UPS announced that it has placed in service a new international hub in Shanghai, China, improving access to China and speeding the movement of express packages and heavy freight around the world. UPS says the facility is strategically located at the Pudong International Airport, in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta area, and now becomes the key gateway linking China to the UPS global network.
The facility features the largest on-site 24/7 customs inspection area in Shanghai, according to UPS, and was built to a unique design that facilitates rapid handling of express packages in addition to heavy freight. “Everything about this facility was built for speed and reliability,” says Dan Brutto, president of UPS International. “Linked now to our vast integrated transportation network, it opens wider the doors of commerce with China. We believe Shanghai will become an even more attractive business location because our customers will recognize the importance of a world-class UPS facility that provides rapid access to the world.”
As the world’s third-largest airport by cargo tonnage, and with annual growth of 11.5 percent, Shanghai Pudong International Airport offers a well-established air network that connects 179 international and domestic cities, according to UPS. The hub features 117 conveyor belts and 47 docking bays and has a package sorting capacity of 17,000 pieces per hour, the company says; it also is designed, however, for simultaneous rapid processing of heavy freight, recognizing the different types of business done by importers and exporters in China.
To speed the processing of packages and freight, UPS says it collaborated with Shanghai Customs to deploy an industry-first customs risk management system at the facility; by merging UPS information with Customs to identify high-risk items for inspection, the system minimizes unnecessary checks and expedites shipment clearance for delivery to recipients. UPS says the dedicated customs area is equipped with advanced technology enabling automated import and export inspection, thereby increasing overall package flow efficiency; with a touch of a button, specific packages can be routed off the main conveyor belts for inspection without impacting the flow of the remaining packages.
With its high sorting capacity, the hub improves delivery times for customers in eastern China by a full day, UPS says; in addition, pick-up times for express and cargo shipments in Shanghai will be pushed back by one hour and four hours, respectively, so customers have greater flexibility in shipment preparations. Another industry-first feature, according to UPS, is the “Shipper Build Area” at the General Cargo Handling Area, which allows customers to perform onsite packaging before goods are loaded on the aircraft; this eliminates the current industry practice of processing goods at a separate facility, once again saving time, and it also improves service to customers who ship items requiring special handling, such as precise instruments.
“China is UPS’s top international priority,” says Richard Loi, head of UPS China. “We have continued a steady path of expansion here, and this latest facility stands as a strong testament to our long-term commitment.”
