The intra-Asia trade is hot and getting hotter.

The recent news of Abu Dhabi Ports Group seeking to acquire Indonesia-based intra-Asian carrier Meratus, together with its 2022 acquisition of Global Feeder Shipping, shows a growing focus on the intra-Asia trade. As respected liner shipping analyst and TPM speaker Lars Jensen wrote in his most recent Journal of Commerce analysis, the reason can be boiled down to a simple factor: growth.

From January to September 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, global container demand in TEUs grew 1.3% while in the same period the intra-Asia market including the Far East, Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East grew 6.7% and now accounts for more than 35% of global container demand, according to Container Trade Statistics.

"Going forward we should expect the intra-Asian region to be a hotbed of mergers and acquisitions as well as attempts to grow organically by existing carriers and local newcomers trying to enter the market," Jensen wrote. "Not only is this the world’s largest market when measured in TEU, it is also on a path to be the growth engine of container volumes and it must be expected that the competitive battle will heat up substantially here."

At #TPM24, we will present programming focused on the intra-Asia market led by Peter Tirschwell, Vice President, Journal of Commerce by S&P Global, who has been based in Singapore since mid-2023.

Join us in Long Beach, California in March 3-6, 2024, for the 24th annual TPM to ensure you are fully prepared for 2024 and beyond.