DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed an MoU to explore AI-powered logistics solutions for SMEs in international trade.
DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the use of artificial intelligence to improve the end-to-end logistics experience for small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in international trade. The parties intend to evaluate how AI-powered tools can support customers throughout their trade journey, from sourcing and supplier discovery to logistics quotation, booking and shipment execution, with the aim of making cross-border trade simpler, faster and more accessible. The agreement was announced during Alibaba.com’s CoCreate 2026 Conference in Los Angeles.
Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer at DHL and Head of DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation, said SMEs were the backbone of the global economy but many still faced challenges navigating the complex rules, regulations and trade requirements involved in international expansion. She said combining Alibaba.com’s digital commerce expertise with DHL’s logistics capabilities would allow the companies to explore how technology could help businesses spend less time managing complexity and more time focusing on growth.
As part of the collaboration, DHL and Alibaba.com will explore integrating DHL Global Forwarding’s logistics services into Accio, Alibaba.com’s agentic AI platform. Accio is described as a plug-and-play enterprise AI agent designed to support the operational needs of SMEs worldwide. Through this approach, Accio would connect to DHL Global Forwarding’s Quotation and Booking capabilities, allowing businesses to obtain real-time freight forwarding quotes, evaluate shipping options and book shipments more seamlessly. This is intended to be the first in a planned suite of DHL logistics capabilities aimed at automating key business tasks, improving operational efficiency and helping SMEs scale more effectively.
Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, said AI was fundamentally changing how businesses participated in global trade by making capabilities that once required significant time, expertise and resources more accessible to SMEs. He said Alibaba.com’s vision for Accio was to help businesses move from opportunity to execution across the trade journey, and that connecting Accio with DHL’s global logistics capabilities was aimed at lowering barriers to cross-border commerce and helping SMEs grow internationally with greater confidence.
Tim Robertson, Executive Vice President of Accelerated Digitalization at DHL Global Forwarding, said global trade was becoming increasingly digital, with customers expecting logistics to be as seamless as their other business activities. He said the collaboration would explore how advanced AI capabilities could give customers faster access to information, greater transparency and more efficient logistics processes, adding that combining intelligent digital platforms with DHL’s logistics network and expertise held significant potential.
Source: DHL Group
