While the Asia–Europe trade lane has seen 30 consecutive months of growth, only one in five (20%) UK small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) currently trade in APAC countries, according to data from FedEx.

The express transportation company, which surveyed more than 2,000 SME businesses across Europe and APAC to exam trade lane trends, revealed SMEs in Asia-Pacific rank the U.K. as their number one market for business growth (42%).

However, British SMEs are lagging in APAC trade with nearly three-quarters (72%) focusing instead on opportunities in the U.S., significantly ahead of the European average (48%).

Confidence is strong among European SMEs trading with APAC, with 87% of businesses expecting to either shift their trade balance in 2026 toward exports or maintain current levels. 

Currently the U.K. significantly lags behind other regions in APAC trading activity, including the U.S. (72%), Europe (68%), and the Middle East (43%).

Looking ahead to 2026, China (55%) is seen as the APAC market offering the best opportunities to grow for European and British SMEs, followed by Japan (36%), India (26%), and South Korea (24%). Strategic expansion prospects, comprehensive logistics solutions, and favourable trade agreements are cited as critical factors in supporting increased trade with APAC. 

“Nearly nine in ten UK SMEs who have already exported to APAC expect to maintain or expand this focus in 2026. However, the perceived complexity of international shipping, and the challenges of complying with local market tariffs, may be holding them back from realising the full potential of APAC,” commented  Alun Cornish, Managing Director Ramp and Gateway NEU at FedEx.

FedEx recently announced it had added five new weekly flights connecting Asia to Europe bringing the total to 26 weekly flights connecting Europe shipments to APAC.  Within APAC, FedEx has four regional hubs serving 44 countries and territories.