GLOBAL trade shifts and equipment imbalances, as well as seasonal congestion risks, are key factors for the Asia-Pacific region in the 2025 second half year, Maersk reports.
The shipping giant has just released its report for the month of August, with tight Transpacific and Asia-Europe capacity due to extended rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, adding voyage time and straining vessel availability.
Maersk praised its “dynamic capacity planning” and terminal partnerships in helping mitigate the impact of disruptions in the Red Sea, peak season congestion and typhoon season in the North-West Pacific.
Air freight demand in the Asia Pacific, meanwhile, was said to be remaining steady, supported by specialist areas such as semiconductors, high-tech, fashion and cross-border e-commerce.
Maersk noted a report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) documenting global air cargo demand growing at 6.3% year-on-year in April, while WorldACD estimates for May remained positive at 3.9%, despite softer export activity from China.
At the same time, the supply of air cargo space from airlines rose by 4% year-on-year in June, ending the second quarter with a 5% increase in available tonne-kilometres.
Maersk said it was continuing to expand its air freight offering across the Asia Pacific via a combination of own controlled flight operations (OCFO), block space agreements, and “strong partnerships with leading commercial carriers”.
Strategic air gateways such as Shanghai and Hong Kong and hubs such as Singapore and Bangkok were said to provide “enhanced flexibility for cargo consolidation and routing”, supporting risk mitigation.
Maersk said its inland logistics across Asia Pacific were expanding steadily in 2025, driven by decentralised manufacturing, rising consumption and regional trade growth.
“Inland hubs such as Delhi, Pune, Ho Chi Minh City, and Chongqing are seeing increased demand, while cross-border access and multimodal integration are shaping future network development,” the company stated.
“At the same time, challenges like urban congestion, infrastructure inconsistencies, seasonal weather, and regulatory complexity continue to impact last-mile reliability.”
Maersk noted ongoing uncertainty regarding trade, with Indonesian and Japanese exports to the US set to be hit with a tariff of 19% and 15% respectively.
Tariff regimes for many other nations in Asia are still to be confirmed.