DHL Q2 profits beat expectations due to cost discipline

Related News

• Global Postal Services suspends some U.S. shipments after de minimis exemption expires

  The United States have permanently ended the "de minimalis" exemption which allowed imports of items under $800 duty-free. The change is effective as of Friday and follows the executive order by President Donald Trump citing this exemption as a loophole to facilitate drug trafficking and tariff evasion. This decision has an impact on global retailers and post services. To comply with new U.S. Customs requirements, they are taking various measures such as suspending or adjusting their services. A six-month period of transition allows postal shippers the option to pay a fixed duty per package. Here is a summary of the reactions of some postal companies: DHL Group says it has placed "probably temporary" restrictions for business shipments via Deutsche Post or DHL Parcel Germany to the U.S. due to uncertainty about customs duty collection and data requirements. DHL Express, the premium service, remains operational. The company hopes to resume regular postal shipments as soon as possible. Bring Post-It Notes Posten Bring, the state-owned parcel delivery company in Norway, announced on 20 August that it would suspend all parcel deliveries to the United States. It was not clear how the U.S. Customs authorities would implement these new rules, according to Posten Bring. The company said that postal companies across Europe are working together to get clarity. POSTNORD PostNord owned by the Swedish government and the Danish government temporarily stopped shipments to the U.S., citing the lack of time to adjust to the new requirements. LA POSTE On August 22, La Poste France suspended the standard parcel shipment to the U.S. by businesses. It continues to send gift parcels under $100 for individuals. AUSTRIAN POST Austrian Post announced August 21 that they would stop sending parcels to the U.S. as of August 26. This change, according to the company, will present significant challenges to postal services around the world when shipping goods into the United States. Austrian Post, however, will continue to send all gifts under $100 via its standard parcel service. Post Express International will not be affected by this suspension. JAPAN POST Japan Post announced that certain postal items would no longer be accepted by the company on August 25, 2018. It said that "the procedures that transport operators and post operators in each country have to follow to comply with the guidelines are not clearly defined," making implementation difficult. The Japanese Economy Minister Ryosei Acazawa stated that the move will have "a limited impact" as there are alternative shipping methods. AUSTRALIA POSTER Australia Post, a government-owned company, temporarily suspended the shipment of parcels to the U.S.A. on August 26, 2008. The company is working with U.S. authorities and Australian officials to restore services. Nicola Charwat, from Monash University, highlighted the impact of the 10% tariff on Australian small businesses exporting goods to the U.S.

• DHL, a German parcel service provider, has joined its peers in restricting US-bound services.

  DHL, the German postal service group, announced on Friday that it will suspend the shipping of standard parcels to businesses in the United States. This follows similar actions by European competitors who were deterred by the looming U.S. duties for low value packages. The U.S. administration of Donald Trump announced last month that it would suspend global "de minimis", which allows minimal paperwork for international shipments below $800, with effect August 29. Postal groups in Scandinavian, Austrian and Belgian countries announced earlier this week that they will halt parcel deliveries to the United States. DHL stated that the new postal regulations in the United States may have caused temporary restrictions. The company said that the suspension will not affect the premium delivery service DHL Express. The statement said that private customers can continue to send gifts to the United States worth less than 100 dollars as a standard package, but these shipments will be subjected to stricter controls in order to prevent misuse.

• Austrian postal group stops parcels to US

  Austrian Post joined other European postal service groups on Thursday in stopping the standard parcel shipment to the United States, as U.S. Customs Services are planning to charge duties for packages of low value. In a press release, the Austrian state-controlled company said that it will no longer accept consignments of standard parcels bound for the United States as of next Tuesday. The U.S. administration of Donald Trump announced last month that it would suspend global "de minimis", which allows minimal paperwork for international shipments below $800, with effect August 29. This week, there were several postal strikes. The following groups are a good example of how to get started: Scandinavian and Belgian parcels were halted in the United States. Austrian Post's decision was based on the cancellation of the "de minimis exemption" as well as the uncertainty surrounding future U.S. Postal Customs Clearance. It said that "this tightening poses significant challenges to all postal companies around the world when sending goods into the USA." The company said that it will continue to send gifts under $100 to the United States using standard parcels and that this suspension does not apply to Post Express International, its premium service.

