Media OutReach
Asia Pacific strengthens its position as a global trade anchor as Singapore ranks #1 worldwide – DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026
- Globalization holds firm at a record level while trade flows in Asia expand and diversify
- Despite geopolitical tensions and rising uncertainty, countries largely maintain trade and investment ties with their traditional partner countries
- Record-long trade distances, AI-driven commerce, and resilient cross‑border flows paint a surprisingly robust picture of globalization
- U.S.–China trade fell to 2.0% of global trade, down from 2.7% in 2024
SINGAPORE / HANOI, VIETNAM / NEW YORK, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – Globalization remains at a historically high level at 25% in 2025 – despite escalating geopolitical tensions, rising U.S. tariffs, and uncertainty about future trade policies. Equally, the Asia Pacific region features prominently in this year’s DHL Global Connectedness Report, with Singapore ranked #1 globally. A broad swath of regional economies in the Asia Pacific region has also strengthened its position on cross-border flows. The DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026 is produced with New York University’s Stern School of Business. It examines four ‘pillars’ measuring the depth and breadth of trade, capital, information, and people flows.
Asia Pacific remains a global anchor in cross-border trade
The Asia Pacific region is one of the world’s strongest pillars of global connectedness with several markets continuing to post strong breadth and depth of international ties. In fact, broad-based gains were observed across the Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and Oceania regions. The report shows East Asia & Pacific’s share of world trade has climbed from 24% (2001) to 32% (2025), underscoring the region’s long-run momentum. Several other economies in Asia Pacific also advanced sharply in the global connectedness ranking: Malaysia (#16; +13 ranks), Thailand (#27; +7), Korea (#31; +6), Taiwan (#32; +4), and Vietnam (#36; +3).
Intra-Asia trade has also strengthened since 2023. The report’s country profiles show that Asia-Pacific economies are deeply networked within the region, with most major trade and investment flows anchored in Asian partner markets. At the same time, China’s redirected exports to ASEAN markets—up 13% (+USD 79 billion) in 2025 — further cement ASEAN’s position as a fast growing trade corridor.
Singapore leads the country ranking
Singapore has retained the top position among 180 economies – reflecting exceptional depth in trade and capital flows. The country is ranked first on the trade pillar (out of 180 countries) and second on the capital pillar (out of 158 countries). Particularly on trade flows, Singapore ranks first on ‘depth’ (up one place from 2019), with the largest international flows relative to its domestic economy. Additionally, the city-state stands out most for the breadth of its inward foreign domestic investment (FDI) stocks (ranked first worldwide).
“Asia Pacific continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience and adaptability,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific. “The DHL Global Connectedness Report shows that countries across our region – from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond – are deepening their global ties and attracting new trade flows. Even as global patterns shift, Asia remains a central engine of global trade. This is why we continue to invest in and enhance our Asia Pacific network, particularly in the eight fast-growing markets that DHL Group has identified. Our priority is to support businesses to stay connected and diversify their markets.”
AI boom and race to beat tariff hikes fueled trade in 2025
Global trade grew faster in 2025 than in any year since 2017, excluding the volatile Covid-19 period. U.S. importers accelerated shipments early in the year ahead of tariff increases. U.S. imports dropped below prior-year levels, but rising Chinese exports to non-U.S. markets helped sustain global trade volumes.
Trade in AI-related goods surged as countries and companies raced to build AI infrastructure. AI-related products drove 42% of goods trade growth in the first three quarters of 2025, according to WTO figures. In fact, AI hardware and data infrastructure are amplifying Asia Pacific’s trade. Notably, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia’s tech supply chains are benefitting from the surge in demand for AI chips, servers and data center buildouts. In answer, DHL Express has added significant payload capacity for flights out of Hanoi to support Vietnam’s rapidly expanding tech manufacturing sector.
Trade outlook: growth continues, even with higher tariffs
Looking ahead, recent U.S. tariff increases are expected to modestly slow trade growth in 2026 – but not stop it. Global goods trade is projected to expand by an average of 2.6% per year through 2029, in line with the past decade.
One reason trade can keep growing despite U.S. tariff hikes is that most trade does not involve the U.S. In 2025, 13% of imports went to the U.S., and 9% of exports came from the U.S. In addition, many countries are pursuing new trade agreements to secure access to alternative markets, such as the recently minted India-EU free trade agreement.
