APAC Forwarding Index seeks input, tips air volumes will continue upward trend
- News Feed
- Tuesday, 20 June 2017
AIR volumes on major East-West trades will continue to accelerate in the coming months, according to the latest survey results for the APAC Forwarding Index.
The survey results are being compiled by consultants Mike King and Cathy Roberson to help create a new APAC Forwarding Index which will be published this northern summer.
Over half of survey respondents predict APAC volumes across all lanes will be higher in August than in May, with 40 per cent expecting them to remain the same. Only nine per cent of respondents expect lower volumes in August compared to May across all APAC lanes.
Sentiment was most bullish on the APAC-Europe, APAC-North America and APAC-Emerging Market lanes where the majority of respondents expect air freight volumes to be higher in August than in May.
"The three-month outlook for airfreight remains positive," said Roberson. "Across all lanes over half of respondents expect volumes to be higher in August than now, with optimism most obvious on the APAC-North America lane, where 71.43 per cent of respondents predict higher volumes in August than in May. The lane is expected to benefit from key electronic product launches in the coming months."
Growth in air freight volumes was also apparent in May compared to April. 52.3 per cent of survey respondents indicated air freight volumes were higher in May compared to a month earlier, while only 4.5 per cent of all respondents reported a m-o-m drop in APAC volumes.
Growth was most evident on the APAC-Europe, Europe-APAC, APAC-North America and APAC-Emerging Markets lanes where 78, 67, 57 and 67 per cent respectively of respondents reported higher m-o-m volumes.
One respondent said major product launches later in the year, such as the new iPhone which already is being shipped, would help bolster demand out of APAC. He also said Asian demand growth had outstripped Europe and the US in percentage terms over the last year. "Asia and particularly India are the rising stars of the future," she added.
Roberson said APAC forwarding markets were on their best run of positive demand growth seen for at least two years. "Forwarders and other logistics stakeholders have struggled with low rates by air and ocean for an extended period," she said. "But there are signs that supply-demand equilibrium is returning to both markets and this should create new margin opportunities for those with a strong footprint in Asia."
About the new APAC Forwarding Index
The Index is being developed by freight journalist and consultant Mike King, and Cathy Roberson, an industry veteran.
"Combined with economic and manufacturing data along with proprietary market sizing of the forwarding market, the index will provide insight into the APAC forwarding market international and intra-regional that is not available elsewhere.
"A big thank you to all that are helping in this effort. However, we need more input,í said Roberson.
The survey is open to anyone with insight or business linked to key trade lanes to and from Asia used by forwarders and other third parties. The third monthly APAC Forwarding Index survey is now open.
