the system during the entire shipment process, with automatic shipment status notifications sent via e-mail throughout the shipment lifecycle, noted Lindsay Birley, executive vp-international for DHL

“Importing customers working with suppliers off-shore need to coordinate communications effectively to ensure cross-border shipments meet their expectations,” Birley said. “We expanded import express online to ensure our global e-commerce product could [help] customers simplify the entire importing process.”