Information flows face barriers, people flows reach new highs
The report notes that people flows – travel, migration, and student mobility – have fully recovered and reached record highs. This trend is especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where highly connected hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong continue to attract substantial cross‑border movement.
Many of the region’s most connected markets, such as Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Korea – remain deeply tied to global data and digital exchanges as these have risen in ranks in the information pillar since 2019. Capital flows remain resilient overall in the region, where there is no broad shift of investment from foreign to domestic markets.
U.S.–China tensions affect only small share of global flows
The report also finds that ties between the world’s two largest economies – the U.S. and China – continue to weaken. However, these ties are surprisingly small in a global perspective. For example, trade between the U.S. and China accounted for 3.6% of world trade at its peak in 2015, before falling to 2.7% in 2024 and to only 2.0% during the first three quarters of 2025. The U.S.–China share of international business investment is even smaller – less than 1% in 2025.
No global split into rival blocs
Even as the U.S. and China decouple, most countries – including those in Asia – continue to engage with their longstanding partners. Over the past decade, only 4–6% of global goods trade, greenfield FDI, and cross-border M&A have shifted away from geopolitical rivals. Of these flows, most have not moved to close allies but to countries with flexible geopolitical positions, such as India and Vietnam. Overall, the world economy remains far from a broad split into rival blocs.
“The politics and policy surrounding globalization are much more volatile than the actual flows between countries,” said Prof. Steven A. Altman, Director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization at NYU Stern’s Center for the Future of Management. “In Asia Pacific, as in the rest of the world, the data shows that cross‑border flows have remained remarkably resilient despite heightened geopolitical tensions. Sound decision‑making in this region requires a calibrated view of how much global business ties are really changing. The risks to globalization are real, but so is the resilience of global flows, and Asia Pacific continues to play a pivotal role in sustaining that connectivity.”
The DHL Global Connectedness Report
Published regularly since 2011, the DHL Global Connectedness Report provides reliable insights on globalization by analyzing 14 types of international trade, capital, information, and people flows. The 2026 edition is based on more than 9 million data points. It ranks the connectedness of 180 countries, accounting for 99.6 percent of global gross domestic product and 99.0 percent of the world’s population. A set of 180 one-page country profiles summarizes each country’s pattern of globalization.
The report was commissioned by DHL and authored by Steven A. Altman and Caroline R. Bastian of New York University Stern School of Business.
Note to editors:
- The report and further resources are available at dhl.com/gcr.
- DHL Group’s “GT20 Initiative” refers to 20 markets worldwide that the Group has identified to benefit strongest from Geographic Tailwind. Eight of them are in Asia Pacific including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hashtag: #DHL
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL Group is the world’s leading logistics company. The Group connects people and markets and is an enabler of global trade. It aspires to be the first choice for customers, employees, investors and green logistics worldwide. To this end, DHL Group is focusing on accelerating sustainable growth in its profitable core logistics businesses and Group growth initiatives. The Group contributes to the world through sustainable business practices, corporate citizenship, and environmental activities. By the year 2050, DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics.
DHL Group is home to two strong brands: DHL offers a comprehensive range of parcel, express, freight transport, and supply chain management services as well as e-commerce logistics solutions. Deutsche Post is the largest postal service provider in Europe and the market leader in the German mail market. DHL Group employs approximately 584,000 people in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. The Group generated revenues of approximately 82.9 billion Euros in 2025.
The logistics company for the world.
New York University Stern School of Business
New York University Stern School of Business, located in the heart of Greenwich Village and deeply connected to the City after which it is named, is one of the United States’ premier management education schools and research centers. NYU Stern offers a broad portfolio of transformational programs at graduate, undergraduate, and executive levels, all of them enriched by the dynamism and deep resources of one of the world’s business capitals. NYU Stern is a welcoming community that inspires its members to embrace and lead change in a rapidly transforming world. Visit www.stern.nyu.edu.
