Lima: Air cargo plays a critical role in connecting businesses to global markets and keeping supply chains moving, even as the operating environment becomes more complex, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement today. According to BERNAMA News Agency, IATA's global head of cargo, Brendan Sullivan, emphasized the importance of building resilience within the industry, especially amid external events affecting global supply chains, such as tariffs and geopolitical shocks. Speaking at the opening of the IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in Lima, Peru, Sullivan stated, "Working together to strengthen digitalisation, global standards, and supply chain security will position air cargo well to continue supporting economic growth by connecting products to markets." In a separate statement, IATA highlighted the significant impact of air cargo on the global economy, reporting that it enabled the frontloading of US$157 billion of United States imports in the first quarter of 2025. Addition ally, air cargo facilitated the transportation of more than two-thirds of global artificial intelligence (AI)-related goods. These activities contributed to a 2.4 percent growth in global trade in 2025, surpassing initial forecasts by the World Trade Organisation, and expanded the global gross domestic product by 3.2 percent despite significant policy headwinds. "In 2025, average applied US tariff rates rose to around 17 percent, with frequent policy shifts and increased trade friction. Hence, many companies used air cargo to pre-empt tariffs by accelerating shipments," IATA stated. Julia Seiermann, IATA's head of industry analysis, noted that air cargo is a structural component of global economic resilience. "In 2025, it helped businesses absorb tariff shocks, enabled rapid trade restructuring, and supported the expansion of AI investment, helping sustain trade and economic growth in a challenging year," she said. In the first quarter of 2025, US imports saw a year-on-year increase of US$193 billion, or 2 6 percent, while the value of imports by air during the quarter increased by 81 percent, totaling US$157 billion. As AI investment surged, air cargo delivered high-value, time-sensitive equipment such as servers, data storage units, and memory chips efficiently and reliably. "The rapid increase in demand for AI-related goods in 2025 was met thanks to air cargo, allowing investment to translate into economic activity rather than being constrained by logistics. As economies increasingly and strategically rely on high-value technology goods, air cargo will continue to play a critical role in ensuring their timely delivery," Seiermann added. According to IATA, air cargo consignments of AI-related goods grew by 20 percent year-on-year, with AI-related goods accounting for 53.5 percent of the total value of air-transported trade, despite representing just seven percent of its volume. This underscores the high value density and strategic importance of the segment for the industry.