DHL says Japan’s airfreight sector, China’s import demand both growing

Today, DHL released its growth forecasts for Japan and China for the fourth quarter on 2018, which anticipate moderate growth in both countries, albeit at more moderate rates than in past quarters.  The report also found a notable uptick in demand for airfreight in Japan – this, despite industry concerns about current trans-Pacific trade tensions.

While Japan’s overall score of 64 points, measured by the DHL Global Trade Barometer, shows moderate growth, its airfreight sector, specifically, is expected to expand at the robust rate of 79 points, driven largely by exports of cars, machinery and auto parts. On the imports side for Japan, technology and machinery are driving demand.

DHL Global Forwarding’s president/representative director of Japan and CEO of the North Asia South Pacific region, Charles Kaufmann – not to be confused with Air Cargo World’s own Charles Kauffman – said overall growth is attributable to both domestic trade of finished goods, as well as international exports of value-added products.

“The country’s economic maturity puts it in a solid position to meet the evolving needs of increasingly affluent Asian consumers in the sub-region, while also catering to global demand for value-added products like high technology, machinery and parts – areas where Japan excels with its reputation for precision, quality and innovation,” Kaufmann said.

Predictions for China’s growth decreased from 63 to 59 points, compared to June. However, any score above 50 in the Global Trade Barometer indicates growth. The country’s most important growth sectors include personal and household goods, machinery parts, basic raw materials and chemicals. A significant portion of the growth in demand from Chinese consumers roots from increasing domestic usage of e-commerce sites like Alibaba.