DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post DHL, announced the launch of four new direct routes for Less Than Container Load (LCL) shipments to countries throughout Latin America. The new trade routes include Qingdao, China to Santos, Brazil; Le Havre, France to Veracruz, Mexico; Miami, U.S. to Colon, Panama; and Hong Kong, China to Managua, Nicaragua. With the opening of these new LCL routes this past May and June, DHL customers have benefited from faster transit times, improved rates, and a reduction in their carbon footprint. “The opening of our new LCL direct trade routes to select destinations in the Americas enables us to connect businesses of all sizes to markets they are currently working with or are exploring to grow in,” said Jens Rehder, vice president, Ocean Freight for DHL Global Forwarding, Americas. “The new trade routes provide a safe and reliable cost effective service that combines faster transit times and best departures with the end goal of strengthening our customers’ competiveness in their respective industries.” The new LCL routes have provided fast and efficient shipping solutions for customers in a range of industries including fashion, technology, consumer goods, spare parts, and medical equipment, among others. The China-Brazil and Hong Kong-Nicaragua routes have reduced transit times to 35 days; the France-Mexico route to 14 days; and the Miami-Panama network transit to a speedy five-days. Additionally, the direct service provides customers with a more environmentally friendly logistics solution for shipping their products, because compared to air, maritime shipping is a more carbon efficient form of transporting goods.