Rising volumes of air and ocean freight has led DHL to introduce a freight capacity management programme.
Figures from IATA earlier this month purported a 5.1 per cent upturn in air freight volumes for the month of August, while business analysts HIS reported year-on-year growth of 4.4 per cent in exports for the third quarter of 2014.
DHL says freight rates have been rising in some of the busiest trade lanes as a result of the increasing volumes.
Measures include securing sufficient long term capacity on some trade lanes, particularly to and from Asia-Pacific, where carrier rates are climbing as a result of shortfalls in freight capacity.
Roger Crook, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Freight said: “As global trade picks up – fueled by spiking demands in technology – DHL is seeing customer volumes increase on many trade lanes, especially in Asia Pacific. In this scenario, where capacity is tightening and demand is rising, upward pressure on prices is virtually unavoidable. DHL’s capacity programme is targeted to meet customers’ crucial shipping needs across all industry sectors against the backdrop of rising demand.”
Carriers from Asia-Pacific reported a 6.3 per cent growth in freight tonne kilometres during August, with capacity expanding 4.4 per cent, according to IATA. This continued similarly strong growth in July.