A FedEx survey shows growing trade volumes and increasing willingness to invest among small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Despite regulatory hurdles and volatile markets, many businesses plan to substantially expand their international activities in the coming years. The focus is on increasing exports, expanding logistics networks, and using digital solutions for more efficient handling of cross-border supply chains.
The Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) published in November 2025 results of a survey conducted in September on cross-border trade between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). More than 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across 22 countries were surveyed. The aim of the survey was to capture current trends, challenges, and perspectives in intercontinental goods traffic.
Trade between Europe and APAC remains on a growth path
According to the survey, 76 percent of the APAC respondents reported rising export volumes to Europe in the past year. The markets most in demand were the United Kingdom (42 percent), Germany
(40 percent), and France (38 percent). In total, 85 percent of the region's companies planned to begin or expand trade with Europe within the next 12 to 24 months.
On the European side, 87 percent of the surveyed SMEs expected that their trade balance with APAC would develop in 2026 in favor of exports or at least stabilize at the current level. The survey thus reflects the continued growth rates of the Asia–Europe trade route, which had recorded increases for more than 30 months in a row up to August 2025.
Key markets and growth regions
China is regarded by 55 percent of European SMEs as the APAC market with the best growth prospects, followed by Japan (36 percent), India (26 percent) and South Korea (24 percent). Among German companies, 59 percent see the greatest growth potential in trade with China, followed by India (35 percent) ahead of Japan (26 percent).
In addition to APAC, European respondents also named the United
States (48 percent) and the Middle East (34 percent) as important intercontinental sales regions.
Barriers to customs and regulation
As central challenges for international expansion, 86 percent of APAC SMEs and 78 percent of European companies cited regulatory changes, complex customs processes, and market volatility. 30 percent of APAC companies and 41 percent of European SMEs called for digital tools to improve traceability of supply chains and to simplify shipping processing. 27 percent of APAC SMEs and 41 percent of European SMEs wished for additional customs and compliance expertise to avoid costs and delays.
Expansion of logistics capacity
To support growing trade flows, FedEx expanded its network in October 2025 by five weekly flights between Asia and Europe. In addition, the connection between Vietnam and Europe was optimized, reducing shipping time by one day. Overall, the company now operates 26 weekly flights between Europe and APAC with express deliveries to key target markets in just 48 hours.
Within the APAC region,
FedEx operates four regional hubs that serve 44 countries and regions. The network is operated by around 28,000 employees.
Methodology of the survey
The online survey was conducted by Mortar Research in Europe and Milieu Insights in APAC. Responses were collected from 1,206 European and 850 Asia-Pacific SMEs with international trading activity. Companies from a total of 22 markets were surveyed, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Customs expertise as a driver of growth
In a LOGISTRA feature article, John Wegman, CEO of the Customs Support Group (CSG), why customs is no longer merely a processing task, but a central strategic factor for stability and competitiveness. The content: Those who proactively manage customs processes can avoid delays, reduce costs, and significantly increase their resilience to external disruptions. For the recent past has shown how quickly the framework conditions in international trade can change – whether due to sanctions, new regulations, trade conflicts, or natural
