Significant growth in the global logistics market has occurred since early 2020, thanks to the urgent requirement to move medical supplies to cope with the COVID- 19 pandemic, and surging e-commerce demand as consumer shopping habits changed rapidly. Henk Mulder, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) head of digital cargo, observed during a June 2021 webinar that air cargo experienced the equivalent of three years' growth in a single year (2020/21). The greater demand increased pressure on the major shipping companies moving goods worldwide. As IATA noted in its September 2021 air cargo market update: "Strong demand for goods, combined with COVID-19 control measures, has disrupted production at manufacturers." It continued: "As there is not enough capacity for shipments on most modes of transport, this translates into long delivery times and delays. Key inputs such as semiconductors are difficult to get, meaning there is a second impact on goods that use them, such as phones."
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