DHL Eyes Trade Growth between North Asia Pacific and Middle East

  • Posted on 28 April 2010

DHL is focused on the growing trade between North Asia Pacific (NAP) and emerging markets Middle East and Africa (EMA). Aided by growth in fast growing exports in chemicals and life science, the airfreight traffic from NAP to EMA is expected to grow at 8.3 percent per annum and ocean freight by 7.1 percent per annum by 2015.

The company shared the trade lane data at its annual trade lane meeting in Cairo, Egypt where senior business representatives met to discuss emerging bilateral trade trends and opportunities, in particular, focusing on trade between Egypt and North Asia Pacific.

"China is Egypt's top trading partner in North Asia Pacific. Together, South Korea, Japan and China accounted for some 75-85 percent of all air and ocean freight volumes from North Asia Pacific to Egypt in 2009," said Kelvin Leung, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding North Asia Pacific.

“DHL's strong industry sector approach in life science and chemicals, fashion, automotive and electronics is highly relevant to trade between NAP and Egypt. These sectors account for over 60 percent of ocean freight exports from Egypt into NAP, and 20 percent of exports from NAP into Egypt with an industry projected growth of 8.7 percent per annum till 2015," said Enver Moretti, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Emerging Markets Region. "Similarly, the fashion and apparel sector continues to be China's largest export into Egypt, while the electronics goods sector is projected to grow by more than 12 percent per annum till 2015."

Apparel and footwear account for the largest share of airfreight exports between NAP and EMA; followed by engineering and manufacturing. By 2015, apparel and footwear is expected to grow by six percent , engineering and manufacturing seven percent and consumer goods by 11 percent.

Similarly, in ocean freight, exports are expected to grow driven by manufactured goods, life science and chemical, and by engineering and manufacturing commodities. Each sector is expected to grow by 7-8 percent by 2015.