UPS has expanded the scope of its expedited global Worldwide Express Freight supply chain network, which accommodates urgent, heavy-weight palletized freight and now serves 58 countries.

The move adds eight origin and five destination countries to the network – El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama and Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia.

The Central American nations are both origin points and destination sites, while the Eastern European countries are origin points.

“Eastern Europe is experiencing growth in the manufacturing and automotive industries and Latin America is undergoing rapid expansion of general industrial, healthcare, apparel, and high tech businesses,” the company said.

In January, UPS added 12 origin and nine destination countries to its express freight service. Since its 2013 launch, the Worldwide Express Freight service has enjoyed double-digit growth in revenue and volume.

The service, which handles shipments weighing more than 150 pounds, uses the same transportation network and technology as UPS’ package service, and “is often used to ship urgently needed parts or goods during inventory shortages or in the wake of a mechanical failure, but is also used to speed product launches,” the company said.

The service, it said, “focuses on urgent, palletized shipments that have to be delivered worldwide within a short period, often one to three days. Delivery is door-to-door and day-definite.”