E-commerce, tech expected to drive SME  logistics growth in emerging markets: survey 

SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) shippers are typically associated with higher margins than large shippers. 
Winning additional business from SMEs has been an ambition of many of the world’s largest logistics service providers, with the widespread rollout of online freight quotation and booking platforms renewing the focus. 
However, with e-commerce making sales to international markets easier, and technology being used to reduce the complexity of global trade, it is conceivable that SMEs will see both factors act as drivers in their growth over the coming years, the research states.
Utilising technology to modernise customs systems and processes will be the most important factor in facilitating emerging-markets trade growth over the next five years, according to survey respondents.
The survey is part of the “2019 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index”, the 10th annual snapshot of industry sentiment and ranking of the world’s 50 leading emerging markets, produced by UK-based Transport Intelligence and Switzerland-headquartered Agility. 
The index is a broad gauge of countries’ competitiveness based on their international and domestic logistics strengths and business fundamentals.
It ranks 50 countries by factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air-cargo carriers and distributors. 
The top 10 in this year’s survey are: China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Qatar, Turkey and Vietnam. 
China, India and Indonesia rank highest for domestic logistics, while China, India and Mexico are tops for international logistics, and the UAE, Malaysia and Qatar have the best business fundamentals.