National Business Wire (Jan 9) -- Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited, the logistics subsidiary of Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK), has launched e-commerce consolidation services in the US.

Cainiao announced that it has officially entered the U.S. freight consolidation market, providing e-commerce consolidation services to millions of Chinese expatriates and international students across the U.S., several Chinese media reported on Tuesday.

Freight consolidation is a cross-border logistics operation that allows multiple e-commerce platforms or shops to combine their shipments into one, and then send it from a consolidation warehouse to overseas.

In the U.S. market, Cainiao offers two major consolidation products, air freight and ocean freight, according to a head at Cainiao's export logistics department for overseas shopping.

The person said that after sending e-commerce parcels from the consolidation warehouse, the fastest delivery via air freight takes 5 days, while sea freight is 15 days.

Early last year, Cainiao joined forces with Alibaba's international marketplace AliExpress to launch a Just-In-Time (JIT) shipping service, which has now expanded to 18 cities in China.

Overseas consumers can receive their parcels from China within five working days after placing an order through the AliExpress Choice logistics service, Cainiao said.