AIR CARG O WEEK


E-COMMERCE


TIACA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST E-COMMERCE WHITE PAPER


THE INTERNATIONAL AIR CARGO ASSOCIATION (TIACA) RELEASED ITS FIRST WHITE PAPER FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON E-COMMERCE, SIGNALLING A DECISIVE STEP IN ADDRESSING THE FORCES RESHAPING GLOBAL AIR LOGISTICS EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE 82-PAGE WHITE PAPER OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SECTOR’S RAPID GROWTH, ITS INHERENT COMPLEXITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP.


shifts in consumer behaviour, has fundamentally reshaped supply chains, created entirely new business models and revealed urgent gaps in regulation, standardisation and


A


infrastructure. The 16-chapter report addresses critical issues including customs management, safety and security, process simplification, harmonised data standards, final-mile


and reverse innovation and sustainability.


White paper highlights The 14 authors of the White Paper, under


two Task Force Co-Chairs, Nikolai Schaffner, Swissport and Carl Kent, Technology


Independent Consultant,


highlight some key elements of e-commerce and


address of


the questions


airfreight the


many


unanswered regarding


e-commerce within the context of the global air cargo industry. The


corridor


Transpacific remains


one of the most significant


recent years,


has a


the of


since 10 trade


routes for air cargo. In


it undergone considerable


transformation, largely


driven rapid by growth


e-commerce 2021.


By that


t the close of last year, e-commerce represented around 20% percent of global air cargo volumes and forecasts suggest those volumes could double over the next decade. This surge, accelerated by Covid-driven


2024, it is estimated that approximately 50% of Transpacific air cargo demand was linked to e-commerce activity. This surge in e-commerce volumes has partly displaced traditional general cargo or incorporated goods shipped under de minimis exemptions. As a result, around 25% of China–US air freight demand could be exposed to potential risks should de minimis regulations be amended. The evolving composition of freight on this route underscores the growing influence of online retail on global supply chains and highlights the vulnerability of certain cargo segments to policy changes affecting low-value shipments. Focusing on the various origin regions within China, the primary


logistics, the guidance of


driver of growth has been South East China (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xiamen), which has nearly doubled in size compared with 2019. In 2024, volumes from Central and Western China (covering Zhengzhou, Ezhou, Chongqing, and Chengdu) also rose sharply, recording an increase of nearly one-third in just a single year relative to 2019. Hong Kong, the largest origin point within China, experienced notable expansion as well, with volumes up by approximately 9% compared with 2019. These developments highlight the broad-based recovery and diversification of China’s air cargo network, with emerging inland hubs and established coastal centres alike contributing to the sustained growth in outbound freight activity. More recently, with the US tariff changes since the beginning of


April and the removal of the de minimis exemption since the start of May, a strong impact is observed on the e-commerce origins China/HK to the USA. Also, TIACA sees that volumes are recovering more quickly


from other origins in the Asia Pacific region to the USA and from Asia Pacific overall to Europe, suggesting a (partial) shift of (e-commerce) trade flows from China/HK to other markets.


Custom compliance changes The rapid expansion of e-commerce, forecast to surpass $8 trillion in global sales by 2027, has fundamentally transformed customs compliance within the air cargo sector. This transformation has introduced three major challenges. Firstly, rising shipment volumes and growing complexity have


strained traditional customs systems, which were designed for bulk freight rather than the millions of small parcels now moving through air networks each day. According to the World Customs Organization (WCO), e-commerce consignments account for as much as 60–70% of all air cargo entries in some markets. While de minimis thresholds in major economies exempt many low-


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