Asia Pacific Less-Than-Container Load Shipping Market Size - By Service, By Mode of Transport, By Shipper, By Destination, By Commodity, Growth Forecast, 2025 - 2034

Asia Pacific Less-Than-Container Load Shipping Market Size

The Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market size was estimated at USD 22 billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow from USD 23.6 billion in 2025 to USD 46.2 billion in 2034, at a CAGR of 7.7%.
 

• Countries like China, India, and Vietnam are experiencing heightened growth in their respective manufacturing and export-driven industries. This growth is fueling demand for more constant, smaller quantity and international shipments required for global consumer timelines. Less-than-container-load transport offers these companies a more agile and cost-sensitive option. Finally, as output levels rise, dependency on less-than-container services is also deepening.
   
• In June 2025, the HSBC–S&P global purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for India’s manufacturing sector climbed to 58.4, propelled by a notable expansion in new export orders, which produced the swiftest output acceleration in more than 12 months.
   
• The growth in market is being substantially supported by the accelerating e-commerce landscape, with the increasing global trade engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises and the ongoing optimization of cross-border supply networks connecting China, India and Vietnam.
   
• Less-than-container load services enable companies to synchronize their supply side inventory to fluid demand changes without incurring the expenses of excess inventory. Companies are now moving away from relying on one or two big containers per year, to using more frequent small cargo deliveries that allow them to adjust more rapidly to fast-changing market conditions.
   
• The nationwide and regional programs throughout the Asia Pacific are systematically enhancing port terminals, intermodal corridors and logistics hubs.  Such initiatives deliver substantial gains in the speed and dependability of less-than-container load shipments. The coordinated efforts are India’s Sagarmala Programme and the expansive routing of China’s belt and road initiative.
   
• In April 2025, the Sagarmala Programme has so far completed 103 port modernization interventions, thereby augmenting aggregate annual port handling of Asia Pacific by over 528 million tons. Programme has moved forward with 272 initiatives targeting port upgrade, hinterland linkages and the incentivization of coastal shipping amounting to an estimated investment of INR 1.41 lakh crore, with a significant fraction of schemes already realized or currently under active execution.
   
• The Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market is experiencing expansion in online retail and cross-border e-commerce. Vendors are increasingly choosing lower-cost, more frequent deliveries of reduced payloads, thereby increasing demand for less-than-container-load services. Rising inter-regional exchange particularly involving China, the ASEAN member states, and South Asia has intensified cargo concentration. Together, these developments are fueling ongoing, healthy growth in the less than container logistics segment.
   

Asia Pacific Less Than Container Load Shipping Market Trends

• Less than container services have concentrated on business-to-business exporters and smaller manufacturers, leaving consumer segments largely unserved. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally shifted this dynamic. The enduring boom in e-commerce created strong demand for cross-border small-parcel delivery. As a result, future uptake of less than container services are expanding to include direct-to-consumer brands and global micro-exporters, both of which will progressively pursue scheduled, low-volume international forwarding, most notably along the Southeast Asian corridor.
   
• In February 2025, Maersk established a strategic alliance with Alibaba.com to embed its less-than-container-load and full-container-load solutions within a unified digital platform. This initiative is directed at online merchants and small to medium size enterprises (SME) having transport for their smaller cargo volumes across the Asia US and Europe lanes through online, integrating logistics to transport their freight from its origin to its destination.
   
• The sustainability witnessed growth within less-than-container load logistics, and efforts to mitigate environmental repercussions remained marginal. However, the combination of heightened regulatory scrutiny and a rising cohort of environmentally aware customers has elevated sustainability to a central strategic concern since 2021, repositioning green logistics as a pivotal competitive advantage.
   
• In July 2025, GEODIS announced an 86% rise in biofuel uptake throughout its logistics activities, with a specific focus on incorporating less than container road leg operations in the calculation, thus underscoring its dedication to a decarbonization course aligned with the Paris Agreement and verified by science-based targets standards.
   
