AI-driven trade surge lifts semiconductors to 42% of global goods growth in 2025
Semiconductors, data transmission equipment and data center hardware made up 42% of all goods trade growth in 2025, according to a NYU Stern report commissioned by DHL. That share climbed to roughly 76% in the first quarter of the same year.
FedEx’s chief commercial officer said the addressable transportation market for data centers and IT service equipment is conservatively valued at $7 billion. DHL Global Forwarding estimates the data center logistics market was about $23 billion in 2025 and projects it to reach at least $35 billion by 2030. Analysts estimate cloud providers could spend as much as $525 billion on data center construction in 2026 alone. AI-related supply chains require speed, visibility, cross-border expertise and resilience. This shift demands logistics providers with expertise in handling sensitive, high‑value cargo and navigating complex international regulations.
“The biggest story in global trade right now is AI – not tariffs,” John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express said.
AI infrastructure differs from typical consumer goods because it involves moving large, valuable, and delicate items from Asian factories to worldwide data centers, requiring special handling, customs clearance and storage. U.S. AI investment has boosted imports of related goods even as overall imports of other products have fallen.
What we know
Semiconductors, data transmission equipment and data center hardware accounted for 42% of all goods trade growth in 2025.
That share rose to about 76% during the first quarter of 2025.
FedEx estimates the addressable transportation market for data centers and IT service equipment is $7 billion.
DHL Global Forwarding estimates the data center logistics market was $23 billion in 2025 and will reach at least $35 billion by 2030.
Cloud computing giants could spend up to $525 billion on data center construction in 2026 alone.