The prevailing logistics panorama centered on the USA and China is being shaken by extended U.S.-China conflicts and provide chain restructuring. Specialists instructed that home firms urgently have to diversify their logistics hubs to Southeast Asia and India.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Business held the 2026 Logistics Market Outlook Seminar on the Chamber of Commerce constructing in Jung-gu, Seoul on Dec. 12, saying world provide chain modifications and subsequent yr’s market outlook. Through the seminar, evaluation was offered exhibiting that logistics networks are being distributed throughout numerous international locations worldwide as the USA strengthens reshoring and de-risking insurance policies in key industries similar to semiconductors.
In line with the United Nations Convention on Commerce and Improvement (UNCTAD), China’s export share to the U.S. decreased by 3.3 share factors from 18.0% in 2015 to 14.7% this yr over the previous 10 years. In the meantime, China’s export share to Southeast Asia elevated from 12.2% to 16.4%, and its export share to India elevated from 2.6% to three.4% respectively.
The U.S. import panorama has additionally modified. The U.S. import share from China plummeted by 8.0 share factors throughout the identical interval, whereas Mexico’s share elevated to 12.1%, surpassing China to emerge as America’s largest import supply. Lee Seong-woo, senior analysis fellow on the Korea Maritime Institute, emphasised, “The US is restructuring its provide chain with the technique of ‘narrower yard, increased fence,’” including, “Our firms should additionally preemptively safe logistics hubs consistent with the shift in import routes to Mexico and Northeast Asia.”
Subsequent yr’s sectoral climate forecast confirmed combined outcomes. The aviation logistics market is forecast to be clear. Regardless of issues over world financial slowdown, demand for high-value cargo similar to AI servers, semiconductors, and batteries continues to develop steadily. Eom Seung-jun, group supervisor at LX Pantos, defined, “Provide can’t sustain with demand because of cargo plane retirement and conversion delays,” including, “A method centered on high-profitability cargo and e-commerce quantity is critical.”
Within the case of land transportation and logistics warehouse sectors, whereas cargo quantity itself is exhibiting a gradual improve because of e-commerce progress and regular demand for logistics outsourcing from shippers, provide capability seems to be constrained by components similar to driver and workforce shortages.
For the success service sector, which handles every thing from on-line sellers’ orders to supply, demand for order processing, delivery, and return dealing with can be rising because of cross-border e-commerce growth and the expansion of direct-to-consumer (D2C) manufacturers. Nonetheless, because the variety of service firms will increase, stress to scale back per-transaction charges and the burden of promotional and advertising and marketing prices are anticipated to develop.
However, the delivery market is forecast to be cloudy. It is because provide oversaturation is predicted to proceed, with world vessel capability progress charges exceeding cargo quantity progress charges. Moreover, issues arose that delivery firms’ price burdens will improve as environmental rules such because the European Union’s carbon emissions buying and selling system are strengthened. Whereas land transportation, logistics warehouses, and success sectors are anticipated to see elevated cargo volumes pushed by e-commerce progress, securing profitability will probably be key because of rising labor prices and worth competitors.
Lee Hee-won, director of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Business’s Distribution and Logistics Promotion Institute, said, “As world provide chains are being structurally restructured, there are limitations for firms to reply alone,” including, “The federal government should strengthen coverage help similar to monetary and tax advantages for abroad logistics infrastructure growth.”
