The market for less than container load (LCL) cargo was valued at approximately US$112 billion in 2024, rising to an estimated $117bn in 2025, and is projected to reach $175bn by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 4.5%.
According to a March 2026 study by Global Growth Insights (GMI), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) LCL market is the fastest-growing.
It was estimated at $3.5bn in 2024 and is expected by GMI to grow from $3.8bn in 2025 to $7.1bn by 2034 at a 7.1% CAGR.
Busiest was the United Arab Emirates at $2.73bn, with a 29% share, Saudi Arabia was second ($2.35bn and 25% share), followed by South Africa ($1.6bn and 17% share).
The top MEA categories are electronics and high-tech products (21.3% share), machinery and industrial equipment, automotive parts and components, consumer goods and retail products, food and beverages, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.
In 2025, Red Sea security disruptions shifted around 22% of Asia-Europe cargo around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 12-15 days and 40% higher fuel cost, while keeping freight rates elevated well above pre-pandemic norms.
Digital freight platforms have accelerated LCL booking cycles from 4.2 days to 1.8 days, allowing smaller forwarders to compete on speed, according to Mordor Intelligence.
The GMI study says the LCL shipping market is “defined by consolidation density, schedule reliability and digital execution”.
About 58% of shippers use multi-origin consolidation to cut touchpoints, 41% vendor-managed booking windows, and 36% rely on predictive estimated times of arrival for allocation.
Premium LCL services account for 22% of high-value flows.
Cross-dock optimisation reduces dwell times by 12-16% for 33% of the audited hubs.
Temperature/condition monitoring is implemented on 18% of sensitive consignments, while automation addresses 26% of disruptions before departure.
Globally, consumer goods and retail/e-commerce lead volumes, with healthcare and pharma recording the fastest growth rate. In Europe, healthcare and pharmaceuticals are forecast to grow at a 5.4% CAGR to 2030, the fastest of any end-use segment.
It will increase demand for specialised reefer containers that provide temperature control. Compliance costs per unit range from $2 500 to $4 000.
Recent growth was spurred by a combination of post-Covid catch-up, e-commerce expansion, SME trade growth and just-in-time inventory strategies, according to Mordor Intelligence.
Its trends forecast for the sea freight forwarding market 2026-2031 found that retail and e-commerce generated 25.43% of 2025 LCL revenue and time-definite ocean services.
“Businesses increasingly opt for smaller, frequent shipments to align with just-in-time inventory strategies,” Mordor states.
Shippers in the electronics and semiconductor industries depend on expedited ocean freight services that ensure delivery within 30 days or less, a demand driven by the expansion of both consumer electronics markets and the semiconductor supply chain.
Regionally, Asia-Pacific leads with a 39% share ($45.8bn in 2025), driven by electronics, apparel, machinery and expanding premium LCL services. North America holds 29%, Europe 24% and MEA 8%, according to GMI.
South Africa is ranked as the most advanced logistics hub in sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 22.5% share of the MEA freight logistics market in 2024.