• Nordic postal operators stop shipments to US after Trump ends parcel tariff reduction

  Posten Bring, PostNord and the Norwegian-Swedish-Danish postal group Posten Bring are halting parcel shipments into the United States in anticipation of the closing of an American customs tax loophole which allows duty-free entry to low-value packages. The U.S. administration of Donald Trump announced last month that it would suspend global "de minimis", which allows minimal paperwork for international shipments below $800, effective August 29, 2018. PostNord, owned by the Swedish-Danish governments, said that it temporarily stopped shipments due to the short period of time to adapt to new requirements. Financial markets around the world have been shaken by Trump's policies. According to the White House, under the executive order that suspends the "de minimis exemption", low-value packages shipped to the U.S. are subject to "all applicable duty". Posten Bring, the state-owned postal company in Norway, said that "the details surrounding this issue have not been clarified yet by U.S. Customs authorities and no system solution has been developed for postal companies to use." The European postal industry is working to achieve clarity. (Reporting and editing by Terje Sosvik, Alex Richardson and Anna Ringstrom)

• Denmark's growth forecast for 2025 is slashed due to the Novo Nordisk crisis

  Denmark's Economy Ministry announced on Friday that it has reduced its economic growth forecast for 2025 to 1.4%, from 3%. The ministry cited weaker prospects of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, and tariffs placed on Danish exports to the U.S. The ministry stated that the pharmaceutical industry faces increasing competition on the market for weight loss products. This has lowered growth expectations. Novo Nordisk's spokesperson declined to make any comment. The six-million-strong Nordic nation has benefited from Novo Nordisk's rapid expansion. It is the maker of Wegovy, a weight loss drug, and Ozempic, a diabetes treatment. The economic growth of Denmark was among the best in Europe last year. This growth was largely due to Novo Nordisk which contributed one-fifth to the employment growth in the country. Denmark is also home to major companies such as shipping group Maersk and brewer Carlsberg. Toymaker Lego, wind turbine manufacturer Vestas and toymaker Lego are all located in Denmark. The country has a highly export-oriented, sensitive economy, but it is aided by a large surplus of savings and strong public finances. Novo Nordisk has cut its sales and operating profit estimates for the full year again this month. The company, which makes the obesity drug Wegovy, is struggling to convince investors that it can compete with the U.S. competitor Eli Lilly in the obesity drug boom. The company that employs 34,000 people in Denmark is now facing layoffs, despite having nearly doubled their total workforce over the past five years. According to the ministry, tariffs on goods exported to the United States, Denmark’s largest export market, will also slow down growth. The ministry said that exports to the United States have seen a significant drop in the first six months of this year after a surge in the final six months of 2024. Exports will grow only 0.9% by 2025, compared to the 4.3% forecast in May. The ministry has increased its forecast of GDP growth for 2026 from 1.4% to 2.1%, largely due to the expectation that private and public expenditure will increase. Reporting by Soren Jeppesen in Bengaluru, Jacob GronholtPedersen in Copenhagen, and Bipasha dey, with editing by Cynthia Osterman and William Maclean

• Data shows that China received its first Arctic LNG 2 cargo before Putin's visit.

