The alliance could be operational in the course of 2012 in the form of a joint venture company to be owned equally by La Poste and Swiss Post, and which would be positioned among the key players in this sector. The Boards of Directors of the two companies have approved the joint venture, subject to all required regulatory approvals being granted.
International mail is a dynamic market with global revenues for 2010 estimated at more than EUR 10 billion. In recent years, in order to fully enhance and develop their activities in this sector, La Poste (La Poste Global Mail) and Swiss Post (Swiss Post International) have each built a solid international presence with subsidiaries and cooperative ventures in key international mail markets including the USA, the UK, continental Europe and Asia.
The two operators are complementary, both geographically and with regard to their products. They also share the ambition of offering global solutions to businesses that wish to develop in the international market.
By combining their expertise and networks in cross-border mail, La Poste and Swiss Post will increase their capacity to serve their international customers, thereby strengthening their business dynamics and the value of their international investments.
The new company will be able to attract new clients by offering high-quality solutions to meet the growing needs of its customer base. The new joint venture company will combine the strengths and values of La Poste and Swiss Post and will be headquartered in Paris and Bern. The new company will combine all cross-border mail activities of La Poste and Swiss Post, except for inbound and outbound cross-border mail business in France and Switzerland. The regulated universal service obligation of La Poste in France and Swiss Post in Switzerland will not be included in the joint activities. The joint venture is subject to all required regulatory approvals being granted.
“La Poste and Swiss Post confirm their intention of becoming a leader in the international mail market in order to accompany their clients and partners in their development around the world”, says Jean-Paul Bailly, President of the La Poste Group.
“Both partners are complementary from both a geographic and a market-offering point of view. The new company will thus provide the best available value-added mailing solutions for their international clients,” emphasises Jürg Bucher, CEO of Swiss Post.
