FedEx announces further expansion of its FedEx International Connect Plus offering

Earlier this week, Memphis-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider FedEx said it is taking steps to expand its FedEx International Connect Plus (FICP) service offering.

FICP is the company’s international, day-definite, e-commerce shipping service. With this announcement, FedEx said that FICP will now be made available for e-tailers to send shipments to United States and European destinations, and it is already currently available within Asia-Pacific markets. And the company added that it will be made available to e-tailers in China, Hong Kong SAR, and Japan, with other Asia Pacific markets set to be added later in 2024.

Company officials explained that this FICP expansion is geared towards supporting e-commerce growth from Asia to the U.S. and Europe, adding that e-commerce sales in Asia are projected to reach $13.209 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 17.6% from 2023 to 2030. What’s more, it noted that China and Japan continue to be the largest markets in the Asia Pacific region with robust cross-border e-commerce activity, providing extensive business opportunities for SMEs.

FedEx said that with this expansion, e-tailers in these markets can now offer their customers an international shipping service with prices offering greater value, while also ensuring most shipments will be delivered between two-to-three business days to the U.S. and Europe.

FedEx cited various benefits of FICP, for both e-tailers and their customers, including:

• Greater value, with the FICP allowing businesses to enjoy greater savings at competitive day-definite transits, and their customers get suitable choices by matching attractive prices with their specific delivery needs;
• Flexibility and control, with the FICP service enabling e-tailers to give their end customers the flexibility to pick up their package from hundreds of pick-up locations nearby and the option to change delivery date and location;
• Seamless Integration, as both online and offline shipping automation solutions are available for e-tailers to enjoy a paperless experience; and
• Peace of mind, FedEx’s extensive parcel tracking capabilities giving e-tailers and customers visibility throughout the delivery journey

“FICP has been received enthusiastically by our e-commerce customers who value it as the optimal balance of expedited delivery and cost-effectiveness,” said Salil Chari, senior vice president, Marketing & Customer Experience, Asia Pacific, FedEx. “At FedEx, we are focused on providing businesses with a comprehensive range of shipping solutions tailored to their specific requirements. The expansion of FICP, in conjunction with our other digital offerings, enhances our ability to support our customers and facilitate the continued growth of cross-border e-commerce from this dynamic region.”

As previously reported by LM, in September 2022, FedEx expanded FICP to four Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA)-based regions, including: Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

In May 2022, FedEx made FICP available to customers in 24 European countries with connections to 47 global markets.

This followed a ten-market rollout in 2021, in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands, with the 14 new markets announced this week, including: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland.

The company said at the time that FedEx International Connect Plus is part of a portfolio of services that balances speed and cost, enabling shippers to offer the delivery times their customers want and the affordable pricing that gives their businesses an edge.

It is available for shipments that weigh less than 70 pounds. What’s more, FedEx said that FICP now connects almost 99% of the world’s GDP, while enabling e-commerce sellers to grow their business in Europe and abroad.

And it added that those businesses will be able to ship their products to online shoppers in Europe in 1-3 days, North America in 3-4 days, Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world in 3-5 days at attractive rates, while improving their competitiveness in the market.