• The regional comprehensive economic partnership, finalized in 2020, represented a breakthrough situation normalizing customs processes and harmonizing tariff bands across the eleven ASEAN economies and China, clearing long-standing trade bottlenecks. It is reasonable to expect strong growth in less-than-container-load shipments to continue as beneficial bilateral and multilateral agreements further tighten the regulatory net.
   

Asia Pacific Less Than Container Load Shipping Market Analysis

Based on service, Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market is divided into standard, express, temperature-controlled, hazardous cargo, project and break-bulk, door-to-door services. The standard less than container services segment dominated the Asia Pacific less than container load shipping market accounting for around 42% in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% through 2034.
 

• The advantage of container services in Asia Pacific is its cost-effective shipping and flexibility across different industries. These services are suitable for a variety of non-time sensitive cargo, showing an appealing and affordable solution for small and medium enterprises, exporters and e-commerce businesses that often send small to medium volumes.
   
• In July 2024, DHL Express introduced a customized suite of digital solutions designed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises across the Asia Pacific region, empowering these firms to oversee cross-border logistics including customs documentation and platform integration more efficiently.
   
• The Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market from door-to-door less than container services is growing at 9% CAGR till 2034. Due to last-mile delivery hurdles and excessive handling burdens, door-to-door less than container offerings consolidate the entire logistics chain within a sole operator. Such a model guarantees uninterrupted cargo transfer from point of departure to final delivery, thereby curtailing delays and mitigating the probability of damage.
   
• The rising pressure for swifter international delivery largely from urgent cargo needs and accelerated e-commerce cycles has increased an expansion of express less-than-container-load solutions. By streamlining routing and restricting intervening transfers, these services slash overall transit times relative to conventionally timed less than container, thus furnishing small and mid-sized enterprises, along with retailers, with timely delivery that stops short of full container pricing.

Based on mode of transport, the Asia Pacific less than container load shipping market is segmented into sea freight, air freight and land freight. The sea freight segment dominates the market with 74% share in 2024, and the segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% from 2025 to 2034.
 

• Sea freight is growing due to its numerous regional trade lanes in the Asia Pacific Region. The region has an extensive coastline and is a leading manufacturing place in the world making large volume cargo shipment very cost effective, especially on long continental corridors. The major ports have developed a mature LCL operation in; China, India, Vietnam, Singapore, which in turn has improved the speed of processing and capacity.
   
• In March 2025, COSCO Shipping ranked third among global container lines reported a 15% global market share on Trans-Pacific trades and a 63% year-over-year revenue increase, buoyed by sustained US demand and strong Asia-to-US e-commerce volumes.
   
• Air freight grows at 8% CAGR, due to automated cargo-handling systems, active temperature-controlled infrastructure, fine-grained, real-time shipment visibility and strengthened reliability. As a result, air less than container services is proliferating in emerging markets, where traditional road-and-sea networks are still maturing, enabling the timely distribution of temperature-sensitive, and high-value consignments of the global supply chain.
   
• Road and rail land-based freight services act as the keystone of the Asia Pacific less-than-container load (LCL) shipping system market, effectively linking inland manufacturing locations with primary maritime and air gateway locations. This service has great value in larger markets such as China and India and emerging markets such as Vietnam, where the relatively dense road networks and new rail networks improve regional supply chain fluidity and ease of intermodal connection.
   

Based on shipper, the market is segmented into SMEs and large enterprises. The SME segment is expected to dominate the Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market, as small and medium enterprises increasingly require scalable, secure, and flexible logistics solutions to manage diverse shipping needs across varying regulatory environments, languages, and technical capabilities.
 

• SME controls the less than container freight business throughout Asia Pacific region as it allows per delivery smaller consignment to circumvent or avoid absorbed steep fixed costs for full-container freight. While larger organizations may have offset unit costs by exclusively loading a container, SMEs rely on less than containers to be able to participate in international markets.
   
• In January 2025, Ninja Van Malaysia launched a new e-guide called "from Malaysia to Southeast Asia: a practical guide for e-commerce SMEs going beyond borders." The intention of the publication is to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with methodologies and best practices for cross-border logistics infrastructures, regulatory compliance, and delivery networks, within 6 major Southeast Asia markets. 
   
