DHL TO LAUNCH ‘COSTING ENGINE’ FOR E-COMMERCE

   DHL Airways, the U.S. arm of global express carrier DHL Worldwide Express, plans to launch early next year an Internet-based service that will enable shippers to figure out the total cost, including customs and tax charges, for moving international shipments.
   DHL has targeted the ‘landed costing engine’ service, provided through an alliance with Syntra Technologies, to attract the shipping business associated with international e-commerce. A primary obstacle to fulfilling e-commerce orders to overseas locations has been the inability for companies to price total delivery costs.
   Sytntra’s landed cost application can tally 23 different
government-imposed costs, which vary widely from country-to-country. "In some cases, these government-imposed costs can drive up the price of a $27 order of compact discs an extra $168," DHL said.
   Initially, DHL will offer the service from the United States to
Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.