DHL Express and UPS plan to invest more in Latin America this year to grow their business in theregion and partly compensate for the impact of the slowing US economy.
Roger Crook, CEO DHL Express International Americas, told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio thatthe company planned to invest about $70 million in Latin America during 2008 and aimed to growabout 12%. Plans include two new offices in Chile but he did not disclose further details of theinvestment.
A significant proportion is likely to go to Mexico, however, in view of DHL’s plan to spend$112 million there over the next five years. Crook said early last year that DHL would invest $80million in the region and was aiming for 15-20% growth in 2007.
Meanwhile, UPS, which during 2006-07 invested $7 million on 15 new operation centres toextend its Mexican network to 35 locations, is opening a further eight centres in the country thisyear, according to Mexican newspaper El Financiero.
Rubén Medina, UPS international sales manager, told the newspaper that despite the USeconomic slowdown, the operator’s Mexican exports grew by 5% in the final quarter of 2007. UPS willalso aim to win more business among manufacturing companies along the Mexican border and SMEs thisyear, he added.
Mexico is the largest market in Latin America for UPS which has five daily flights fromMexico City to five different US airports. UPS has invested $39 million in Mexico since launchingoperations there in 1989, the newspaper said.
