TNT strengthens leading position in China

TNT announced that it will add eight new branches to its international express network in China by the end of the year. The expansion, which forms part of TNT’s investment in China to strengthen its international express network, will bring the total number of TNT International Express branches in China to 34. In addition to its extensive international express network, TNT, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Tiandi-Hoau, also operates China’s largest private domestic road network, which consists of 1,250 depots.  

The eight new branches, most of which will be located in the Pearl River Delta area and the Yangtze River Delta area – China’s key manufacturing and export hubs, will not only enable TNT to better capture the business opportunities in China’s fastest-growing economic regions, it will also bring the company closer to its customers, especially those in the high-tech industries.

The TNT International Express branches at Dongguan and Zhongshan will begin their operations in the end of September 2008. This follows the opening of two earlier branches in Foshan, which opened on 1 August 2008 and in Shunde, which started operations on 1 September 2008. In addition, another four TNT International Express branches will be set up in Nanning, Wenzhou, Kunshan and Shanghai Pudong by the end of the year.

"This expansion builds on TNT China's focused approach on customers and our current success in the China market,” said Michael Drake, Managing Director, TNT Greater China. “The set up of the eight new branches is in line with our long term ambitions in this market and those in the south region will further support the expansion of the TNT Asia Road Network into and out of China. We will continue to leverage on our strong European position to expand our international express market share and to strengthen our leadership position in the Sino-Europe international express sector.”

As the leading provider of international express services between China and Europe, TNT is continuously developing its network and expanding its international express services in China so as to tap on the growing bilateral trade volume between the European Union and China. With a dedicated TNT Boeing 747-400ERF aircraft that flies four times a week between Shanghai and TNT’s super-hub in Europe, TNT links its extensive network in China to its market leading European network in the shortest possible time. The establishment of the new TNT International Express branches in the Pearl River Delta region and Nanning will also strengthen TNT’s reliable, cost effective, and secure scheduled road transportation solutions, via the Asia Road Network, between China and the rest of Southeast Asia.