DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore how artificial intelligence can make international shipping easier for small and medium‑sized businesses. The agreement was announced at Alibaba.com’s CoCreate 2026 Conference in Los Angeles.
According to DHL, the companies will look at ways AI can help customers with sourcing, supplier discovery, freight quotes, booking and shipment execution. The goal is to simplify cross‑border trade and reduce the time SMEs spend managing logistics.
Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer DHL and Head of DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation, said many SMEs struggle with global trade requirements.
“SMEs are the backbone of the global economy, but many still face challenges navigating the complex rules, regulations, and trade requirements that come with international expansion. By bringing together Alibaba.com’s digital commerce expertise and DHL’s logistics capabilities, we want to explore how technology can help businesses spend less time managing complexity and more time focusing on growth.”
The companies will explore connecting DHL Global Forwarding’s logistics services to Alibaba.com’s AI platform Accio. The platform is designed to give SMEs a simple, no‑code digital tool to support everyday business tasks.
The planned integration would allow SMEs to get real‑time freight quotes, compare shipping options and book shipments more easily. DHL said this is the first step in a broader set of AI‑supported logistics tools for SMEs.
Alibaba.com President Kuo Zhang said AI is changing how companies take part in global trade by making tools that once needed more time, expertise and resources easier for small and medium‑sized businesses to use.
“At Alibaba.com, our vision for Accio is to help businesses move from opportunity to execution across the trade journey. By exploring ways to connect Accio with DHL’s global logistics capabilities, we hope to lower the barriers to cross-border commerce and help SMEs move faster and with greater confidence as they grow internationally,” he said.
DHL Global Forwarding Executive Vice President Accelerated Digitalization Tim Robertson said customers expect logistics to match the digital experience of other business activities.
“Through this collaboration, we will explore how advanced AI capabilities can support customers with faster access to information, greater transparency and more efficient logistics processes. We see significant potential in combining intelligent digital platforms with DHL’s logistics network and expertise,” he said.
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