Media OutReach
The 15th Canon x McDull Inter-school Ink Cartridge Recycling Award Presentation Ceremony Advancing Environmental Education with Collective Efforts
Adhering to Canon’s corporate philosophy “Kyosei”, Canon Hong Kong has spared no effort to promote environmental conservation and sustainable development, injecting green elements into different kinds of corporate activities. Since the launch of “Ink Cartridge Recycling Program” in 2009, Canon Hong Kong has invited the beloved local cartoon character, McDull, to serve as the program ambassador. With the ambition of cultivating the environmental awareness of the next generation, the program was extended to the education sector in 2011, calling on support from primary and secondary schools in the annual competition. Now in its 15th year, the program has reached an important milestone and received overwhelming responses from more than 300 organizations, housing estates, shopping malls, supermarkets and schools, all helping to set up recycling boxes to encourage the public to recycle used inkjet printer cartridges of all brands. To deepen students’ understanding and engagement with environmental issues, Canon Hong Kong has organized over 230 environmental seminars for participating schools, reaching over 70,000 students with messages about recycling and sustainable development. As of June 2026, over 295,000 ink cartridges were collected. Recycled ink cartridges were dismantled, while the metals and plastics were being recycled into raw materials for other products.
In the welcome speech at the ceremony, Ms. Candy Mau, Director of Corporate Communications and General Administration Division of Canon Hong Kong, affirmed the winning schools for their exemplar dedication in promoting recycling. A total of 8 schools were recognized in the category of “Highest No. of Recycled Ink Cartridges”. Ms. Mau noted that the escalating threat of global warming and climate change has sounded an alarm for the Earth, reminding us of the need to protect the environment together. She emphasized the importance of promoting environmental protection to the young generation from an early age and urged schools to build a better and sustainable society together by continuously promoting environmental education.
After the ceremony, Canon Hong Kong arranged a “Build Your Own Camera” STEAM parent-child workshop for the students and parents. The activity allowed them to assemble and build their own handcraft camera models, thereby learning basic optical principles. Through interactive demonstrations and disassembling camera structures, participants gained a deeper understanding of the science behind imaging while enjoying the joy of creativity, technology and photography. The workshop added a memorable learning experience to the ceremony and brought the event to a successful close.
Hashtag: #Canon #McDull
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Canon Hongkong Company Limited
Canon Inc. (TSE:7751) was founded in 1937 in Japan. Its predecessor, Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, produced Japan’s first 35 mm focal-plane-shutter camera “Kwanon” in 1934. From there, Canon Inc. expanded into the photocopying and printing industries, launching Japan’s first plain paper copier NP-1100 in 1970 and the world’s first inkjet printer BJ-80 in 1985. Through the years, Canon Inc. has acquired in-depth experience in digital imaging product manufacturing, research and development. Pioneering in innovative product development, Canon Inc. holds the most technology patents in the imaging industry. Canon Inc. also makes significant contributions to promote photography. Today, Canon Inc. has a strong global presence, representing one of the most important market players in the imaging, office and industrial product categories. As of 31 December 2025, Canon’s global revenue was US$30 billion.
In 1971, Canon Hongkong Co., Ltd. (Canon Hong Kong) was established as one of the first Canon offices in Asia. Canon Hong Kong is a Total Imaging Solution provider, providing professional pre-sales, marketing and after-sales services for all Canon products and solutions in Hong Kong and Macau. With the solely owned subsidiary Canon Business Solutions (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. established in 2018; the company continues to deliver intelligent total business solutions and professional services to Greater Bay Area. Canon Hong Kong adheres to Canon’s corporate philosophy of “Kyosei”, encouraging the company and staff to engage in social, charitable and environmental activities for the community. Implementing an internationally recognized management system, Canon Hong Kong has achieved ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001 (Canon Digital Production Center) certifications.
For more information about Canon Hong Kong, please visit our website: 
https://hk.canon.
Media OutReach
Booster Pack 09 “Here He Comes! Our Hero!” & Starter Deck 04 “Ultraman & Ultraman Cosmos” To Be Released on Friday, October 23! The Showa Ultraman Series Makes Its First Appearance!
BP09″Here He Comes! Our Hero!”／SD04 “Ultraman & Ultraman Cosmos”
BP09 “Here He Comes! Our Hero!” and SD04 “Ultraman & Ultraman Cosmos” introduce Ultraman Cosmos, one of the heroes most requested by players, alongside the original Ultraman, who makes his long-awaited debut from the Showa Ultraman series in the Ultraman Card Game.
These products also commemorate the 2nd Anniversary of the Ultraman Card Game, making them a special milestone release.
They also introduce the new “Color System” and the all-new “Boost Card” category. These additions expand strategic possibilities and offer greater deck-building diversity, delivering even more exciting and dynamic battles.
- Promotional Video
- Image: BP09 Booster Pack & SD04 Package
- View image: https://bit.ly/4h10Bj4
Feature 1: Ultraman and Ultraman Cosmos Join the Game!
