Dimerco survey warns APAC shippers to brace for higher demand and disruption in H2 2026

Dimerco Express Group’s new Asia-Pacific Freight Outlook for H2 2026 says most APAC-connected shippers expect freight demand to rise, while nearly all are already seeing higher rates and frequent delays. The survey points to geopolitics, congestion and reliability issues as companies plan for a volatile second half of the year.

Why it matters: - APAC shippers are heading into H2 2026 with demand growth, rate pressure and disruption moving together, raising the cost and complexity of moving goods across key trade lanes. - The report suggests companies need more than spot-rate buying. They need route flexibility, compliance readiness and clear fallback plans to protect service.

What happened: - Dimerco Express Group released its Asia-Pacific Freight Outlook for H2 2026, based on 57 validated APAC-connected cargo owners drawn from 183 raw survey responses. - Seventy-one percent of respondents expect freight demand to increase over the next six months. - Ninety-two percent say freight rates increased over the past year. - Eighty-four percent report shipment delays at least monthly. - Eighty-four percent say they have changed shipment strategy frequently or occasionally because of disruption.

The details: - Geopolitical disruption ranked as the top factor shaping shippers’ outlook, selected by 33% of respondents. - Demand growth followed at 31%, and economic conditions came in at 20%. - Asia-North America was the most frequently cited trade lane for both air and ocean users, selected by 57% of active air users and 61% of active ocean users. - Asia-Europe ranked second among the major corridors cited in the survey. - Dimerco says companies using these lanes should watch policy changes, carrier allocation and gateway congestion through the second half of the year. - One quarter of respondents said shipment delays happen weekly or more often. - Among shippers that changed strategy frequently or occasionally, 74% pointed to geopolitical disruption as the trigger. - Port congestion was cited by 49%, and customs or regulatory delays were cited by 40%. - Ocean users reported heavier pressure than air users. - Sixty-nine percent of ocean users cited rate volatility as a current challenge. - Fifty-five percent cited vessel schedule reliability, 51% cited geopolitical disruption and 47% cited port congestion. - Half of valid ocean respondents said reliable capacity declined over the past six months. - Air users also face strain. - Rate volatility was the leading air challenge at 56%, followed by schedule reliability at 47%, geopolitical disruption at 40%, capacity constraints at 33% and customs delays at 31%. - Forty-three percent of air respondents said reliable capacity improved over the past six months, while 41% said it declined. - Eighty-four percent of air users said ocean volatility had a moderate or severe effect on air capacity or rates. - Cost was selected as a top-two carrier selection factor by 65% of respondents. - When combined, schedule reliability and transit-time predictability were selected by 69%. - Forty-two percent of respondents changed their primary logistics provider in the past 12 months. - Among those switchers, 70% cited pricing and 60% cited service reliability. - No respondent said pricing alone was the sole differentiator of a preferred logistics provider. - The full Asia-Pacific Freight Outlook report can be accessed via the full report.

Between the lines: - The survey shows price is no longer enough to win freight business. Shippers appear to be rewarding providers that can deliver reliability, visibility and rapid recovery when networks break down. - The tight link between ocean volatility and air costs suggests disruption in one mode can quickly spill into the other, especially when companies shift freight to protect service.

What's next: - Dimerco recommends shippers move to a rules-based freight plan for H2 2026 instead of reacting shipment by shipment. - The playbook includes rolling 8-to-12-week lane and SKU forecasts, total landed cost tracking, mode-switch thresholds, pre-qualified alternate gateways and providers, customs readiness built into route design and forwarder scorecards that measure response time, visibility, exception recovery and capacity fulfillment alongside price. - Dimerco says H2 2026 is likely to reward shippers that build optionality before they need it. - Dimerco Express Group was founded in Taiwan in 1971 and now connects Asia’s manufacturing hubs with North America and Europe through 150+ offices and 200+ strategic partner agents.

The bottom line: - APAC shippers are bracing for another volatile half-year, and the winners will be the ones that plan for disruption before it hits.