Asia Pacific is playing an increasingly central role in driving global trade resilience, even as international flows face mounting challenges due to policy shocks, according to a new update to the DHL Global Connectedness Tracker of DHL and New York University's Stern School of Business.
This offers the first systematic assessment of how international trade and business investment are reacting to shifting U.S. trade policy under President Donald Trump's second term.
Ken Lee, CEO for Asia Pacific, DHL Express said Asia Pacific's performance stands out due to its adaptability and strategic positioning, and the latest data shows how collaboration in the region is deepening even amid global uncertainty.
"From ASEAN's rising role in absorbing trade flows to countries in the Asia Pacific region engaging more intensively with their neighbors, businesses in our region are proving agile and forward-looking," he said, adding that DHL is well-positioned to support its customers in navigating any shifts in trade patterns.
Andy Chiang, senior vice president and managing director of DHL Express Hong Kong and Macau, said despite the changes in the global trade sector, Hong Kong continues to demonstrate strong resilience and remain as a crucial global logistics hub.
"Ranked fourth globally in trade value growth, the city continues to strengthen its role as a key gateway connecting Chinese Mainland, ASEAN, and global markets," he said.
"With our expanded Central Asia Hub in Hong Kong and world-class logistics network in the city and around the world, DHL is committed to empowering local enterprises, big and small, to capture growth opportunities worldwide through our reliable and efficient logistics solutions."
Global trade defies tariff turbulence, Asia leads in trade lane growth
The DHL Global Connectedness Tracker found that, in the first half of 2025, international trade grew at a faster rate than in any half-year since 2010, excluding the pandemic rebound.
U.S. imports surged early in 2025 as buyers rushed to frontload purchases ahead of tariff hikes and even after the frontloading wave in the U.S. subsided, global trade volumes remained above prior-year levels.
Zooming into the world's 100 largest trade lanes, six of the 10 fastest-growing were exports originating from an Asian economy, underscoring the region's pivotal role in driving global trade momentum.
Additionally, among the 50 largest trading markets, Hong Kong SAR ranks fourth for the fastest trade value growth, while Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam also place within the top 10 markets, indicating the Asia Pacific region's growing influence and resilience in supply chain networks.
Intra-Asia trade also showed signs of continued integration and expanding connections, with East Asia & Pacific's intra-regional trade share rising from 55% to 56%.
The new DHL report noted that among the 50 largest trading markets, the trade distances declined the most in markets starting with Thailand (-79 km), Chinese Mainland (-76 km), Singapore (-71 km), and Hong Kong SAR (-61km) in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024.
"This reflects Asian economies' pivoting of trade flows toward regional partners to maintain growth," it said. "It also signals the region's efforts to enhance its infrastructure and connectivity, making it more attractive to participate in cross-border trade."
ASEAN as key destination for Chinese exports
Despite a 15% drop in exports to the U.S. in the first eight months of 2025, China fully offset this decline with a 15% increase in exports to ASEAN region.
The report said in fact, ASEAN emerged as a key growth destination for Chinese exports, highlighting the region's rising importance in China's trade portfolio. Notably, Vietnam, Thailand, and India saw the largest increases in their share of China's exports, while the U.S., Russia, Korea, Brazil, and Mexico experienced declines.
"Trade and international business investment trends so far in 2025 do not support the view that globalization has gone into reverse," said Prof. Steven A. Altman, director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization at NYU Stern’s Center for the Future of Management.
"While it would be a mistake to disregard current policy threats to globalization, companies are not generally pulling back from international markets, trade is crossing the longest average distance on record, and geopolitical conflicts have reshaped only a small fraction of the world's international activity."
Altman noted that the latest data also show companies managing the risks and opportunities of a connected world rather than retreating to within countries or regions.
The DHL Global Connectedness Tracker is a streamlined report and interactive tool that monitors global trade and international flows across trade, capital, information, and people. Drawing from over 25 sources and 20 million data points, it offers downloadable charts and regional insights. Commissioned by DHL and authored by NYU Stern researchers, it complements the long-running DHL Global Connectedness Report.
