Hyundai Glovis is accelerating its expansion of air logistics operations after securing an import customs clearance facility at Incheon International Airport to handle overseas direct-purchase cargo. The company’s strategy is to strengthen its push into the global e-commerce market by adding import customs clearance capabilities to its existing export-focused logistics services.
Hyundai Glovis announced on the 2nd that the Incheon Airport Logistics Center, located within the Incheon International Airport logistics complex, has received approval from the Korea Customs Service to operate a special delivery import customs clearance facility. As a result, the company has established a two-way customs clearance system covering both exports and imports.
Hyundai Glovis had previously expanded its non-affiliated air logistics business by securing air freight contracts for K-beauty and K-pop-related products. With this approval for an import customs clearance facility, the company is broadening its air logistics portfolio by adding import cargo handling capabilities to its existing export logistics operations.
A customs clearance facility is a site that performs import customs procedures for e-commerce cargo entering Korea from overseas. Hyundai Glovis’s customs clearance facility is located on the first floor of the Incheon Airport Logistics Center and can process more than 1 million special delivery shipments per month.
To improve cargo handling efficiency, automated equipment has been introduced across all pre-clearance processes. Four high-speed X-ray units can process 5,000 items per hour and transmit real-time shape and property information of scanned items to the Incheon Airport customs office. Prohibited import items such as narcotics, firearms, and explosives are classified through precise analysis.
On the third and fourth floors of the logistics center, reverse direct-purchase logistics are handled for overseas consumers purchasing domestic products. K-beauty, health functional foods, and entertainment-related products are the main categories. Order items are sorted by country, region, and delivery carrier via 20 sorting conveyors, while a robotic picking system supports same-day shipment and packaging.
The Incheon Airport Logistics Center is located approximately 3 kilometers from the airport cargo terminal, offering an advantage for air cargo movement. Hyundai Glovis plans to shorten global delivery times by leveraging its automated equipment and geographic advantages.
Hyundai Glovis began construction of the Incheon Airport Logistics Center in 2023 and commenced full-scale operations this year. The center, located in the Incheon Airport Second Airport Logistics Complex, spans five above-ground floors with a total floor area of 44,420 square meters. The company intends to use this site as a core hub for its air logistics business, expanding its logistics services from a focus on ocean shipping into the air sector.
A Hyundai Glovis official said, “With this customs approval, the Incheon Airport Logistics Center has fully established a two-way customs clearance system for both exports and imports.” The official added, “By combining our specialized air forwarding capabilities, state-of-the-art automation systems, and geographic advantages relative to the airport cargo terminal, we will faithfully fulfill our role as a global e-commerce import-export hub.”
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