• Asia Pacific less-than-container load (LCL) shipping market from large enterprises’ growth at 6.2% CAGR is based on volume shipped that provides one baseline of less than containers in Asia Pacific; however, these companies' influence extends beyond simply bulk tonnage. Excess cargo (i.e., procurable deliveries), special logistics quarrels, and delivery obligations that stretch across regions force these large enterprises to utilize less than container in Asia Pacific.
   

Based on destination, the Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market is segmented into domestic less than container shipping and international less than container shipping. The international less-than-container load (LCL) shipping segment is expected to dominate the market, driven by the rapid expansion of cross-border e-commerce, increasing global trade flows, and growing demand from SMEs and multinational companies for cost-effective, flexible, and reliable freight solutions across diverse geographies.
 

• The global trades and cross-border e-commerce activities fostering global business construction will continue to dominate the international less than container shipping segment. Companies continue to look for shipping solutions with cheaper services for fewer cargo loads in foreign markets. This growth is fostered by improved customs services and logistics systems.
   
• In July 2025, Total Energies and CMA CGM created a joint venture equally owned by both companies which aims to provide LNG bunkering services in Rotterdam by 2028. This development illustrates the increasing need to enhance infrastructure for international shipping to facilitate environmentally friendly and economical shipping throughout international trade routes.
   
• International less-than-container load shipping is booming, fueled by cross-border e-commerce, growing SME exports, and a shift in global supply chains. As businesses search for cost-effective, scalable freight solutions, the demand for LCL is growing - shippers opt for LCL because it offers flexibility, lower costs, and access to new markets LCL allows shippers to reach without paying for a full container.
   
• The Asia Pacific LCL shipping market Domestic less than container shipping grows at 10% CAGR, due to recent advancements in digital freight platforms and the availability of comprehensive end-to-end tracking that has significantly improved the visibility and help control shippers exercise over domestic less than container shipping.

China dominated the Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market with around 32% share and generated USD 7.1 billion in revenue in 2024.
 

• China continues to dominate the market, driven by its competitiveness as a major global manufacturing center and the largest exporter of goods as well. The already efficient port infrastructure, the emergence of new markets / sectors like e-commerce, and its established trading networks all add more to the attraction and competitiveness of the country.
   
• In October 2024, in its Review of Maritime Transport, UNCTAD stated that China is number one in the world in LSCI for Asia alongside the Republic of Korea and Singapore, confirming China’s keen port infrastructure and China’s super less than container shipping service providers.
   
• Australia is rapidly evolving and emerging as a leading player in the Asia Pacific less than container shipping industry and is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 6%. The right investment in port digitalization, enhancement of intermodal freight corridors, and the facilitation of customs protocol have made ongoing operational increases in less than container process speed and reliability achievable for the key logistics chain.
   

The less-than-container load shipping market in India is expected to experience significant and promising growth from 2025 to 2034.
 

• India is considered to be one of the significant emerging markets for the Asia pacific less than container load shipping market, with a projected CAGR of 9.7% until 2034. The initiative of the PM Gati Shakti national master plan, alongside the Sagarmala Program, remains focused on multimodal connectivity through port-led development, continued to support growth in less than container load shipping.
   
• In July 2025, All Cargo Gati Express & Supply Chain Pvt. Ltd. accelerated the development of new logistics parks by introducing renewable energy technologies and collaborated with micro, small and medium enterprises, under the PM Gati Shakti program and national logistics policy.
   
• Singapore’s location at the intersection of key global shipping lanes expands its status as the leading transshipment and consolidation center for the Asia Pacific less-than-container-load segment. State-of-the-art port facilities and next-generation terminals, harmonized with an automated customs clearance framework, permit seamless transfer to the broader Southeast Asian logistics grid.
   

The less-than-container load shipping market in Vietnam is expected to experience significant and promising growth from 2025 to 2034.
 

