GLOBAL air cargo is proving strong this year, even as trade tensions and policy uncertainty weigh on sentiment.
That’s the view of leading freight company DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
According to a statement, Asia-origin volumes are said to be powering air cargo market growth, fuelled by technology, e-commerce and shifting trade patterns.
“We’re still seeing a resilient global economy, even with ongoing policy and geopolitical uncertainties,” said Niki Frank, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
“Growth remains positive, but risks from inflation, trade tensions and energy policy shifts continue to shape the outlook.”
According to WACD figures shared during a recent webinar, global demand rose about 6 percent in the first seven months of the year, driven by intra-Asia and Asia–Europe routes, with Asia–U.S. trade lagging behind.
IATA data also recorded a six-month run of demand expansion through August.
Total demand was reported as increasing 4.1 percent, primarily due to a shift from sea to air for high-value goods.
This was attributed to shippers seeking to avoid tariff risk imposed by the Trump regime.
The tariff uncertainty has also led to some traffic being diverted away from North America, driving stronger growth on Asia-Europe, intra-Asia, Asia-Africa and Asia- Middle East lanes.
This shift is also said to have caused rising regional demand across Asia.
"We’ve seen a sustained upward trend in air cargo across Asia Pacific, underpinned by resilient trade flows and strong intra-regional links," Mr Frank said.
“The outlook for the coming months remains positive, with healthy growth expected on key trade lanes.”
Patrick Bongers, DHL Global Forwarding global head for air freight business development, said Southeast Asia and India were the clear winners in global airfreight in 2025, in part from the ongoing China Plus X shift in manufacturing.
Technology and AI-related equipment were said to have overtaken automotive and fashion as the main drivers of air cargo growth this year.
Exports of high-tech goods rose 12 percent in the first half of 2025, adding more than 200,000 tonnes of airfreight demand, while temperature-controlled cargo increased 8 percent.