DHL Global Trade Barometer calls for slight decline in air trade

According to DHL, the outlook for air trade this year has dipped slightly due to an increase in oceanfreight momentum. This is the conclusion reached by the latest figures from the integrator’s Global Trade Barometer, an index that tracks the progress of global air cargo development.

Despite a one-point point drop, the air trade outlook still stands at a strong 70 out of a possible 100 points, as air trade growth in China and in the United States is expected to increase. However, the overall DHL Global Trade index, which, at its launch in January, scored 64 out of 100, increased by two points in March to 66, indicating ongoing positive growth in global trade during the next three months. Index scores above 50 are considered a positive outlook.

The overall improvement in the global trade index is supported by trade across all seven of the countries accounted for in the index. Compared to two months earlier, Korean and U.S. trade, in particular, are expected to increase, while India also scored a high index value. Germany, on the other hand, has continued to decline from its 2017 peak, while the United Kingdom’s trade levels have rebounded after a small decline in January.

The trade-off in the DHL index comes from the air and ocean trade sectors. Where air trade lost a point in the index, ocean trade gained three to stand at 63, thanks to growth from the U.S., China and South Korea.

The DHL Global Trade Barometer, developed by DHL and IT services provider Accenture, is based on large amounts of logistics data that are evaluated with the help of artificial intelligence. Published four times a year, the indicator will be updated again on June 27.

Interested in learning more about the future prospects of the airfreight industry? Then  join us at Cargo Facts Asia 2018, where senior executives from all branches of the industry will share their views about what to expect in 2018 and beyond.

Cargo Facts Asia will be held 23-25 April, at the Mandarin Oriental Pudong in Shanghai. For more information, or to register, visit www.cargofactsasia.com