Shippers based in the Asia Pacific region are expecting cargo demand to grow this year, but also expect supply chain disruption to continue.
A survey of 180 Asia Pacific shippers carried out by freight forwarder Dimerco showed that 71% are expecting air and ocean cargo demand to increase in the coming six months, fuelled by underlying trade growth but also defensive behaviours in response to geopolitical volatility.
These defensive behaviours include rerouting, front-loading and modal shift.
Asked why they expected demand to grow, 32.7% said geopolitical factors, 30.5% said demand growth, 20.4% said economic conditions, 12.2% said capacity changes and 4.1% said inventory adjustments.
The survey also revealed that most shippers experience supply chain disruption on a regular basis, with 58.8% saying shipments are delayed on a monthly basis, 15.7% on a weekly basis and 15.7% saying one or two times a year.
Geopolitical disruption, port congestion and customs or regulatory delays were given as the three main reasons for the disruption.
“The effect is concentrated on major trade lanes. Asia-North America was the most frequently cited lane for both air and ocean users, selected by 57% of active air users and 61% of active ocean users. Asia-Europe ranked second,” the survey found.
Dimerco says companies using these corridors should watch policy changes, carrier allocation and gateway congestion through the second half of the year.
The survey also looked at what the top operational challenges are for the airfreight market, with rate volatility, schedule reliability, geopolitical disruption, capacity constraints and customs clearance delays being the main concerns.
Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that 42% of shippers surveyed had changed their primary logistics provider in the past 12 months.
Among switchers, 70% cite pricing and 60% cite service reliability; 35% select both. Better regional coverage is a
reason for 25%, followed by capacity availability and digital visibility.
Other key findings include 92% of respondents saying freight rates increased over the past year, and 84% say they have changed shipment strategy frequently or occasionally because of disruption.
“Delays are no longer occasional exceptions,” Dimerco said, adding: “That changes the planning conversation. Rate negotiation matters, but the report suggests shippers also need route options, compliance readiness, allocation planning and clear decision thresholds before disruption hits.”
Dimerco recommended that shippers plan for higher demand without assuming smoother execution; treat disruption as a standing operating condition; build extra protection around ocean reliability; use air selectively as a pressure-release valve; compare modes on total economics and risk; and evaluate providers across price, execution and resilience.
