Kuehne + Nagel has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba.com to provide global logistics services to the e-commerce company’s customers.

Under the MoU, Kuehne + Nagel will combine its global network with Alibaba’s expertise in business-to-business e-commerce.

“We are pleased to partner with Kuehne + Nagel to offer our SME customers comprehensive logistics services, enabling them to capitalize on cross-border trade opportunities,” said Steve Su, director of logistics at Alibaba.com.

According to Kuehne + Nagel, Alibaba.com’s paid members in China have been able to obtain instant quotations and book pickup and destination delivery services for air freight consignments via KN FreightNet, Kuehne + Nagel’s digital platform, on the Alibaba website for more than a year. The partnership has also been extended to cover less-than-container-load solutions.

The two companies will now be able to work even more closely together, and plan to expand the scope of the service offering to include all modes of transportation and contract logistics outside China.

“We are excited to enter this MoU with Alibaba.com bringing together Alibaba’s e-commerce penetration with Kuehne + Nagel’s worldwide logistics capabilities,” said Siew Loong Wong, president of North Asia at Kuehne + Nagel. “For Kuehne + Nagel, the establishment of this relationship is in line with our global strategy to digitalize logistics services in order to meet the evolving needs of customers today. We look forward to further developing this cooperation by expanding the scope of our e-commerce logistics offering to Alibaba customers in the future.”