AI gold rush transforms trans-Pacific trade and logistics

Semiconductors, data transmission equipment and data center hardware accounted for 42% of all goods trade growth in 2025, and that share rose to about 76% during the first quarter, according to an annual report on globalization trends by the New York University Stern School of Business, and commissioned by DHL Group. Trade in critical minerals, batteries, and electric vehicles also expanded rapidly during the first quarter, it said, relying on research by the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The large-scale AI buildout in the U.S. has fueled import growth, while imports of other goods have declined. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis estimates that without the AI investment boom, U.S. imports would have declined 10% in 2025 rather than increasing modestly. The second-largest trade bump was in East Asia & Pacific, supported by that region’s leading role in producing AI-enabling hardware, the DHL report added. 

“The biggest story in global trade right now is AI – not tariffs,” said John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, in a news release promoting the report. “Every AI query ultimately depends on logistics. Chips, networking equipment and the many other goods behind this technology must be in the right place at the right time.” 

A report this week from Frost & Sullivan underscored how AI is influencing trade patterns. Production and investment in semiconductors and related digital infrastructure is accelerating in the Asia-Pacific region, which now accounts for about 58% of global semiconductor industry revenue, amid insatiable demand for artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, electric vehicles and advanced communications, it said.

The research, sponsored by FedEx, identifies AI and high-performance computing as the fastest-growing drivers of semiconductor demand. More than 2,000 new data centers are expected to be built globally between 2026 and 2035, according to IEEE Spectrum. 

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) conservatively estimates the addressable transportation market focused on data centers and IT service equipment is $7 billion, Chief Commercial Officer Brie Carere said at the company’s Investor Day event in February. 

DHL Global Forwarding put the market size for data center logistics market in 2025 at about $23 billion and estimates that figure to rise to at least $35 billion by 2030, said Amanda Rasmussen, chief commercial officer and data center executive lead, in a company article.

Last month, global logistics powerhouse Kuehne+Nagel was named the primary logistics provider for Amazon Web Services, supporting data center installation and operations around the world. 

Cloud computing giants could spend up to $525 billion on data center construction in 2026 alone, by some estimates. The infrastructure investment supercycle is expected to reach $3 trillion by 2030, says commercial real estate services firm JLL. In an article last month, consulting firm PwC projected global data center capital expenditure could reach $31.6 trillion through 2050, with a plausible upside of nearly $50 trillion if AI adoption accelerates. 

The Worldwide Semiconductor Trade Statistics forecasts the global semiconductor market to reach about $975 billion by the end of the year.

Data center investment is expected to keep rising because servers, GPUs, and other information and communication technology equipment require refreshes every four to six years.

Server values have surged. Several years ago, servers cost around $100,000 to $250,000. Today, it is common for servers to cost $1 million and $3 million — and the value is expected to continue rising as AI workloads demand increased power. Modern AI servers pack exponentially more processing power, custom silicon, and advanced cooling requirements into every unit — making them both more valuable and more complex to handle safely, logistics experts say.

Beyond semiconductors, AI is generating huge demand for high-density server racks, networking equipment, liquid cooling systems, fiber optics, and large-scale power-generation hardware. The technologies often are transported between multiple manufacturing, assembly and testing facilities before being delivered to data centers. 

“These shipments are bulky, they are very high value and they require the specialized expertise that we have had for decades. A large amount of these components are produced in Asia and shipped into North America. We are the market leader on the trans-Pacific lane, so we are poised to outpace market growth,” Carere said, adding that FedEx has established a new specialized data center sales team.

The freight transportation giant is seeing double digit revenue growth in the AI sector as it captures business from across the value chain, including power generation manufacturers, the marketing chief said on FedEx’s June 23 earnings call. She described how FedEx responded to an urgent request from a global technology company to move multiple pallets of equipment to the United States, adding that successful execution on ad hoc engagements is leading to repeatable revenue streams. 

Kuehne+Nagel experienced strong demand from hyperscalers during the second quarter, especially on the trans-Pacific lane from China to the United States, CEO Stefan Paul said on the company’s July 23 earnings call. 

Why It Matters: The massive sums spent on AI projects and the huge demand for digital services means hyperscalers need to quickly deploy server farms so they can start generating revenue. Tech companies are willing to pay for premium transportation  — namely air freight — because speed is a priority, which makes the sector attractive for logistics providers. 

Companies operating major infrastructure projects often expect pricing responses within two to four hours for air freight and within 24 hours for ocean freight. In standard freight markets, equivalent quotes typically take 24 to 72 hours — making responsiveness an operational differentiator for logistics companies, DHL’s Rasmussen said. “That gives you a sense of how fast-paced and competitive this market is. The industry increasingly demands both speed and agility, which means decisions have to move quickly alongside the freight itself,” she explained.

In the past year, C.H. Robinson saw semiconductor and AI-related air freight volumes from Asia to the United States grow nearly 60%, and expects them to remain the engine of trans-Pacific air demand over the next 12 months, said Vincent Wong, director of product development, in an article posted to the freight forwarder’s website.

Ocean shipping and hybrid sea-air solutions are options for construction materials, server racks and replacement parts, he added.

