DHL Group and Alibaba.com have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the integration of DHL’s logistics capabilities into Alibaba.com’s AI-powered business platform, Accio, in a move aimed at simplifying cross-border trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Announced during Alibaba.com’s CoCreate 2026 Conference in Los Angeles, the collaboration will examine how businesses could access logistics services alongside sourcing and procurement activities, creating a more connected digital journey from supplier discovery to international shipment execution.
Freight quotations and booking through Accio
Under the proposed integration, DHL Global Forwarding’s quotation and booking capabilities could be connected to Accio, enabling businesses to obtain real-time freight forwarding quotes, compare shipping options and book shipments through the platform.
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Accio is Alibaba.com’s AI-powered business platform designed to support SMEs with tasks including product and supplier discovery, market research and other business operations. DHL and Alibaba.com said the planned logistics functionality would represent the first step in a broader suite of DHL capabilities intended to help automate key business tasks and improve operational efficiency.
The companies have not announced a launch date for the proposed functionality, while the official announcement does not specify individual trade lanes that would initially be covered.
Simplifying cross-border trade
The collaboration is focused on addressing some of the complexities faced by SMEs when expanding into international markets. DHL said many smaller businesses can face challenges related to international trade requirements, regulations and logistics processes.
By combining Alibaba.com’s digital commerce and AI capabilities with DHL’s global logistics expertise, the companies aim to explore ways of making international trade more accessible while reducing the administrative complexity associated with arranging cross-border shipments.
Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer at DHL and Head of DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, said the companies are exploring how technology can help businesses spend less time managing complexity and more time focusing on growth.
Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, said connecting Accio with DHL’s global logistics capabilities could help reduce barriers to cross-border commerce and enable SMEs to move more efficiently as they expand internationally.
Building an AI-enabled logistics ecosystem
The proposed integration reflects a broader shift towards embedding logistics services directly into digital commerce and business platforms. Rather than requiring companies to move between separate systems for sourcing, freight quotations and shipment booking, the planned connection could bring key stages of the international trade process into a single AI-enabled environment.
DHL said the quotation and booking capability would be the first in a planned suite of logistics services for Accio. The companies intend to explore further ways AI can support customers throughout the international trade journey, from sourcing and supplier discovery through logistics quotation, booking and shipment execution.
For DHL, the collaboration also forms part of its wider push to combine its global logistics network and expertise with advanced digital technologies. The agreement comes as the logistics sector increasingly looks to AI to improve access to information, increase transparency and streamline processes for businesses operating across international supply chains.
The proposed DHL-Alibaba.com connection therefore represents an effort to bring logistics closer to the point where businesses make sourcing and purchasing decisions, potentially giving SMEs a more integrated pathway from identifying an international supplier to arranging the movement of goods.
