Logistics giant DHL said it has enhanced its connectivity and transit times between China and Turkey with the launch of two less than container load  (LCL) services – Shanghai to Izmir and Ningbo to Istanbul.

With cargo shipped directly from China to Turkey instead of being routed via Hong Kong, customers can now expect their shipments to arrive in Izmir and Istanbul within 25 days and 27 days respectively, with time savings of up to 5 days, said a DHL statement.

'Istanbul is one of the most important industrial and economic cities and the biggest port in Turkey, with Izmir in second spot. Turkish-Sino trade has a good prospect with business growth gaining momentum amidst economic recovery, “said Enver Moretti, CEO, Mena and Turkey, DHL Global Forwarding.

“DHL’s two new direct LCL services, boosted by our existing direct LCL services between China and Turkey, will help our customers stay ahead of the game with greater flexibility and cost-efficient solutions in these growing markets.”

The launch of the new services will benefit customers with business between China and Turkey, especially small and medium enterprises, Moretti added.

According to the figures from Ministry of Commerce of China, Turkey-China trade volume in 2000 was $1 billion, and by the end of 2008, this figure had grown twelve-fold to reach $12.57 billion.

For the first five months of 2010, trade between Turkey and China totaled $7.06 billion, up 46.3 per cent year on year. Exports from China to Turkey are valued at $6.17 billion for the same period, up 39.5 per cent year on year. Indeed, China has become the 16th biggest export market and 2nd biggest import source for Turkey.

Erhan Ergin, ocean freight product manager, DHL Global Forwarding Turkey said, 'As our customers expand their business reach into strategic growth markets, our strengthened direct LCL services from China to Turkey will enable them to access their target markets more efficiently by leveraging DHL’s global LCL network.'

'The new direct LCL services offers customers flexibility and benefits, especially the SMES in Istanbul and Izmir industrial areas and Yangtze River delta area. This links back to our commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable logistics solutions for customers. The success of our customers motivates us more than anything else,” Ergin added.

Alper Reyhan, regional LCL manager emerging markets, DHL Global Forwarding, said, “Today’s launch of our new direct LCL services is part of DHL’s continuing plans to expand our own operated, weekly guaranteed, LCL services globally.'

'With more than 900 weekly point pairs from 24 North Pacific terminals sailing to 38 destinations in Emerging Markets, the Shanghai-Izmir and Ningbo-Istanbul direct LCL services will further enhance our connectivity within the extensive global network and reinforce our market-leading position with unrivalled coverage,” he noted.

Danmar Lines, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house carrier, operates the new weekly direct LCL services, the statement said.-TradeArabia News Service