“The ongoing heavy demand from AI hyperscalers shows no sign of slowing down, and we have seen increased demand for freighter space, as some hyperscalers are requiring upper-deck access for their servers,” said David Wall, the CEO of Expeditors, said in the Seattle-based company’s earnings report. 

AI-related shipments continue to underpin trans-Pacific air cargo growth, making up for the fall in e-commerce traffic — the main source of growth over the past two to three years. 

“The scale of AI’s impact is easy to underestimate because it sits inside a small slice of total air cargo volume — below 10% of what flies,” said Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer for Xeneta in a recent research note. The growth in semiconductor sales this year “has made the trans-Pacific this year’s strongest air freight corridor, even as China-U.S. volumes weakened under tariffs.”

Airlines are also cashing in on the AI boom. 

The International Air Transport Association estimates that AI-related goods accounted for 53.5% of the total value of goods transported by air, while representing just 7% of its volume—highlighting the segment’s high value density and strategic importance for the industry. Moreover, the value of air cargo trade in AI-type goods grew by 20% compared with 2024.

In Asia, Korean Air saw cargo revenue increase 46% in the second quarter, primarily due to AI demand. All Nippon Airways said second-quarter cargo revenue increased 38% year over year behind strong semiconductor traffic. And Taiwan-based EVA Air said AI-related items now contribute up to half its cargo revenue. 

On Saturday, Japan Airlines and Nippon Express launched a weekly freight service between the United States and Asia utilizing a Boeing 747 freighter aircraft chartered by JAL to meet growing demand for AI and semiconductor-related shipping. The round-trip service originates in Los Angeles with stops at Tokyo Narita Airport; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; and Narita, according to a JAL news release.

An area of concern for the AI industry — and shippers writ large — is that solid demand globally, and from Asia to North America, has outpaced capacity growth all year.  

Regional ecosystem

EVs, which require significantly more chips than traditional vehicles, together with the continued rollout of 5G cellular network technology, connected devices, consumer electronics, medical devices and industrial automation are further expanding semiconductor demand across industries, experts say.

APAC is home to four of the world’s top 15 semiconductor companies and is a major auto manufacturing region and local chip supply is critical. Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers provide essential support to the larger semiconductor industry, supplying specialized chemicals, precision components, and testing services. 

The markets widely expected to see the greatest increase in semiconductor demand over the next three years are Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Greater China, and Japan, according to a survey conducted by FedEx at a major trade show in Taiwan. Rather than being concentrated in a single market, semiconductor manufacturing and related activities are distributed across highly specialized hubs throughout the region.

Taiwan dominates advanced semiconductor manufacturing, accounting for about 60% of worldwide foundry output. China is a major material supplier, consumer market and growing fabrication hub. South Korea is a leader in memory chip production. Japan plays a critical role in semiconductor equipment, materials and specialty manufacturing inputs, while Southeast Asia has emerged as a key center for semiconductor assembly, packaging and testing operations.

Industry sentiment reflects the regionalization trend and a focus on geographic diversification. In the survey, 35% of respondents said they expect their companies to expand manufacturing into additional APAC markets over the next three years. A further 25% plan to increase or diversify sourcing either within APAC or globally. 

Asia-Pacific’s focus on production has shifted the industry to fragmented interdependence, with more small, customized shipments replacing bulk deliveries. Since a single semiconductor often requires design, fabrication, and packaging in different hubs, there is increased cross-border movement of prototypes, test wafers, and high-value spares, Frost & Sullivan said.

Just-in-case supply chain model

Supply chain resilience is becoming a strategic priority for hyperscalers, as well as smaller suppliers as geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory complexity, tariff changes and other external disruptions make them vulnerable to disruptions. Traditionally, companies pursued lean efficiency to minimize costs, but in an era when components travel over 25,000 miles and cross more than 70 borders before completion, even minor shipment delays can halt production.  As a result, technology companies are supplementing just-in-time operating models with inventory buffers and larger supplier pools.

As semiconductor and data center supply chains become more complex and globally interconnected, the FedEx survey suggests that speed and visibility will be central to future logistics strategies, with 44% of respondents identifying faster international shipping as the most important capability when selecting logistics and supply chain partners over the next three years. 

To support growing high-tech demand in Asia, FedEx last year introduced daily direct flights between Taiwan and South Korea, extending cutoff times by more than three hours and providing greater flexibility for high-tech customers. South Korea has become one of Taiwan’s major trading partners, with semiconductors and electronic components leading the way on export flows. 

FedEx and UPS this year upgraded their logistics facilities located near Taiwan’s main airport. The expanded FedEx transshipment center doubled the footprint of the previous site and features an advanced automated system that can process up to 9,000 packages per hour, significantly increasing productivity. UPS opened an 872,000-square foot automated distribution center, more than doubling its warehouse footprint in Taiwan. The facility features a fleet of autonomous mobile robots for freight handling. 

DHL Supply Chain in March announced a significant expansion of its North America data center logistics footprint with 10 dedicated warehouse sites totaling more than seven million square feet of capacity set to go live this year. Designed for hyperscale and colocation data center operators rushing to deploy new capacity, the facilities offer white‑glove handling, rack configuration services, and specialized warehouse‑to‑site transportation. 

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.

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