Sea Freight Forwarding Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Sea Freight Forwarding Market size is estimated at USD 79.09 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 101.71 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.16% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

The sea freight forwarding market is experiencing robust growth, propelled by increased internet accessibility, rising purchasing power parity, and advancements in infrastructure and services tailored to the e-commerce sector. Sea freight forwarding has emerged as the preferred choice for numerous end-user industries, with various strategic partnerships expected to fuel its expansion in the forecasted period further. The surge in global cross-border e-commerce is driving the volume of Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments, positively influencing the sea freight forwarding market's evolution.

Sea freight has long been a vital mode of transportation for goods, products, and individuals, with a history spanning millennia. In the modern era, ships are crucial in transporting essential commodities like coal, oil, and gas, supporting the global economy.

Approximately 85% of goods are shipped via sea, predominantly through container vessels. Compared to alternative transportation modes, ships offer immense capacities suitable for transporting large, heavy, and bulky cargo, presenting a cost-effective solution with relatively lower emissions.

Sea Freight Forwarding Market Trends

Rising Cross Broder E-Commerce is driving the Market

The e-commerce market shows significant potential for expansion, projected to surge from USD 6.3 trillion in 2023 to USD 8 trillion by 2027. Moreover, online shopping is emerging as a top global internet activity, fueling domestic and cross-border e-commerce in developing economies like China, India, and Indonesia. This encompasses various sectors, including direct-to-consumer retail and shipments of electronics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods.

The growth of e-commerce is intricately linked to regions' consumption patterns, particularly in developing economies transitioning from export-driven growth to increased consumption by expanding middle classes.

In China, cross-border e-commerce transactions comprise 25% of total import and export trade volumes. While e-commerce ventures in other regions may be smaller in scale than in China, they are experiencing rapid growth. South Korea, benefiting from a well-established payment and logistics infrastructure, sees online sales contributing to 37% of overall retail activity, although growth has plateaued. However, the e-commerce landscape in South Korea is poised for a potential rise to 45% in the next five years, driven notably by food delivery services and same-day delivery options.

Rise In Seaborne Trade Transport Volume

The growth of seaborne trade benefits customers all around the world by lowering the cost of shipping. The prospects for the industry's continued growth remain favorable due to the increasing efficiency of shipping as a mode of transportation and further economic liberalization.

Despite the current circumstances, the industry's long-term prospects are still highly favorable. The world's population is still growing, and developing nations will keep needing more of the goods and raw materials that shipping transfers so securely and effectively. The volume of international trade conducted by sea has recently started to rise steadily once more. The fact that shipping is the most environmentally benign and cost-effective method of commercial transportation should eventually lead to an increase in the percentage of world trade that is transported by sea.

Over 50,000 merchant ships operate abroad and carry all different kinds of goods. More than a million seafarers of essentially every nationality make up the world fleet, which is registered in more than 150 countries.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the operation of commercial ships generates freight rates worth roughly USD 380 billion for the global economy, or about 5% of all trade.

The expansion of free trade and the demand for consumer goods has been fueled by rising industrialization and the liberalization of national economies. Technology advancements have also increased the effectiveness and speed of shipping as a mode of transportation.

Sea Freight Forwarding Industry Overview

The Sea Freight Forwarding Market is highly competitive and highly fragmented, with the presence of many players. A sea freight forwarder is an individual or company that acts as an intermediary, dispatches shipments via common sea carriers, and makes all arrangements for those shipments on behalf of its clients. Sea freight forwarders handle all the logistics needed and perform activities pertaining to shipments.

Some of the existing major players in the market include Kuehne + Nagel, DHL Supply Chain & Global Forwarding, DB Schenker, DSV Panalpina, Sinotrans, Expeditors, Nippon Express, CEVA Logistics, C.H. Robinson, and Kerry Logistics.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support