UPS expands in Myanmar

Parcel giant will begin offering express delivery, contract logistics and freight forwarding services in the Southeast Asian nation.    UPS will expand its portfolio of services in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, introducing express delivery and contract logistics services to complement airfreight and ocean freight services launched in August 2014.
   Shippers will now be able to use UPS’s Worldwide Express services to and from Myanmar, with transit times ranging from one to three business days across Asia, Europe and the United States. UPS’s service offerings include in-house customs clearance and guaranteed door-to-door delivery to over 220 countries and territories worldwide.
   “Customers can now leverage a full range of logistics solutions as Myanmar engages in increased levels of global trade,” the company said in a statement.
   According to UPS, “A series of political and economic reforms in the past three years have paved the way for increased foreign direct investment in Myanmar, which is expected to surpass U.S. $5 billion in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. As more foreign businesses are licensed to operate in the emerging manufacturing, telecommunications and banking sectors, these companies require logistics solutions that help them align local operations to their global business strategy. UPS’s logistics solutions can likewise support small local businesses as they begin to engage in global trade.”
   “UPS is excited to be part of the economic transformation in Myanmar as the market opens up to foreign investment and businesses connect to the global marketplace,” added Jim O’Gara, president of South Asia District, UPS Asia Pacific. “Trade is a key driver of continued economic growth and this expansion reinforces our commitment to helping businesses create a competitive advantage through logistics.”
   The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, formerly called Burma, is known for having many natural resources such as precious gems, oil and natural gas, but has long been the setting for violent ethnic and religious conflicts as well as numerous reported human rights violations.