UPS has put into service a new international hub at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, featuring the largest on-site 24/7 customs inspection area in the city built to facilitate rapid handling of express packages and heavy freight, according to UPS.
"Everything about this facility was built for speed and reliability," said Dan Brutto, president of UPS International. "Linked now to our vast integrated transportation network, it opens wider the doors of commerce with China.”
According to the company, the hub improves delivery times for customers in eastern China by a full day, while pickup times for express and cargo shipments in Shanghai will be pushed back by one hour and four hours, respectively, for greater shipment preparation flexibility. The facility features 117 conveyor belts and 47 docking bays with a package-sorting capacity of 17,000 pieces per hour, UPS said.
The package giant also collaborated with Shanghai Customs to introduce a customs risk-management system at the hub to reduce unnecessary checks and expedite shipment clearance.
UPS is not the only package deliverer to focus on the Chinese market. According to China Daily, DHL is planning on building a $175 million express transferring facility in Shanghai to be completed in the second half of 2010, while FedEx will open an Asia-Pacific hub in Guangzhou in the first half of next year.
