FRANKFURT, Germany - November 10, 2008 - Deutsche Post AG will close all of its DHL Express service centers, cut 9,500 jobs in the United States, and eliminate U.S.-only domestic shipping by land and air, the company said Monday, citing heavy losses and fierce competition.

The Bonn-based company said that the new round of cuts are on top of another 5,400 job cuts it already announced and blamed heavy losses at the unit, which competes with rivals UPS Inc. and FedEx Corp.

The cuts are part of a wider plan to curtail operations in the United States, including domestic ground and delivery services, though its international shipping to and from the U.S. will continue. DHL Express currently employs some 18,000 people.

Part of the plan calls for the halt to domestic shipping by January 30, 2009, the company said, after it closes all of its ground hubs.