Cold Chain Logistics Market Size and Share - Outlook Report, Forecast Trends and Growth Analysis (2025-2034)

The global cold chain logistics market was valued at USD 306.71 Billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.80% during the forecast period of 2025-2034. Growing emphasis on last-mile temperature-controlled delivery for pharmaceuticals and perishables is significantly reshaping B2B logistics frameworks, especially across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. As a result, the market is projected to reach a value of USD 935.72 Billion by 2034.

Cold chain logistics has emerged as a vital infrastructure pillar, ensuring food security, pharmaceutical reliability, and resilience in cross-border trade. In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that up to 14% of the world’s food is lost post-harvest, largely due to lack of cold infrastructure, thereby highlighting a direct link between logistics and global supply sustainability.

Furthermore, governments and private sectors are making large investments to support food security and vaccine distribution. For instance, the United States Department of Agriculture allocated over USD 300 million in 2023 to expand cold storage under its Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program. Meanwhile, India’s cold chain sector attracted USD 7.8 billion in FDI between 2020-2024, with Reliance Retail and Amazon investing in temperature-controlled logistics, promoting the cold chain logistics market development.

Moreover, AI-powered temperature sensors, blockchain-backed transparency, and real-time reefer monitoring are transforming the market dynamics. For instance, Maersk launched its Remote Container Management (RCM) platform, enabling 24/7 visibility across its reefer fleet, enhancing trust for exporters of sensitive cargo like biotech and seafood. In November 2024, Hapag-Lloyd partnered with HERE Technologies to integrate advanced tracking solutions, equipping over 1.5 million containers with tracking devices to enhance inland Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) calculations across global transportation networks. At the same time, Alibaba-backed Cainiao has been implementing blockchain to authenticate cold chain movements in pharmaceutical shipments.

Demand for biopharmaceuticals, especially mRNA-based drugs and temperature-sensitive vaccines, has driven substantial investment in cold storage infrastructure, accelerating the cold chain logistics market opportunities. Countries like Brazil and Indonesia are building regional cold hubs with multi-zone temperature control to support these efforts.

In the food and beverage sector, China’s cold chain network has expanded nearly fivefold since 2016, reaching over 60 million cubic meters in volume by 2023. The constant demand in this country is sustained by government subsidies and digital technology adoptions. Additionally, the rise of quick commerce platforms, such as Instacart and Zomato in India, has added another dimension to last-mile refrigeration logistics, especially in urban zones, boosting the Asia Pacific market.

Key Trends and Recent Developments

May 2025

Noatum Logistics, a division of AD Ports Group, opened its first robotically assisted refrigerated storage in Lisbon to serve the company's growing logistics operations in the West Mediterranean. This development highlights the shift towards automation and scalability in cold storage infrastructure across emerging Mediterranean trade routes.

May 2025

DP World, a global provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions, announced the opening of a sustainable cold chain warehouse in Taloja, Navi Mumbai. The facility can handle a wide variety of items, including dairy, frozen foods, fish, meat, pharmaceuticals, and perishable agricultural produce. This reflects rising B2B demand for multi-product, eco-efficient storage near key consumption and export hubs in India.

April 2025

Cold Chain Technologies (CCT) introduced a reusable universal temperature-controlled pallet shipper, the company's first invention in the life sciences industry after acquiring reusable pallet specialist Tower Cold Chain in 2024. This indicates innovation in cost-efficient and sustainable pharma cold chain solutions, following consolidation trends like the Tower Cold Chain acquisition.

February 2025

Elixia, a logistics software as a service AI platform, created a cold chain logistics marketplace. Following the success of its dry cargo marketplace, Elixia Connect is now delivering on-demand, temperature-controlled vehicle placement to cold chain enterprises, ensuring efficiency, reliability, and real-time visibility. Elixia’s AI-driven cold chain logistics marketplace showcases the integration of digital platforms with on-demand fleet sourcing, enhancing agility and transparency in temperature-controlled deliveries.

IoT & Smart Monitoring Redefining Cold Chains

IoT is transforming cold chain logistics market dynamics by enabling predictive maintenance, instant alerts, and detailed temperature tracking. This technology is reducing production losses to a great extent, especially in sensitive sectors like vaccines and seafood. For example, Thermo King’s TracKing platform offers real-time route optimization and spoilage warnings. Moreover, governments all around the world have encouraged IoT-enabled logistics to accelerate inventory management and precision. For example, Singapore now mandates IoT use in cross-border pharma logistics.

