31 Aug 2025

Blank Sailings, Rate Pressure Follow New India–US Tariffs

The imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian exports to the US is already disrupting container shipping on the India–US East Coast (USEC) route. With cargo demand weakening, carriers are cutting back sailings and rethinking their deployment strategies to balance supply with shrinking exports. Local forwarders report at least three blank sailings scheduled from West India […]

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26 Aug 2025

Shipping Giants Slash Costs as Freight Rates Sink

Major carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, and Zim are slashing costs as freight rates continue to decline across global trade lanes. Executives warn that expenses such as shipbuilding, chartering, fuel, and port labor have risen sharply since the pandemic, pushing unit costs well above 2019 levels. Zim highlighted higher fuel costs, port congestion, and increased dockworker […]

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02 Jun 2025

Asia-Europe Rates Surge Amid Port Gridlock and Vessel Diversions

Ocean freight rates from Asia to Europe soared ahead of the carriers’ June 1 general rate increases, fueled by growing congestion at major ports and a shift in vessel deployment toward the booming Asia-U.S. trade lane. Severe delays at key port hubs on both ends of the Asia-Europe route are absorbing available capacity. At the […]

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15 May 2025

Carriers Push Rates Sky-High as US–China Tariff Pause Triggers Booking Surge

Major container shipping lines are pushing for spot rates on shipments from China to the US West Coast that are more than double current levels, aiming to capitalize on a surge in demand sparked by a temporary easing of US tariffs on Chinese goods. Spot rates have already started rising following Monday’s announcement of a […]

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12 May 2025

Trade War Hits the Brakes

Air cargo volumes and capacity are expected to rise in the coming days after the United States and China agreed to a 90-day partial suspension of their ongoing trade war. The dispute had driven tariffs between the two nations to more than 100%, with additional duties placed on e-commerce shipments. Following a weekend of negotiations, […]

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11 Mar 2025

China-US Air Freight Rates Plunge as Trade Tensions Disrupt E-Commerce

Air freight rates from China to the US have plummeted since Lunar New Year, driven by the typical post-holiday slowdown and uncertainty over new US trade restrictions on low-value imports under the “de minimis” threshold. Though the sharp decline in spot prices has stabilized in March, average rates from Shanghai to the US were down […]

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06 Mar 2025

E-Commerce Turbulence Hits Airfreight: February Data Reveals First Signs of Disruption

The effects of stricter e-commerce shipping regulations started to surface in February’s air cargo data, even as the overall market maintained its growth trajectory. According to new figures from data provider Xeneta, global air cargo demand rose by 4% year over year in February. The dynamic load factor remained steady at 59%, while the average […]

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