The dramatic terrorist attacks in Mumbai have disrupted express and parcel deliveries in the Indianbusiness metropolis, it was reported today.
DHL expected the impact on shipments to continue over the next 48 hours, though none of itsown offices or those of local affiliate Blue Dart had been affected by the attacks, Dow Jones newsagency reported. FedEx halted services in some parts of Mumbai on Thursday, which affectedshipments into and out of the country.
TNT closed one office in Mumbai, affecting pick-up and deliveries in the south of the citywhere the terrorist incidents occurred. The Dutch company said it was rerouting some shipments fromEurope via Delhi. UPS had earlier separately said that its operations in Mumbai were continuingnormally. “Nothing has impacted our operations there,” a spokesman said.
All four integrators said their local staff had been accounted for and had not been injuredin the attacks that started on Wednesday and have left at least 130 people dead and hundredsinjured.
India has become an increasingly important market for the US, according to recent figuresreleased by FedEx. From 2003-2007, US-India trade has increased by 130%, reaching more than $41billion last year, and US exports to India have more than doubled since 2005, according to FedEx.Trade between the two countries is up 21% through the first half of 2008 compared to the same timeperiod last year.
FedEx officials on a trade mission to the country earlier this month said they expected thecompany’s growth momentum in India to continue as business in India had not been impacted much bythe worldwide economic slowdown.