  Ship-tracking data provided by Kpler and LSEG revealed that China received its first liquefied gas cargo this week from a Russian sanctioned project. This was just days before the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin will be one of more than 20 world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra modi who will attend on Sunday and Monday the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in China's northern city port Tianjin, where he expects to meet Xi for a revival of trade between the two countries. After meeting with U.S. president Donald Trump earlier this month in Alaska to discuss a possible peace agreement, the meeting is expected mark another diplomatic victory for Russia. The U.S., European Union and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia for its full-scale attack in Ukraine in 2022. Data from Kpler & LSEG revealed that the tanker Arctic Mulan LNG - carrying LNG from the Arctic LNG 2 Project, which is the target of the sanctions - berthed in China's Beihai LNG Terminal, located in southern Guangxi, on Thursday. The cargo was delivered from a Russian storage facility that only receives cargoes for Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 Project. This is the first time since the project began last year that supercooled fuel has reached a final user. In a LinkedIn post, Anne-Sophie Corbeau said, "China and Russia have tested the waters." Corbeau is a researcher at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. If this deal goes through with no reaction from the U.S., it could send a message to China and other buyers saying that they are ok buying sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 loads. India may be the next to get a Russian LNG shipment, especially if it comes at a good price. PipeChina, operator of the Beihai LNG Terminal, did not respond immediately to a comment request. Arctic Mulan remains near the Beihai LNG Terminal. It has been impossible to locate any contact details for the registered owner of Arctic Mulan, its commercial manager or its ship. Siamak Adibi is the director of gas and LNG supply analysis at FGE. She said that while it may be a politically greenlighted project, Russia and China are unlikely to proceed without assurances that cargo deliveries won't trigger sanctions risks for terminal operators or have further consequences for Russia. Arctic LNG 2 was to be Russia's biggest LNG plant, with a total output of 19,8 million tons of LNG per year from three trains. Adibi stated that if sanctions were lifted on Arctic LNG 2, 12 million additional tons of LNG per year could be available to the market in a relatively short time, which would provide additional relief for supply.

• Prices of oil fall due to demand concerns, but are still heading for a weekly gain

  The oil prices dropped on Friday, but they are expected to rise for the week. This is due to the expectation of lower demand, as the summer ends in the United States - the largest consumer of oil - and the uncertainty over the Russian supply. Brent crude futures expiring on Friday fell by 53 cents (0.8%) to $68.09, while the contract that is more active for November dropped 48 cents (0.7%) to $67.50. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were down 51 cents or 0.8% at $64.09. Brent is expected to gain 0.6% per week, while WTI will rise by 0.8%. Prices rose after the Ukrainian attack on Russian oil export facilities earlier this week, and after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Thursday that there would be no meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Prices have been impacted by the fact that the U.S. summer driving period is ending with Labor Day on Monday, and the availability of more supplies from major producers after the voluntary output reductions are over. We expect a rise in global oil stocks in the coming months due to a combination of OPEC+'s rising supply and a seasonal drop in global refining activities from September. In a note, Commonwealth Bank of Australia commodities analysts Vivek Dhar and Vivek Agar predicted that Brent oil futures would fall to $63/bbl by Q4 2025. The U.S. is worried that the U.S. could respond to the Russian attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital early Thursday morning which killed 23 people. Investors are reluctant to make large investments because of uncertainty over U.S. and European sanctions following Russia's attack on Ukraine and the possible impact of U.S. Tariffs on India. Investors will also be watching India's response after Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian imports, which doubled the U.S. pressure to stop buying Russian crude oil. Traders said that despite the pressure from the United States, Russian oil exports will continue to increase to India in September. Refining sources say that Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil exporter, could cut crude oil prices in October for Asian buyers due to a glut of oil and a weaker demand. The Druzhba Pipeline, which supplies Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba Oil Terminal, has been restored after a disruption caused by an attack on Russia by Ukraine last week. (Reporting and editing by Yuka Obayashi, Sudarshan Varadan and SonaliPaul)

• Prices of oil fall due to demand concerns but are headed for a weekly gain

  The oil price fell on Friday, but is expected to rise for the week. This is due to the expectation of lower demand from the U.S.A., which is the largest oil consumer in the world, and the uncertainty surrounding the Russian supply. Brent crude futures expiring on Friday fell by 50 cents (0.7%) to $68.12 while the contract that is more active for November dropped 46 cents (0.7%) to $67.52. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were down 45 cents or 0.7% at $64.15. Both benchmarks rose on Thursday. Brent is expected to gain 0.6% this week, while WTI will rise by 0.8%. Prices rose earlier this week following the Ukrainian attack on Russian oil export facilities, but dropped dramatically as the market anticipated the end to the summer driving demand in the U.S. with Labor Day on Monday. Also, as major producers began to increase their output after the voluntary production cuts ended. Hiroyuki Kikakawa, the chief strategist at Nissan Securities Investment (a division of Nissan Securities), said that concerns about the U.S. driving season ending after Labour Day holiday had weighed on the markets. Investors are still hesitant to make large investments because of the uncertainty over U.S. and European sanctions on Russia after its attack on Ukraine and about possible U.S. Tariffs on India. Sources said that following the Ukrainian attack on Russia's Ust-Luga Terminal, its main export location on the Baltic Sea of its Urals crude oil, operations will be reduced by half in September, to approximately 350,000 barrels per daily, The U.S. is worried that the U.S. could respond to the Russian attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital early Thursday morning which killed 23 people. Investors will also be watching India's response after Trump increased tariffs by up to 50% on Indian imports, following his Wednesday announcement that he would no longer buy Russian oil. Traders said that despite the pressure from the United States, Russian oil exports will continue to increase to India in September. Refining sources say that Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil exporter, could cut crude oil prices in October for Asian buyers due to a glut of oil and weak demand. The Druzhba Pipeline, which supplies Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba Oil Terminal, has been restored after an interruption caused by an attack on Russia by Ukraine last week. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger; Yuka Obayashi)