Rise of Hyperlocal Cold Chain Models

Urban cold chains are becoming more decentralized, with micro cold storage units installed closer to consumer zones. The Indian government has approved pilot projects to establish neighbourhood-level cold storage facilities for perishable goods vendors, aiming to cut logistics time and minimize spoilage. This cold chain logistics market trend is gaining traction in African cities, where solar-powered cold lockers are used in open markets. With quick commerce apps growing, hyperlocal models reduce delivery stress and carbon footprints.

Automation & Robotics in Refrigerated Warehouses

Fully automated cold warehouses are now becoming industry standard in mature regional markets. Companies like NewCold and Americold are deploying high-density storage systems with robotic pallet retrieval. Additionally, governments are offering tax incentives, like Germany’s 2022 scheme for automation retrofits in logistics. This is enabling scalable growth while improving food and pharma traceability under freezing conditions.

Blockchain Integration for Traceability

The market observes rapid integration of blockchain that makes traceability verifiable and tamper-proof. This particular trend is accelerating further demand in the cold chain logistics market. For example, Walmart Canada partnered with DLT Labs to track shipment temperatures and reduce invoice disputes by 97%. These ledgers verify when and where a perishable was exposed to avoid temperature breach. The European Union has also begun trials of a blockchain-backed compliance system for vaccine distribution, ensuring end-to-end cold storage without manual documentation. For B2B buyers and regulators alike, this trend indicates that blockchain is fast becoming a compliance necessity.

Sustainability-Centric Logistics Operations

Cold storage consumes a lot of energy, hence sustainable solutions are fast gaining momentum, boosting the global cold chain logistics market revenue. Companies like Carrier and Danfoss are leading the market with CO2-based natural refrigerants that significantly reduce emissions. In a major step forward, the UAE rolled out a solar-powered refrigerated truck fleet in 2023 to serve food logistics in desert regions. According to the World Bank, eco-retrofitting cold chain facilities can slash carbon footprints by up to 45%. As a result, B2B buyers often demand sustainability audits in their tenders, pushing the industry to adopt greener, more energy-efficient practices.

Global Cold Chain Logistics Industry Segmentation

The report titled “Global Cold Chain Logistics Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Market Breakup by Type

• Refrigerated Warehouses
• Refrigerated Transportation

Key Insight: Refrigerated warehouses represent the dominant cold chain logistics market share due to their critical role in protecting the quality and safety of temperature-sensitive items in various industries. These facilities provide stable temperature-controlled settings, which are essential for extending the shelf life of perishable commodities such as food, medications, and chemicals. The growing demand for frozen and fresh items, driven by urbanization and changing customer tastes, is creating a greater need for effective refrigerated storage options. Improvements in warehouse technology, such as automated systems and real-time monitoring, are increasing operational efficiency and dependability, strengthening refrigerated warehouses' market position.

Market Breakup by Application

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Fish
• Meat & Seafood
• Dairy & Frozen Desserts
• Bakery & confectionery
• Processed Food
• Pharmaceuticals
• Others

Key Insight: Meat and seafood logistics register the dominant share of the global cold chain logistics industry. Countries like Iceland now use RFID-coupled cold crates for cod exports, tracing catch-to-delivery within 48 hours. These innovations reduce fraud, ensure freshness, and appeal to premium buyers. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture recently partnered with logistics firms to implement similar technology for tuna exports, boosting traceability and reducing spoilage. Additionally, global sushi-grade fish markets, especially in the United States and Europe, now demand verified cold chain compliance, compelling logistics providers to adopt real-time monitoring and smart labelling systems.

Market Breakup by Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

Key Insight: North America’s dominance in the market is powered by the region’s integration of automation and compliance. The United States FDA’s drug serialization mandates and USDA’s transparency norms entail that cold chains here operate at higher tech intensity. As per the cold chain logistics market report, facilities like Lineage’s blast freezer units reduce freezing time to a significant extent, crucial for frozen foods. The continent’s climate-controlled cargo terminals also support exports of high-value items like insulin and premium steaks.

Global Cold Chain Logistics Market Share

By Type, Refrigerated Warehouses Accounted for the Largest Share of the Market

Refrigerated warehouses account for the dominant share in the global market owing to their long-term storage capabilities. NewCold’s fully robotic facility in Wakefield, United Kingdom, is now one of the most advanced cold chain warehouses, processing 70,000 pallets per day. With pharmaceuticals and processed food exports rising, cold warehouses with multi-temp zones and AI predictive systems are becoming indispensable. The sector also benefits from government subsidies.

