DHL Group partners with Alibaba and expands German operations

DHL Group has signed a letter of intent with Alibaba to develop AI-supported logistics solutions. The partnership aims to facilitate international trade for small and medium-sized enterprises by using artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and reduce barriers in global goods movement. DHL will provide its global transport capacities while leveraging Alibaba’s platform expertise.

This announcement follows a major organizational restructuring completed on September 1, where the parent company officially became DHL AG. Under this new structure, divisions including Express, Global Forwarding, Supply Chain, and eCommerce operate within an independent framework. The Deutsche Post brand remains as a subsidiary handling domestic mail and parcel business in Germany.

In addition to these strategic shifts, DHL has expanded its operations in Germany. The Cologne-Eifeltor parcel center has officially commissioned an extension, increasing its sorting capacity from 32,000 to approximately 50,000 parcels per hour. The expansion includes 125 new loading gates and is expected to support a service area covering roughly 1.2 million households.