UPS has announced the opening of three new logistics centers in the provinces of Bari, Taranto and Lecce, representing 10,000 m2 to support SMEs and Made in Italy exports in the south of the country.

UPS’s announcement is part of its strategy to strengthen its network to give local businesses greater access to the most profitable export markets, not only in Europe and the United States, but also in emerging economies in Asia.

Exports from Puglia region saw an increase of 14.8% in 2022 compared to the previous year, in particular 21.9% towards non-EU countries, exceeding the value of 10 billion euros for the first time since 2000.

One year after the inauguration of the new gateway in Bergamo, with the opening of three new facilities in Puglia, UPS continues to strengthen its widespread presence throughout the peninsula to support the exports of SMEs, the backbone of the country’s economy. In particular it intends to facilitate the exports of local high-quality products so that they can take full advantage of business opportunities across the border – estimated by ICE at 4.8 billion Euros.

The centers of Bari, Taranto and Lecce are located in a strategic position and will allow UPS to offer reliable and timely service to these areas. Now fully operational, they are ready to manage the increase in shipments linked to the 2023 holiday period, also supporting e-commerce and digital exports, a growth lever for business internationalisation.

In parallel with the expansion of the network of operational structures, UPS continues to extend the UPS Access Point network with more than 34,000 collection locations in Europe, of which 4,700 in Italy and approximately 250 in Puglia alone. Deliveries to these points allow saving up to 33% of carbon emissions compared to traditional ones to satisfy the growing demand for greener deliveries from responsible online consumers.

Francisco Conejo, country manager, UPS Italy, said: “UPS has been working alongside Italian companies for over thirty years with logistics services capable of satisfying companies’ aspiration to be global. Strengthening our network and optimizing operations so that SMEs in the South can focus on their core business confirms our confidence in the prospects of the local economy.’’

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