• Druzhba restarts as the end of driving season approaches

  The oil prices fell on Thursday due to the lower demand for fuel in the United States at the end the summer travel period and the restarting of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba Pipeline. Brent crude futures dropped 46 cents or 0.7% to $67.59 at 12:04 pm. ET . U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were down 57c, or 0.9% at $63.58 per barrel. The long Labor Day weekend in the United States ends summer driving. The U.S. gasoline demand is expected to fall, even though crude oil supplies are rising due to OPEC+'s plan to increase September output by 547,000 bpd. Ritterbusch and Associates stated in a report that the mismatch would cause oil inventories rise. They said that as the summer fades into the fall and the gasoline demand drops, refiners will switch to the cheaper winter grade product. After a disruption caused by an attack on Russia by the Ukrainians last week, Russian crude oil supplies to Hungary have resumed through the Druzhba Pipeline. This was announced Thursday by MOL (Hungarian Oil Company) and Slovakia's Economy Minister. After President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs on Indian imports, they could reach 50%. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said that India is likely to continue buying crude oil from Russia in the near future. This should help limit the impact of new tariffs on the global supply. Official data released on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude inventory levels fell more than anticipated last week. This was a sign of a strong demand and helped to support prices. The data released on Wednesday led to a 1% increase in both crude benchmarks. Russia and Ukraine also intensified their attacks on the energy infrastructure of each other. Ukraine officials reported that Russia had launched a massive drone strike on the energy and gas transportation infrastructure in six Ukrainian regions over night, Wednesday. The attack left more than 100,000 Ukrainians without electricity. (Additional reporting from Sam Li in Beijing, Siyi Liu and David Gregorio in Singapore. Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell)

• Aurora and McLeod software partner to manage autonomous truck shipments

  Aurora Innovation and McLeod Software announced on Thursday that they will integrate their self-driving trucks platform into McLeod Software’s Transportation Management System in order to increase adoption. McLeod TMS and Aurora's API will integrate to allow customers to manage their autonomous shipments. Aurora's president, Ossa Fischer, said that by meeting customers where they already are with their TMS, it is easy to take advantage of the safety and efficiency advantages of autonomous trucks. As other autonomous trucking startup companies like Plus and Waabi try to capture the market, they are also developing their own technologies. McLeod is currently beta testing Aurora's integration and plans to make the feature available to customers in 2019. The road to commercialization for self-driving cars, particularly trucks, is long and includes regulatory approvals, hours of testing, and large capital investments. Aurora began commercial driverless operations in Texas earlier this year -- an open state to self-driving technologies -- by using its flagship Aurora Driver technology for long-haul trucks. McLeod offers software for managing trucking logistics, freight brokerage management and more than 1,200 clients. (Reporting and editing by Sahal Muhammad in Bengaluru, Zaheer Kachwala from Bengaluru)

