The Global Distribution Center (GDC) is designed to import, store, and subsequently re-export international goods, responding to anticipated domestic demand based on global customer orders. With the increasing prominence of cross-border e-commerce, the significance of such centers has magnified. Incheon International Airport offers a range of incentives to logistics companies operating these global distribution centers. In collaboration with entities such as the Korea Customs Service, the airport is committed to delivering the most efficient and prompt services.

With an extensive connectivity system that covers regions from China and Japan to Southeast Asia, Incheon International Airport presents unmatched locational benefits for the GDC. As a pivotal logistics hub in Northeast Asia, the airport facilitates direct connections to 20 cities in China, 6 in Japan, and 10 in Southeast Asia.

iHerb, an esteemed e-commerce company from the U.S. specializing in dietary supplements, utilizes Incheon International Airport’s GDC for product storage, ensuring rapid deliveries to markets like Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Similarly, the Netherlands-based semiconductor photolithography equipment manufacturer, ASML, stores its newly produced semiconductor equipment and parts at the airport, ready to quickly ship worldwide based on customer requests.

These include the international logistics center of iHerb, a leading U.S.-based e-commerce company specializing in health supplements; the global distribution center of ASML, a semiconductor photolithography equipment manufacturer from the Netherlands; and the global distribution center of Hanjin, a foremost domestic logistics enterprise.

Furthermore, preparations are underway for the design and construction of GDCs by various firms, including Spasys1, a U.S.-based e-commerce logistics company, and DB Schenker Korea, a German global logistics enterprise. Following an agreement reached in 2020, DB Schenker began the construction of their global distribution center in November 2021 and completed constructions in April 2023. It is projected that by 2026, this center’s transshipment cargo will approximate a hefty 17,000 tons.