Report: AI and EV demand reshape Asia-Pacific semiconductor logistics

The Frost & Sullivan report prepared for FedEx and released in October 2026 identifies AI and EV demand as factors spreading Asia-Pacific semiconductor supply chains. It says AI accelerators (GPU/ASIC chips) accounted for roughly 20% of chip sales in 2024, and about 2,000 data centres are expected to be added worldwide between 2026 and 2035. The logistics demand extends beyond chips to server racks, liquid-cooling systems and power hardware, while electric vehicles increase semiconductor content per vehicle.

According to the report, Asia-Pacific accounted for about 57.6% of global semiconductor industry revenue in 2022. Taiwan's semiconductor exports reached nearly $170 billion in 2025, with compound annual growth of about 7.7% since 2006; Vietnam's exports grew about 31.8% annually from a smaller base. Singapore's imports exceeded $105 billion in 2025, and Vietnam's imports grew about 30% annually. Production is split across Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia, increasing cross-border movement of prototypes, test wafers and urgent spare parts.

For air cargo, the report points to smaller, customised consignments, frequent regional connections, careful handling of sensitive shipments and accurate customs data. A FedEx survey at SEMICON Taiwan on September 2–4, 2026, among 478 industry participants found that 35% expected their companies to expand manufacturing into additional APAC markets over the next three years; 30% cited geopolitical disruption as the leading growth challenge; and 44% named faster international shipping as the most important capability when selecting logistics partners.