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International deliveries are climbing

As Korean consumers buy more foreign goods directly from online shopping malls, local shipping companies are benefiting from increased volumes of international express packages.

According to data from CJ Korea Express, the nation’s largest parcel service, the number of international express packages it dealt with for the first two months of this year was more than 341,000, up 20.5 percent from a year earlier.

The affiliate of CJ Group said that 87 percent of the packages were from the United States, followed by Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Germany.

By item, kids’ clothes and infant goods accounted for 30 percent of its international express packages, CJ Korea Express said. Bags and purses were second at 28 percent, followed by foods like coffee and chocolate at 14 percent.

CJ Korea Express said that 70 percent of its international express packages were delivered to the Seoul metropolitan area, indicating that overseas online shoppers are young housewives in the nation’s most crowded region.

“International express package volumes have been increasing steadily, especially at the end of the year with Black Friday in the United States,” the company said.

“In particular from last December to this February, special delivery promotions from Amazon also increased in volume.”

Currently, most private international express packages are delivered by air but some logistics companies are considering delivery by ships, which is cheaper. That would boost the number of orders, the company said.

Industry insiders expect that international shipping will face another turn when the world’s largest online shopping mall, Amazon, lands in Korea. The company recently finished business registration in Korea.

Some logistics companies are moving fast in anticipation of changes in the market. Hanjin said its eHanEx service, which specializes in international purchases and delivery services, can now be used through a smartphone application.

The company said customers can save up to 30 percent on their international shipping fees through its eHanEx service when shopping in Amazon.

BY JOO KYUNG-DON [kjoo@joongang.co.kr]