DHL Express has recorded a 16% increase in heavyweight shipments in Asia Pacific excluding China in the first seven months of 2026, as companies moved critical components and industrial equipment across borders amid supply-chain uncertainty.
The increase followed the launch of DHL Express' Heavy Weight Express (HWX) service in the first half.
Among Asia Pacific markets, DHL said India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong recorded the fastest growth in heavyweight shipments during the first seven months of 2026.
DHL Express has expanded its infrastructure in the region in recent years, including its global hub in Hong Kong and facilities and gateways in the Philippines, New Zealand, Vietnam and India.
The company operates about 1,000 facilities across Asia Pacific and an aviation network of around 810 flights per day, it added.
Technology cargo leads heavyweight shipments
The company said the figures reflected continued manufacturing activity in Southeast Asia and the role of North Asia as a hub for technology, industrial and automotive supply chains.
Companies have sought to reduce inventories and improve supply-chain efficiency in recent years, but trade disruptions, manufacturing bottlenecks and changes in demand have increased the need for faster movement of critical goods, DHL said.
"Businesses are shipping heavy when timing matters," remarked Ken Lee, chief executive for Asia Pacific at DHL Express. He said companies were placing greater importance on speed and reliability as they manage supply-chain uncertainty.
Technology-related cargo, including computer chips and semiconductors, accounted for more than 34% of the heavyweight segment, making it the largest category, DHL said.
The company attributed the demand in part to investment in data centres, cloud services, data storage and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Shipments include semiconductors, servers, cooling systems and electrical equipment.
DHL said constraints in data-centre infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing were contributing to demand for expedited shipments of critical components.
Engineering and manufacturing, along with automotive, were the other major contributors to heavyweight shipment volumes.
Automotive shipments post fastest growth
Automotive heavyweight shipments grew by nearly 20%, making the sector the fastest-growing category, DHL said.
Asia Pacific is a major manufacturing and export base for the automotive industry, while Chinese and Southeast Asian electric-vehicle makers are expanding into overseas markets. This has increased cross-border movement of vehicle components from suppliers and manufacturers, DHL said.
The company said delays in critical automotive shipments can disrupt production and result in significant costs for manufacturers.
Time Definite International shipments by weight per day in the region rose 16% between January and July, the company said.
High-value technology-related cargo, engineering and manufacturing, and automotive shipments accounted for about two-thirds of the total weight of DHL Express' heavyweight segment in the region.
"As companies continue to manufacture out of Asia, balancing project timelines and building more resilient and agile supply chains become a priority," added Lee.-TradeArabia News Service