The original Ultraman and Ultraman Cosmos finally make their debut in the Ultraman Card Game.
Build decks and experience gameplay that faithfully recreates the unique abilities, fighting styles, and identities of these legendary heroes.
- Ultraman also appears as a serial-numbered card in BP08.
To celebrate this milestone, Ultraman is also featured as a serial-numbered card in Booster Pack 08: Converging Bonds, released on Friday, July 10.
- Image: Ultraman and Ultraman Cosmos
- View image: https://bit.ly/3SNXSzy
Feature 2: Introducing the New Card Category – “Boost Cards”
A brand-new card category, Boost Cards, joins Character Cards and Scene Cards as a new card type.
Boost Cards are inspired by iconic elements from across the Ultraman series, including Defense Teams and memorable items used throughout the franchise.
More details on Boost Cards, including gameplay mechanics and previewed card effects, will be revealed at a later date.
- Image: Boost Card
- View image: https://bit.ly/4y8EOMD
Feature 3: New Gameplay Mechanic – “Color System”
BP09 introduces the new Color System.
Under this system, every Character Card belongs to one of five colors:
- Red
- Blue
- Purple
- Yellow
- Green
Cards released before the introduction of the Color System, along with cards that do not have a color attribute, are treated as Colorless, allowing them to remain fully playable.
Combined with Boost Cards, the Color System adds greater deck-building depth, strategic decision-making, and exciting comeback opportunities.
More details on the Color System will be announced soon.
- Image: Colour System
- View image: https://bit.ly/4vt4h0Q
Official Accessories
Two new official card sleeve designs and a new playmat will also be available to help protect and showcase your collection.
1. Ultraman Card Game Official Card Sleeves (Beta Capsule)
Features the Beta Capsule, Ultraman’s transformation device, together with its iconic Ultra Sign.
2. Ultraman Card Game Official Card Sleeves (Cosmo Pluck)
Features Ultraman Cosmos’ transformation device, the Cosmo Pluck, together with its Ultra Sign.
3. Ultraman Card Game Official Playmat (Ultraman)
A playmat featuring the iconic debut scene of Ultraman as its design.
It also includes a newly added Boost Card Area, supporting the latest game rules.
- Image: Accessories (Sleeves, Playmat)
- View image: https://bit.ly/4eON4d3
Booster Pack 09 “Here He Comes! Our Hero!”
- Release Date：October 23rd, 2026 (Friday)
Contents
- 12 cards per pack
- 24 packs per display box
※Box Topper is not included in this release
Starter Deck 04 “Ultraman ＆ Ultraman Cosmos”
- Release Date: October 23rd, 2026 (Friday)
Contents
- 1 50 card pre-constructed deck (20 card types)
- 1 pack of BP09「Here He Comes! Our Hero!」
- 1 playsheet
Ultraman Card Game Official Sleeves 2 types (Beta Capsule/Cosmo Pluck)
- Release Date: October 23rd, 2026 (Friday)
Ultraman Card Game Official Playmat (Ultraman）
- Release Date: October 23rd, 2026 (Friday)
Regarding Ultraman Card Game
The Ultraman Card Game is a trading card game designed based on the Ultraman Universe and combines collectability with playability that appeals to both adults and children.
Official Name: Ultraman Card Game
Distribution Areas: Retail, toy stores, and trading card shops in distribution countries
Official Website:
https://ultraman-cardgame.com/
Official Social Media:
https://x.com/ucg_en (English X)
https://linktr.ee/ultramancardgame (List)
Hashtag: #UltramanCardGame #BP09 #SD04
https://ultraman-cardgame.com/https://linktr.ee/ultramancardgame
https://x.com/ucg_en
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
Ancient Port, New Voyages: Ningbo’s Smart Manufacturing Expands Global Trade Footprint via Maritime Silk Road
Separated by thousands of miles, the two millennia-old port cities reconnected, leveraging their ports as a bond and cultural exchanges as a cohesive force to hold in-depth talks on integrated port-city development and bilateral economic and trade connectivity.
This cross-Indian Ocean dialogue echoes the ancient Maritime Silk Road while charting a brand-new outbound development path. As a pivotal starting port of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Ningbo is building a new global trade landscape powered by smart manufacturing.
