Courier, Express And Parcel (CEP) Global Market Report 2025

The courier, express and parcel (cep) market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $470.74 billion in 2024 to $508.25 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to the rise of e-commerce, globalization of trade, expansion of urban delivery networks, growth in cross-border shipments, and increasing consumer demand for fast shipping.

The courier, express and parcel (cep) market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $703.33 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for same-day delivery, expansion of last-mile delivery solutions, rising consumer expectations for convenience, growth of omnichannel retailing, and increasing regulatory requirements for delivery services. Major trends in the forecast period include the integration of drone and autonomous vehicle deliveries, growing integration of last-mile delivery models, technological innovations in courier services, crowd-shipping platforms, and use of blockchain for secure parcel tracking.

The forecast of 8.5% growth over the next five years reflects a slight reduction of 0.1% from the previous projection.This reduction is primarily due to the impact of tariffs between the US and other countries. This is likely to directly affect the US through tariffs on barcode scanners, sorting robots, and last-mile delivery vehicles sourced from China and Germany, increasing logistics automation costs and shipping rates.The effect will also be felt more widely due to reciprocal tariffs and the negative effect on the global economy and trade due to increased trade tensions and restrictions.

The rapid expansion of the e-commerce sector is expected to drive the growth of the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market. E-commerce involves the buying and selling of goods and services online, playing a crucial role in modern commerce. Its growth is fueled by increasing internet penetration, a rising preference for online shopping, the adoption of digital payment solutions, and advancements in logistics and supply chain management. The CEP sector supports this expansion by providing fast, reliable, and efficient delivery services, improving customer satisfaction and optimizing supply chain operations. In November 2023, a report by the U.S. Census Bureau, a division of the United States Department of Commerce, indicated that retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. reached approximately $284.1 billion in the third quarter of 2023, marking a 2.3% increase from the previous quarter. This upward trend in e-commerce is contributing to the growing demand for courier, express, and parcel services.

Leading companies in the CEP market are forming strategic partnerships to enhance technology integration and broaden their market reach. A strategic partnership involves collaboration between two or more organizations that pool resources, expertise, and efforts to achieve shared objectives. In September 2024, FedEx Corporation, a U.S.-based transport company, announced a partnership and investment in Nimble, a U.S.-based AI robotics firm, to enhance its FedEx Fulfillment services with autonomous e-commerce fulfillment technology. This collaboration aims to improve supply chain efficiency, accelerate order processing, and streamline operations using Nimble’s AI-driven robotics solutions.

In April 2023, LetMeShip, a Germany-based business-to-business multi-carrier shipping platform, acquired ParcelParcel for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition is part of LetMeShip’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the European CEP market by integrating ParcelParcel’s platform, improving service offerings, expanding its network, and providing more efficient shipping solutions. ParcelParcel, based in the Netherlands, specializes in parcel delivery and logistics services tailored for e-commerce businesses and consumers.

Courier, express, and parcel (CEP) services involve the transportation and delivery of packages, documents, and goods. Couriers provide fast, often same-day delivery with tracking, while express services ensure expedited shipping, typically within 24-72 hours. Parcel services handle bulk shipments with standard delivery times at cost-effective rates.

The primary services in the CEP industry include standard delivery, express delivery, same-day delivery, and last-mile delivery. Standard delivery offers regular transit times at an economical rate without expedited processing. These services operate under various business models, such as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and customer-to-customer (C2C), and are available for both domestic and international shipments. CEP services utilize multiple transportation modes, including roadways, airways, railways, and waterways, and cater to a diverse range of industries, such as e-commerce, healthcare, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and others.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sharp rise in U.S. tariffs and ensuing trade tensions in spring 2025 are placing significant strain on the transport sector, especially in areas such as fleet maintenance and logistics. Increased duties on imported commercial vehicles, tires, and engine parts have driven up operating costs for trucking and freight firms, forcing them to either raise shipping rates or accept lower profit margins. Airlines and maritime operators are also under pressure, as tariffs on aircraft components and shipbuilding materials have pushed capital expenditures higher. Meanwhile, retaliatory tariffs in key export markets have weakened demand for U.S.-manufactured transportation equipment, further squeezing revenues. To cope, the industry is turning to fuel efficiency measures, alternative supply sources, and greater automation to manage rising costs while maintaining dependable service.

The courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market statistics, including the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market share, detailed courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) industry. This courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

Major players in the courier, express and parcel (cep) market are United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), DHL Group, FedEx Corporation, SF Express (Group) Co. Ltd., Nippon Express Co. Ltd., Yamato Transport Co. Ltd., Royal Mail Group Limited, SG Holdings Co. Ltd., YTO Express Group Co. Ltd., General Logistics Systems Group, Qantas Airways Limited, Singapore Post Limited, TNT Express, Aramex, Delhivery, Blue Dart Express Ltd., Spee-Dee Delivery Service Inc., Pos Malaysia Berhad, CitySprint, Tuffnells Parcels Express, DPEX Worldwide Express (S) Pte Ltd., and One World Express Inc. Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in courier, express, and parcel (CEP) report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

The countries covered in the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The courier, express, and parcel (CEP) market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as logistics and transportation services, specialized freight services, warehousing, and fulfillment services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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