DHL Express sees a 16% rise in Asia Pacific heavyweight cargo

DHL Express has recorded a 16% increase in its Time Definite International (TDI) weight per day across Asia Pacific, excluding China, between January and July 2026, following the launch of its Heavy Weight Express (HWX) service earlier this year.

The growth reflects increasing demand for the cross-border movement of heavier industrial shipments, including critical components, machinery and industrial equipment.

According to DHL Express, the performance highlights the impact of its Smart Industrial Growth Strategy as businesses increasingly rely on international express services to transport heavy and time-sensitive industrial cargo.

The heavyweight shipment market has gained momentum in recent years, with industry research estimating that around 10.2 million tonnes of heavyweight cargo are transported annually across Asia Pacific, excluding China.

While companies have traditionally focused on reducing inventory and improving supply chain efficiency, ongoing trade disruptions, manufacturing bottlenecks and volatile demand have created a more uncertain operating environment.

The increase in heavyweight shipment volumes reflects a shift in supply chain risk management, with businesses increasingly turning to express logistics to respond quickly to demand fluctuations while gaining greater flexibility, predictability and control over delivery timelines.

Ken Lee, CEO for Asia Pacific, DHL Express, said, “As companies continue to navigate a complex landscape where uncertainty has become the norm, speed and reliability have also become part of the business decision. Customers are making deliberate decisions on what they ship through our network. Our Heavy Weight Express solution helps companies avoid downtime, protect working capital, and keep operations moving when supply chains don't go exactly as planned."

Across Asia Pacific, high-value technology cargo, including computer chips and semiconductors, accounts for more than 34% of DHL Express’s heavyweight segment, making it the largest contributor. The growth is being driven by rapid investment in data centres to meet rising demand for computing capacity, data storage, cloud services and artificial intelligence.

This expansion is generating demand for the transportation of semiconductors, servers, cooling systems and electrical infrastructure. At the same time, supply chain bottlenecks are emerging as demand for semiconductor manufacturing capacity outpaces available infrastructure. Express logistics services are therefore increasingly being used to move critical components quickly, helping data centre projects stay on schedule.

Engineering and manufacturing, along with the automotive sector, are among the other major contributors to DHL Express’s heavyweight cargo segment.

Automotive is the fastest growing sector
The HWX service is also gaining momentum in the automotive sector, with shipment weight increasing by nearly 20%. Asia Pacific, a major export hub for the automotive industry, is witnessing growing activity from Asian vehicle brands, particularly electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers from China and Southeast Asia.

As these manufacturers expand into international markets, they are increasingly moving vehicle components sourced from suppliers and production facilities across borders. This has boosted demand for expedited logistics services to ensure uninterrupted production.

In the automotive industry, delays or failed deliveries of critical components can result in significant financial losses, making speed and reliability essential to maintaining production schedules.

Asia affirms role as a vital trading hub
In Asia Pacific, excluding China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong recorded the fastest growth in heavyweight shipments during the first seven months of the year.

The markets highlight two key trade corridors in the region: Southeast Asia’s role as a manufacturing and sourcing base, and North Asia’s position as a hub for high-value technology, industrial and automotive supply chains.

India, the Philippines and Vietnam are also among the key markets identified under DHL’s Geographic Tailwinds initiative.

Lee said, “As companies continue to manufacture out of Asia, balancing project timelines and building more resilient and agile supply chains become a priority. To maintain production continuity and ensure certainty, they are consolidating goods into heavier shipments. These non-negotiable conditions are also "urgency drivers" that put us at an advantage to help deliver our customers' shipments at a definite time.”

In recent years, DHL Express has expanded its infrastructure across the Asia Pacific region, adding facilities including its expanded global hub in Hong Kong, gateways near Cebu and Manila airports, a new gateway at Christchurch Airport, a facility near Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport and a Delhi gateway.

These investments have contributed to a network of approximately 1,000 facilities across Asia Pacific, supported by an extensive aviation network operating around 810 flights per day.