US Restructures Supply Chain with 'De-risking Strategy'... "Urgent Need for Korea to Diversify Logistics Hubs"

KCCI Holds 'Logistics Market Outlook Seminar'
Discusses Directions and Prospects for Logistics Restructuring
U.S. Reduces Dependence on China... Logistics Structure Shifts
Rapid Dispersion to Southeast Asia, India, and Mexico
"Policy Support Needed for Overseas Logistics Infrastructure"

On December 12, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the '2026 Logistics Market Outlook Seminar' at its assembly hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, to discuss the direction of logistics environment restructuring in response to changes in the global supply chain and to review prospects by industry sector.

Busan Port New Port panorama. Busan Port Authority

At this seminar, domestic logistics experts attended and diagnosed that the United States is strengthening its 'de-risking strategy' to reduce dependence on China, focusing on key industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, they analyzed that the global logistics structure, which has traditionally centered on the United States and China, is rapidly dispersing to regions such as Southeast Asia, India, and Mexico.

In reality, as China’s access to the largest consumer market, the United States, has been blocked, it is diversifying its markets by shifting its export destinations and production bases to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and India. The United States, for its part, is securing supply chain stability by shifting its import routes to countries such as Mexico, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in Northeast Asia.

According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data, China's share of exports to the United States fell from 18.0% in 2015 to 14.7% in 2024, a decrease of 3.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, its shares to Southeast Asia and India increased from 12.2% to 16.4% and from 2.6% to 3.4%, respectively, over the same period. The U.S. share of imports from China also dropped from 21.8% to 13.8%, with Mexico rising to become the largest import source.

Lee Sungwoo, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute, stated, "When supply chains change, logistics networks connecting ports, airports, railways, and roads are also restructured. It is necessary for our companies to secure key logistics hubs to reduce logistics costs and respond proactively to the increasingly complex international logistics environment, and policy support is needed to achieve this."

Experts forecast that next year’s logistics market will see a generally moderate growth trend, supported by increased high-value cargo in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, as well as the continued growth of e-commerce.

By sector, air logistics is expected to perform relatively well due to increased high-value cargo such as AI servers, semiconductors, batteries, and pharmaceuticals. In contrast, the shipping sector is expected to maintain a low freight rate trend due to excess shipping capacity. Land logistics, logistics warehouses, and fulfillment services are anticipated to continue a moderate growth trajectory, driven by the expansion of e-commerce.

Lee Heewon, Director of the Distribution and Logistics Promotion Center at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized, "As the global supply chain undergoes structural reorganization due to U.S.-China tensions, it is urgent for our companies to diversify their logistics hubs. The government should strengthen policy support, such as providing financial and tax incentives, to help build overseas logistics infrastructure."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.