• Vietnam has one of the most considerable shares of the less than container load shipping market in the Asia Pacific region, ranking on the list of fastest growing countries with a projected CAGR of roughly 9% by the year 2034. This is due to increased intra-ASEAN cross-border trading, an increase in export operations from small and medium-sized enterprises, and targeted capital flows into pivotal logistics channels.
   
• In April 2025, over 17,000 foreign ships transited through the country’s ports, signifying a 7% increase year on year. In addition, container traffic expanded by 13%. These increases are a testament to the scale and resilience of Vietnam’s maritime logistics.
   
• The growth of the Asia Pacific less than container load shipping market continues to be led by Thailand due to better shipping routes and the rest of the region's goods. The containerized cargo volume at Laem Chabang Port reached an all-time high in 2025, as well as the port of Ranong's throughput which increased by 458%. The eastern economic corridor program greatly supports this growth.
   

The less-than-container load shipping market in Indonesia is expected to experience significant and promising growth from 2025 to 2034.
 

• Indonesia takes a leading part in the share of the market, with projected CAGR of around 8%, driven by strong manufacturing growth, rising e-commerce penetration, developing trade routes and the continued investment in port and logistics infrastructure providing efficient Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipping services.
   
• Philippines is experiencing expanding growth in market, driven by the ascent of SMEs, the surge of e-commerce, and intensified intra-ASEAN exchange. The favorable geographic placement in Southeast Asia, combined with escalating public and private investment in port facilities under the “build, build, build” infrastructure strategy, is strengthening both domestic and transnational connectivity.
   
• In May 2025, the Manila South Harbor underwent comprehensive modernization under USD 100 million program executed by Asian Terminals Inc. in concert with DP World. Key enhancements comprised a more than 600-meter extension of pier 3’s berth, a corresponding enlargement of the container yard sufficient to handle around 20,000 TEUs, and the deployment of the largest ship-to-shore cranes in the Philippines, supplemented by environmentally sustainable landside machinery.
   

Asia Pacific Less Than Container Load Shipping Market Share

• The top 7 companies in the Asia Pacific less than container load shipping industry are DHL Global Forwarding, Kuehne+Nagel International, DSV, Expeditors International of Washington, C.H. Robinson Worldwide., Kerry Logistics Network and Dimerco Express contributing around 35% of the market in 2024.
   
• DHL Global Forwarding offers international freight forwarding and logistics services and offers supply chain management services and multimodal transport services. The firm stands out for its network coverage and further for its emphasis on the digitalization of freight forwarding.
   
• Kuehne+Nagel offers services as a leading provider of international logistics and is specialized in sea freight, air freight, contract logistics and integrated supply chain services. They focus on the digitalization of processes, innovation, and sustainability across all sectors. They have a presence on all major trade routes and also on most other routes.
   
• DSV is a worldwide transport and logistics firm offering services industrials and companies in the field of road, air, sea and contract logistics. It is divided into three divisions and the company offers integrated supply chain services. The company is best known for its freight forwarding services and its many strategic acquisitions.
   
• Expeditors is an American international freight company that provides customs services, freight forwarding and supply chain consulting. The company uses an “asset-light” model and focuses on technology and excellence in operations. It is known for its technology-driven and operational excellence.
   
• C.H. Robinson manages an extensive network of freight transportation, logistics and supply chain services as a third-party provider. It manages a network of carriers and logistics service providers. C.H. Robinson uses data analytics as well as other digital platforms to improve visibility and global shipping efficiency.
   
• Kerry Logistics is a provider of logistics services based in Hong Kong, operating within the region and the globe. It provides integrated logistics services along with international freight forwarding and supply chain management. The company is well-known for possessing a strong presence in the emerging markets as well as support a wide range of industries. 
   
• Dimerco is an international company specializing in the transportation of goods and is engaged in other services such as air and ocean freight, customs brokerage and supply chain services. The company uses a blend of digital logistics tools and standard logistics service to meet customer needs. It focuses heavily on cross-border e-commerce as well as the Asia Pacific trade routes.
   