Refrigerated transportation experiences accelerated growth in the cold chain logistics market, driven by the rising demand for long-distance cold chain solutions. Maintaining product integrity, especially for fragile, perishable items like Wendy’s fresh produce and meats, requires strict temperature control throughout transit. Reefer containers ensure that food remains safe and fresh, preserving both quality and shelf life. Multiple transport modes including road, air, rail, and sea are used based on distance and urgency, with roadways dominating short-haul deliveries.

By Application, Meat & Seafood Account for the Majority of the Market Share

Meat & seafood logistics remains a key application bolstering the cold chain logistics demand. With the global fish trade reaching USD 195 billion, maintaining precise temperature control during storage and transit has become essential. Meanwhile, the EU’s Farm-to-Fork strategy has pushed traceability standards higher, compelling the use of smarter packaging and cold verification systems. Export-heavy economies like Norway and Chile are building reefer highways with built-in sensor grids to reduce transit time.

The pharmaceutical application is driven by vaccine distribution, biologics, and specialty drugs. For example, biopharma shipments require cryogenic storage or 2-8°C stability, which is why firms are building specialized cold corridors. India’s Serum Institute and Germany’s BioNTech now operate dedicated cold terminals with zero human interference. The United States FDA’s DSCSA compliance deadline for pharma traceability in 2024 has also compelled the adoption of serialized cold chain tracking.

Global Cold Chain Logistics Market Regional Analysis

By Region, North America Secures the Leading Position in the Market

The dominance of the North America cold chain logistics industry is driven by advanced infrastructure, high pharma output, and e-commerce penetration. The government has developed clear policies, including technical laws and criteria for assessing quality and consistency. Furthermore, efforts taken by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States to ensure the cold chain's stability have sparked concern among many major B2B players. As of 2023, approximately 35% of pharmaceutical products globally required cold chain logistics, up from 26% in 2017. This trend is projected to continue, with nearly 50% of all medicines launched in the next five years expected to necessitate cold storage and distribution.

Rising middle-class demand, expanding e-commerce, and export-heavy economies fuel the cold chain market in the Asia Pacific, especially across China, India, and Southeast Asia. Moreover, Indonesia and Japan signed a bilateral cold trade agreement to reduce seafood trade barrier, further indicating a rise in demand. The region is also adopting solar-powered cold trucks and AI-based warehouse control to avoid traditional methods.

Competitive Landscape

The cold chain logistics market players are focusing on AI-based tracking, vertical automation, sustainable refrigerants, and hyperlocal last-mile solutions. Strategic mergers and acquisitions and regional expansions have become the key growth strategies, especially in high-growth markets like Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Moreover, cold chain logistics companies can find opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector, solar-cooled transit, and modular cold hubs. Vendors who can offer integrated, transparent, and green solutions are carving out significant B2B consumer bases, especially among global exporters and healthcare majors. In addition, the urban population's rising demand for fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, driven by evolving consumption patterns, is pushing cold chain players to adapt rapidly. Rising cross-border e-commerce volumes, seasonal temperature shocks, and regulatory push for food traceability are also creating urgent demand for resilient, tech-enabled cold logistics models with regional responsiveness.

United States Cold Storage

United States Cold Storage, established in 1899, headquartered in California, United States, operates over 40 facilities. The company focuses on hybrid automation and blockchain-based tracking to enhance service reliability for food majors.

Lineage, Inc

Lineage, Inc., founded in 2008 and based in Michigan, United States, has grown popular for automated cold warehouses. The company runs advanced AI systems that analyse ambient conditions and route optimization for frozen food giants.

VersaCold Logistics Services

VersaCold Logistics Services, established in 1946 in Vancouver, Canada, specializes in end-to-end cold chain solutions with a strong pharma clientele. The company recently deployed Canada’s first EV reefer fleet.

NICHIREI CORPORATION

Established 1942 in Tokyo, Japan, NICHIREI CORPORATION has grown to be a pioneer in cold storage innovation. The company’s facilities support five-zone temperature logistics and it is expanding its smart hubs into ASEAN nations.

Other key players in the market are CONGEBEC, Burris Logistics, CONESTOGA COLD STORAGE, Kloosterboer, and COLD BOX EXPRESS, INC, among others.

Key Highlights of the Global Cold Chain Logistics Market Report:

• Historical performance and accurate forecasts through 2034, enabling long-term strategic planning.
• Insights into product innovations like real-time temperature monitoring sensors and blockchain-enabled traceability platforms.
• In-depth competitive landscape profiling third-party logistics (3PL) providers, regional cold storage operators, and global refrigerated fleet providers.
• Regional analysis identifying logistics corridors such as Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) as critical growth enablers.
• Investment-focused outlook supported by data, highlighting rising CAPEX in multi-temperature storage warehouses and solar-powered refrigeration.