A thousand years ago, merchant vessels from Mingzhou Port set sail southward loaded with Yue Kiln celadon porcelain, passing through Ceylon to deliver Oriental crafts across the Indian Ocean coasts. Precious gemstones and spices traveled the same sea route back to regions south of the Yangtze River, laying the groundwork for the earliest cultural exchange between the two ports through trade. Today, the cargo carried by giant cargo ships has undergone a dramatic transformation. Beyond traditional daily necessities, intelligent equipment, digital home appliances and industrial robots now dominate shipments.
Official statistics show that Ningbo’s exports of intelligent equipment, including mechanical arms and industrial robots, hit 440 million yuan in 2025, surging more than 40% year-on-year. From January to May this year, Ningbo’s exports of mechanical and electrical products maintained steady growth, reaching 247 billion yuan, a 4.1% year-on-year increase and accounting for 58.0% of the city’s total export volume. The new energy foreign trade sector saw explosive growth, with exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products jumping 138.4% year-on-year, with electric vehicle exports skyrocketing 215.9%. Smart manufactured goods are continuously expanding the scope of Ningbo’s foreign trade.
Complementing the Colombo forum, an exhibition highlights Ningbo’s outstanding going-global enterprises and their products, vividly illustrating the profound shift in Ningbo’s trade structure.
Alongside time-honored Maritime Silk Road staples such as celadon porcelain and silk, Ningbo’s smart manufactured products—including AI translation glasses, intelligent outdoor gear and digital small home appliances—occupy prominent display spaces across the venue. In Sri Lanka, Ningbo smart water meters are widely adopted nationwide, while handheld cooling fans and intelligent kitchen appliances have entered ordinary households.
Leveraging Colombo Port’s transshipment advantages, massive volumes of Ningbo smart manufactured goods are distributed onward to Europe, the Middle East and beyond. What Ningbo exports today is no longer mere commodities, but a complete outbound solution integrating technology, brand value and after-sales services.
Faced with mounting challenges including homogeneous global market competition and rising trade barriers, Ningbo’s manufacturing sector has abandoned the old model of low-cost OEM production, relying on intelligent transformation to consolidate its competitive edge in overseas markets.
Over more than a decade of digital transformation efforts, Ningbo has achieved full digital upgrading of all industrial enterprises above designated size. A large number of local factories have built unmanned black-light workshops and flexible production lines, escaping vicious price competition through continuous technological iteration. Represented by five specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprises dubbed Ningbo’s “Five Little Tigers”—famous for their core proprietary technologies, including highly sophisticated visual inspection equipment, heat-resistant materials, sun-proof coatings, puncture-proof materials and self-drilling fasteners—these niche manufacturers have developed differentiated technical routes and full-spectrum production capacity, cementing irreplaceable competitiveness for Ningbo smart manufacturing on global markets.
Beyond trade expansion, Ningbo has built a supporting cultural communication system to ensure “products go global, accompanied by local culture”.
The launch of Sri Lanka’s first “One-Meter Cultural Space” cultural station during the Colombo event marks a tangible milestone of Ningbo’s go-global initiative. Built on enterprises’ overseas outlets, these miniature cultural exhibition halls integrate intangible cultural heritage crafts, urban stories and smart products, enabling overseas clients to experience cutting-edge manufacturing while gaining insight into Ningbo’s profound cultural heritage.
During the twin-city story-sharing session, Ningbo entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka and local designers blending Chinese and Sri Lankan aesthetics shared stories of bilateral exchanges. Economic and trade ties have evolved into a bond for people-to-people communication, bridging divides in cross-cultural trade.
From Tang-dynasty celadon porcelain sailing across the Indian Ocean to intelligent equipment shipping to every corner of the globe, Ningbo, the ancient Maritime Silk Road port, has preserved its enduring gene of openness. Where exchanges once relied purely on commodity trade, today smart manufacturing underpins a stable, diversified and high-value-added global trade network.
The Ningbo-Colombo dialogue stands as a vivid microcosm of this transformation: the port still links lands and seas, yet the core of its trade has undergone a full intelligent upgrade.
Rooted in its historical legacy as a key Maritime Silk Road hub, Ningbo has consolidated its industrial foundation through a decade of digital development, expanded global market reach via worldwide port networks, and softened trade cooperation through cultural exchanges. This brand-new outbound shipping route forged by smart manufacturing has not only reshaped the city’s foreign trade landscape, but also delivered a replicable port-city development model for Chinese manufacturing to go global.
Hashtag: #NingboSmartManufacturing #MaritimeSilkRoad #GlobalTrade
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
