The head of DHL Global Forwarding (DHL GF), the world’s largest forwarder, said the company expects shipping volume – both air and ocean shipments – around the world to decline 20 per cent in the first half of 2009 and 10 per cent for the full year, based on ongoing shipment data this year and reports from customers. Hermann Ude, chief executive officer of DHL Global Forwarding and Freight, said business out of Asia is particularly weak, with exports from China and Hong Kong, leading the downturn. He pointed to figures such as the International Air Transport Association’s report of a 22 per cent decline in international air freight in December as harbingers of even greater weakness this year. “We would assume a 20 per cent reduction in volume in the first three or four months” of 2009, he told reporters recently. “We are preparing for the rest of the year for what we think will end a year that is 10 per cent below last year in volume.” We expect the first significant signs of improvement in 2010. We are reading the shipment data and what customers are telling us about their plans. ¡­ We don’t trust any of these official numbers that are being put out (about economic projections). So based on what customers are telling us, we would expect to see a big upturn in 2010,” he said.