Chinese Logistics Company Targets Switzerland’s Fast-Growing E-Commerce Market

Up to 50,000 parcels a day could soon move through a new Chinese logistics network in Switzerland, as Speedaf positions itself to serve the expanding flow of Temu and Shein deliveries.

The company is building a 4,000-square-metre sorting centre and plans regional distribution centres in Zurich, Bern and Lausanne. At full capacity, the network could handle roughly 15 million parcels a year, a substantial footprint for a new entrant in a market dominated by Swiss Post and established private operators such as DPD.

Speedaf’s arrival follows a sharp increase in cross-border online shopping. Swiss import parcel volumes grew by about 12% in 2025, according to PostCom, the postal regulator. Chinese online retailers have helped drive that demand through heavy advertising, low prices and large volumes of small consignments.

Stephan Wagner, a logistics professor at ETH Zurich, told SRF that Speedaf’s network could quickly become significant. The company has not publicly set out its pricing strategy, so its immediate effect on delivery charges remains uncertain. Its scale, however, gives retailers another route into Swiss homes and gives parcel customers another operator to watch.

Swiss import parcel volumes rose 12% in 2025, creating room for new capacity as international online retailers send more goods directly to consumers.

The growth reflects a structural change in Swiss shopping habits. Temu and Shein have built demand around inexpensive products shipped from China, placing pressure on domestic e-commerce businesses that face higher operating costs and a smaller home market. Every additional order also creates demand for sorting, customs processing and last-mile delivery.

Speedaf intends to concentrate initially on Chinese imports, according to the company’s plans reported by Le News. That focus gives it a defined customer base and a route into Switzerland through the same commercial corridor that helped the online retailers expand. It also allows the company to build volume before competing for a broader range of domestic and European delivery contracts.

Switzerland’s geography supports the strategy. A compact national market can be covered from a limited number of distribution points, although mountains, language regions and differing urban densities still create operational challenges. Zurich, Bern and Lausanne would give Speedaf a presence across the German-speaking and French-speaking parts of the country, while connecting its central sorting operation to major population centres.

CHF 16 for customs handling gives Speedaf a clear cost point to target as it builds its Swiss services.

Swiss Post charges that fee for a small parcel arriving from outside the European Union, regardless of the parcel’s value. Speedaf’s Swiss subsidiary is registered to provide customs-clearance services as well as parcel delivery, freight and warehousing. That combination could let the company compete on more than the final handover at a customer’s door.

Customs is a particularly important part of the low-value cross-border parcel business. A small handling fee can represent a significant share of the cost of an inexpensive online purchase. Faster processing, simpler tracking or a lower combined delivery and customs charge could help a new operator win contracts from retailers and logistics intermediaries.

Price will remain only one part of the contest. Swiss customers expect reliable delivery, clear duties and taxes, accessible support and accurate information when a parcel is delayed. Swiss Post benefits from a dense existing network and strong public recognition. Speedaf must establish comparable trust while managing the legal and operational requirements that apply to imports into Switzerland.

Wagner told SRF that cheaper delivery could become possible, particularly over the medium term. The company’s ability to link customs work with its own last-mile network will help determine whether that possibility becomes a sustained advantage.

Speedaf Logistics (Switzerland) Sàrl was registered in Fribourg in April 2026, formalising the company’s entry into the Swiss market.

Founded in 2019, Speedaf specialises in cross-border and last-mile logistics connecting China with overseas markets. ZTO Express was one of its original shareholders. The company’s European network already includes Ireland, Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, according to its own contact information, although its presence remains selective compared with the continent-wide operations of major parcel groups.

The Swiss rollout adds physical infrastructure to that existing international model. A central sorting centre would receive and organise inbound shipments, while facilities in Zurich, Bern and Lausanne would support regional distribution. The planned arrangement also gives Speedaf a platform for freight and warehousing, services that can deepen relationships with online retailers beyond individual parcel deliveries.

For Swiss Post and DPD, the immediate threat depends on how quickly Speedaf fills its capacity and which customers it targets. A newcomer handling Chinese imports can avoid an immediate head-to-head contest across every delivery category. Over time, however, a functioning network could attract other cross-border sellers and expand into a wider parcel offering.

The company’s selective European expansion suggests a focused approach. Switzerland’s size may allow Speedaf to test that model with fewer facilities than it would need in a larger country.

Fifteen million parcels a year would put Speedaf within reach of the scale needed to challenge established operators, if the company uses its planned capacity.

The first test will come from the cross-border segment, where Chinese logistics companies increasingly seek control over the full journey from origin to European doorstep. Wagner told SRF that the sector is moving toward ownership of the last mile, not only the international transport leg. That shift gives retailers greater control over delivery data, customs handling and customer experience.

Swiss Post remains the benchmark because it already operates a nationwide network and serves a broad range of households and businesses. DPD and other private carriers bring established commercial relationships and delivery infrastructure. Speedaf will need to prove that its planned facilities can maintain service quality across Switzerland’s language regions and varied terrain while handling the compliance demands of imported goods.

Consumers could benefit if additional capacity produces lower prices or more delivery options. Domestic retailers and parcel firms will face a tougher operating environment as international platforms seek greater control of the supply chain. The market’s 12% increase in import parcel volumes in 2025 shows why the contest is attracting investment.

Speedaf’s launch will therefore be measured through actual parcel flows, retailer contracts and delivery performance, not only its announced maximum capacity.