Asia Pacific Less Than Container Load Shipping Market Companies

Major players operating in the Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping industry are:

• C.H. Robinson
• DB Schenker
• DHL Global Forwarding
• Dimerco Express
• DSV
• Expeditors International of Washington
• Flexport
• Kerry Logistics Network
• Kuehne+Nagel
• Nippon Express Holdings
   
• C.H. Robinson Global Forwarding reported adjusted gross profit growth exceeding 25% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and DSV’s announced acquisition of DB Schenker for euro 14.3 billion, expected to close by mid-2025.
   
• DHL has acquired Inmar Intelligence’s returns business, integrating 14 new return centers in strategic e-commerce corridors, while DSV’s Schenker integration emphasizes deeper penetration in the Asia Pacific, and Kuehne + Nagel accelerates its ocean-forwarding business in light of industry-wide consolidation.
   
• Expeditors expanded total revenue by more than 17%, while its volume of ocean freight measured in twenty-foot equivalent units rose 7% year on year; C.H. Robinson’s gross profit from global forwarding jumped 26.9%; and DSV’s prospective acquisition of DB Schenker, pending regulatory clearance, is set to cement its lead in the global forwarding hierarchy. 
   
• Dimerco Express Group, Flexport and Nippon Express Holdings are fine-tuning their strategies against a more precarious logistics backdrop. Flexport acknowledged growing pricing pressure while launching an internal overhaul to restore margin stability; Nippon Express is engaged in negotiations to purchase Cargo-Partner GmbH, thereby deepening its European network; and Dimerco is sharpening its emphasis on specialized air freight in Asia, reflecting the dual dynamics of ongoing sector consolidation and the imperative to bolster regional capabilities.
   

Asia Pacific Less Than Container Load Shipping Industry News

• In July 2025, GEODIS announced an 86% rise in biofuel uptake throughout its logistics activities, with a specific focus on incorporating less than container road leg operations in the calculation, thus underscoring its dedication to a decarbonization course aligned with the Paris Agreement and verified by science-based target initiative standards.
   
• In May 2025, recent US tariff policy directed at Chinese goods has prompted a significant and measurable rerouting of freight flows toward four specific Southeast Asian economies: Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Thailand. Shipping lines, in response, report fuller ships and are adjusting their service structures, revising rotation schedules to match the revised routing preferences of importers and exporters who wish to avoid tariff exposure while capitalizing on the expanded productive capabilities now manifest in these ASEAN economies.
   
• In April 2025, the Sagarmala Programme has so far completed 103 port modernization interventions, thereby augmenting aggregate annual port handling Asia Pacific by over 528 million tons. The program has moved forward with 272 initiatives targeting port upgrade, hinterland linkages and the incentivization of coastal shipping amounting to an estimated investment of INR 1.41 lakh crore, with a significant fraction of schemes already realized or currently under active execution.
   
• In January 2025, the Port of Singapore handled 41.12 million TEUs, surpassing all previous benchmarks. At the same time, the port expanded its distribution of biofuel blends, underlining its ongoing drive to decarbonize logistics. These two accomplishments have peak throughput, and an expanded low-carbon energy profile combine to augment the port’s ability to accelerate less than container consolidation, thereby reinforcing the overall dependability of regional supply chains throughout the Asia Pacific.
   

The Asia Pacific less-than-container load shipping market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecasts in terms of revenue (USD Million) and TEU from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

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Market, By Service

• Standard less than container services
• Express less than container services
• Temperature-controlled less than container
• Hazardous cargo less than container
• Project and break-bulk less than container
• Door-to-door less than container services

Market, By Mode of Transport

• Sea freight
• Air freight
• Land freight

Market, By Shipper

• SME
• Large enterprises

Market, By Destination

• Domestic less than container shipping
• International less than container shipping

Market, By Commodity

• Electronics and high-tech products
• Textiles and apparel
• Machinery and industrial equipment
• Automotive parts and components
• Consumer goods and retail products
• Food and beverages
• Medical equipment and pharmaceuticals
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• China
• Japan
• South Korea
• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• Australia
• India
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Vietnam
• Philippines
• Rest of APAC