AI infrastructure surge is reshaping global logistics, Dimerco says

Dimerco Express Group used its 55th-anniversary summit in Taipei to spotlight how AI data center buildouts are creating a fast-growing logistics challenge. Industry leaders said the shift is driving new demand for premium air freight, customs handling and precision delivery across global supply chains.

Why it matters: - AI data center construction is creating one of the fastest-growing logistics categories as companies race to move servers, switches, cooling units and power systems across borders. - The shift raises the stakes for freight forwarders, with shipments that can be highly sensitive, tightly scheduled and worth tens of millions of US dollars. - Global demand for data center capacity could almost triple by 2030, requiring nearly $7 trillion in investment, according to McKinsey.

What happened: - More than 150 customers and supply chain experts gathered in Taipei for Dimerco Express Group's "Beyond the Next Horizon" Supply Chain Summit. - The event marked Dimerco Express Group's 55th anniversary. - Dimerco CEO Jeffrey Shih said AI infrastructure is becoming a major logistics challenge because every component must be manufactured, transported, cleared through customs, stored and delivered safely and on time. - Colley Hwang, chairman and CEO of DIGITIMES, said semiconductor and technology executives are now focused on hardware bottlenecks in AI data center construction.

The details: - AI infrastructure includes thousands of components manufactured in multiple countries before an AI data center can operate. - Unlike consumer electronics, AI infrastructure requires coordinated movement of oversized, high-value and highly sensitive equipment from manufacturers across Asia to hyperscale data centers under construction worldwide. - Shih said companies now face more complex logistics conditions, including trade compliance, stepped-up export controls, risk management for high-value shipments, damage-free handling and precisely timed deliveries. - Hwang said the industry's questions have shifted from what AI can do to where computing power comes from. - The summit also examined how AI infrastructure is changing air cargo demand. - E-commerce remains an important source of air freight demand, but AI servers and networking equipment are becoming one of the fastest-growing segments of premium air freight. - Dimerco Chairwoman Catherine Chien said AI is the next major supply chain management challenge. - Chien said Dimerco's global shipping, trade compliance and bonded warehousing services position the company to move AI equipment from Asia's manufacturing base to data centers worldwide.

Between the lines: - The AI buildout is pushing logistics providers beyond standard electronics shipping into a more specialized market centered on speed, security and regulatory control. - The comments from industry leaders suggest AI infrastructure is no longer just a chip-making story; it is becoming a supply chain story with global trade implications. - The growth in premium air freight reflects how AI hardware deployment is changing transport priorities for high-value cargo.

What's next: - Dimerco and other logistics providers are likely to see more demand for international air freight, customs support, bonded warehousing and end-to-end supply chain coordination as AI data center construction expands. - The pressure on supply chains should increase as deployment schedules accelerate and equipment values rise. - More information