DHL's compliance centre

DHL Express will increase its workforce by 40% at its Asia Pacific Export Compliance Centre (APECC) in Malaysia by the end of the year. The company, which moves over 480 million shipments a year globally, has strict measures in place to ensure shipments through its network comply with legal and regulatory frameworks in line with United Nations, European, US, global and local regulations on sanctions or denied parties.

"We continue to invest in the APECC because it plays a pivotal role in ensuring that good corporate governance and stringent compliance to export regulations are fully integrated into our daily business and operations," says Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific. "More than a million shipments pass through our global network daily. To remain the provider-of-choice, it's critically important that we stay on top of regulatory changes across the 40 markets in the region so that we deliver the best service to our customers."

Situated in Kuala Lumpur, the APECC was established in 2015 to ensure shipments through the network are compliant with evolving international shipping regulations. This includes understanding current rules and new sanctions from both the origin and destination of the shipment, and helping customers understand the import and export process.

Export compliance officers at the centre are globally certified by the International Compliance Association, the leading professional body for global regulatory and financial crime compliance. The teams also undergo regular training, especially when new sanctions emerge.

"Shipping across borders is a complex process involving regulations and requirements that are applied by different countries and agencies. This is made more complex where some countries have laws which apply extra-territorially. Being on top of this is key to ensuring that DHL continues to be the provider of choice and our global network is secure and compliant. Our customers look to us to set these standards to ensure uninterrupted trade," says Raymond Yee, vice president of customs and regulatory affairs, DHL Express Asia Pacific.

The Asia Pacific Export Compliance Centre is one of three centres globally, with one located in Europe and another in Central America.