DHL Express eyes double-digit shipment growth in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Logistics leader DHL Express aims to maintain double-digit growth in volume of shipments in the Philippines this year despite challenges from the Middle East conflict.

Roderick Queppet, vice president for commercial at DHL Express Philippines, told reporters that the company’s goal is to achieve double-digit growth in shipment volumes this year.

“Right now, what we are aiming for is to grow our business consistently,” he said, noting that shipment volumes are growing at a double-digit rate.

Despite headwinds, including the impact of tensions in the Middle East, he said that DHL expects small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to drive the company’s growth this year.

SMEs account for 30 percent of DHL’s business.

“It’s not a perfect environment in the Philippines so far. But what we are excited about is that SMEs actually contributed significantly to our growth,” he said.

Many of the country’s SMEs are engaging in cross-border trade to grow.

Through its GoTrade initiative in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), DHL is providing training to SMEs to help them expand through exports.

“This year, we are aiming to train around 600 to 700 SMEs through our partners in DTI,” Queppet said.

Sarah Meinert, GoTrade head at DHL Group, said the company aims to empower entrepreneurs to become more confident exporters by equipping them with the knowledge needed to navigate international trade.

She also said that DHL is set to bring its GoTrade Summit to the Philippines in October this year as a side event of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community.

“Our ambition is to have at least 600 MSMEs (micro SMEs) in the conference to participate and engage in workshops…to equip them with the knowledge, together with the partners, to be able to trade cross-border,” she said.

DHL has identified the Philippines as one of the Geographic Tailwinds (GT) 20 markets, or fast-growing economies, expected to significantly benefit from geopolitical shifts and supply chain diversification.

To leverage the growth potential in these countries, DHL is focusing its efforts and expanding its presence in the GT20 markets.