DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore how artificial intelligence can improve the end-to-end logistics experience for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade. The agreement was announced during Alibaba.com’s CoCreate 2026 Conference in Los Angeles, California.
Under the MoU, the two companies intend to evaluate how AI-powered tools could support customers across their international trade journey, from sourcing and supplier discovery through to logistics quotation, booking and shipment execution.
As part of this, 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. Through this approach, Accio would connect to DHL Global Forwarding’s Quotation & Booking capabilities, enabling businesses to obtain real-time freight forwarding quotes, evaluate shipping options and book shipments. This would mark the first in a planned suite of DHL logistics capabilities intended to automate business tasks and support SMEs as they scale.
“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,” said Katja Busch, chief commercial officer at DHL and head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation. “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.”
“AI is fundamentally changing how businesses participate in global trade, making capabilities that once required significant time, expertise and resources more accessible to small and medium-size enterprises,” said Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com. “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.”
“Global trade is becoming increasingly digital, and customers expect logistics to be as seamless as the rest of their business activities,” said Tim Robertson, executive vice president of accelerated digitalization at DHL Global Forwarding. “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.”
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