• Europe gas markets escape hectic LNG summer storage race: Bousso

  Gas traders in Europe have been racing against time to fill up depleted storage facilities before winter. As demand on Asian markets is waning, Europe will see a spike in liquefied gas imports. This will give traders and governments more breathing space. It was a niche concern to ensure that European gas supplies are at maximum levels before the cold weather arrives. But it has become a political necessity after Russia's invasion of Ukraine 2022, which led to a sharp reduction in pipeline gas imports. The EU implemented rules in that year that have since been relaxed, requiring that storage reach 90% capacity each November. These measures created price distortions and disrupted the supply, leading to a frantic scramble to get supplies. This year, there is no rush to buy. Gas Infrastructure Europe's (GIE) data shows that European storage capacity is at only 76%, or approximately 85 billion cubic meters, as of 25 August. This is down from 92% one year ago, and the 10-year-average of 80.5%. According to Kpler data, the region's LNG imports dropped from an annual peak of 11 million metric tonnes in March to an estimated 7.4 million tones in August due to a weaker regional market and stronger purchases from Asia. This is similar to the spike in Asian LNG imports in August, when they reached 26 million tons. In February, this had dropped to 21 million tons. The Asian market is expected to be significantly slower during the remainder of 2025, due to large inventories in China and other import nations. This will free up LNG volumes to Europe. The increase in LNG imports will help to offset the decrease in regional supplies due to seasonal maintenance being completed on several Norwegian gas fields until late September. Storage is set to reach 90% easily by the start the heating season, in October. No scrambling needed. SUPPLY BOOM The summer LNG storage filling frenzy will not return to Europe for at least five years. According to LSEG, the global LNG capacity will increase from 550 bcm last year to 649 bcm by 2026 and 890 bcm by 2030. According to LSEG, the growth was primarily driven by the United States. Exports to the United States in the first seven month of 2025 were up 22% compared to a year ago, to 83 bcm. This is due to the start-up of several large Gulf Coast LNG liquefaction plants, including Venture Global’s Plaquemines. According to current projections, while the supply and demand are expected to be roughly equal this year, there will be a glut in 2026 of up to 200 bcm. A large disparity between supply and demand will inevitably lead to a reduction in LNG production. The United States is likely to be the first to cut back, as its producers are more price sensitive than those in other regions. CONSUMER IMPACT The weather will have a significant impact on gas prices in Europe during the winter months. Last winter, for example, was much colder than previous ones, causing a huge draw in inventories that pushed up prices. The oversupply on the market is good news for the consumers. They will benefit from the relatively low LNG price that has been in place for several years. This could stimulate the industrial activity in Africa. This market dynamic may allow European leaders to also breathe a sigh if relief. They could achieve their dual goal of reducing their reliance on Russian supplies of gas while also lowering the energy bills of their citizens. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your essential source for global commentary on financial markets. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X.

• COSCO faces 'challenges with international investments' amid US trade pressures

  COSCO Shipping Ports' managing director, who spoke in Hong Kong Thursday, said that the U.S. Trade War is putting pressure on its international investments. Wu Yu said at an earnings conference, that despite the challenges posed by the United States, his state-owned conglomerate of global ports and shipping was "very focused" on developing opportunities in regional and emerging markets as well as some key hubs. The company stated that although China's exports have decreased to the U.S., those to emerging market countries have increased. It is therefore looking for acquisition opportunities in Southeast Asia and South America as well as Africa and the Middle East. COSCO cited a volatile geopolitical climate as one of its challenges, and when it expanded abroad, the tightening regulatory environments against foreign investments in many countries. Another headwind was the high bidding prices of other port competitors. Wu, however, declined to comment when asked if COSCO would become an investor in CK Hutchison’s sale of global ports assets. Beijing has strongly criticized CK Hutchison's initial plan to sell its ports business worth $22.8 billion to a group headed by BlackRock, a U.S.-based investment firm. The other two groups are Gianluigi Aponte’s family-run MSC and the Italian Gianluigi Aponte’s shipping company MSC. CK Hutchison said that it was in talks with a Chinese'major strategic investor', without naming the company. The consortium is expected to be formed by this "major strategic Chinese investor". The investor, according to sources, is COSCO. COSCO is one of the largest vertically integrated marine transport firms in the world. The plan included 43 ports in 23 different countries, two of which were near the Panama Canal where U.S. president Donald Trump had called for a decrease in Chinese influence. Reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong and Clare Jim. Toby Chopra, Mark Potter and Toby Chopra edited the report.