AI infrastructure boom strains global logistics networks

Industry leaders at a Dimerco summit in Taipei said the surge in AI data center construction is creating one of the fastest-growing demands in logistics, especially for high-value equipment moving from Asia to sites worldwide. The shift is raising the stakes for customs, export controls, bonded warehousing and precision delivery as AI buildouts accelerate through 2030.

Why it matters: - The AI buildout is turning logistics into a core constraint for data center expansion. - Companies now need to move oversized, sensitive and high-value equipment across borders on tight schedules. - Delays or damage can disrupt projects worth millions of dollars and slow AI deployment.

What happened: - Dimerco Express Group marked its 55th anniversary with the "Beyond the Next Horizon" Supply Chain Summit in Taipei. - More than 150 customers and supply chain experts attended the event. - Speakers said AI infrastructure has become one of the world's fastest-growing logistics demand areas. - Dimerco CEO Jeffrey Shih said AI requires massive data centers and the global movement of servers, switches, cooling units and power systems. - Dimerco Chairwoman Catherine Chien said AI is the next major supply chain management challenge.

The details: - AI infrastructure includes thousands of components made in multiple countries before a data center can operate. - McKinsey projects global demand for data center capacity could almost triple by 2030, requiring nearly $7 trillion in investment. - The equipment must move from manufacturers across Asia to hyperscale data centers under construction around the world. - Shih said the logistics burden now includes trade compliance, tighter export controls, risk management for shipments valued in the tens of millions of US dollars, damage-free handling and precisely timed deliveries. - Colley Hwang, chairman and CEO of DIGITIMES, said semiconductor and technology executives are focused on hardware bottlenecks in AI data center construction. - Hwang said readers' questions have shifted from "What can AI do?" to "Where does computing power come from?" - The summit said AI infrastructure is also reshaping air cargo demand. - Premium air freight is growing as AI servers, networking equipment and other high-value infrastructure move from Asian manufacturing hubs to data centers worldwide. - Chien said Dimerco's global shipping, trade compliance and bonded warehousing services position the company to move AI equipment from Asia's manufacturing base to data centers worldwide. - Dimerco was founded in Taiwan in 1971 and is listed on the Taipei Exchange under 5609. - Dimerco says it operates more than 300 service locations on a cloud-based digital logistics platform. - More information is available at the company's announcement. - The release also listed Dimerco's social channels on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and X.

Between the lines: - The logistics story around AI is shifting from electronics shipping to large-scale industrial coordination. - Hardware availability, customs clearance and delivery timing are becoming strategic issues for AI buildouts, not just operational details. - Air cargo is benefiting because AI equipment often needs faster, more controlled transit than standard freight.

What's next: - Demand for AI-related logistics should keep rising as data center construction expands through 2030. - Companies moving AI hardware will likely face more pressure on compliance, security, handling and delivery precision. - Logistics providers with global freight, warehousing and customs capabilities may gain more business as AI infrastructure investment grows.