The end of the year is typically a quiet period for US ocean shipping as retailers wrap up their holiday stocking. But the close of 2025 — and the start of 2026 — is shaping up to be more than just subdued. The industry is facing a deepening downturn with little sign of a rebound. […]
Read MoreUS retailers are easing off post–winter holiday restocking even as they prepare for what is expected to be a strong holiday sales season, with import volumes projected to stay below 2 million TEUs per month through March. The latest Global Port Tracker (GPT) from Hackett Associates and the National Retail Federation, released Friday, forecasts double-digit […]
Read MoreGlobal air cargo volumes continued to rise in October, increasing 4% year on year—slower than previous months but stronger than analysts had expected, according to the latest data from Xeneta. The performance came despite a slowdown in businesses frontloading imports to offset tariff costs and the end of the U.S. de minimis exemption, Xeneta reported. […]
Read MoreMajor 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 […]
Read MoreNew data from WorldACD suggests that airfreight volumes between the Asia Pacific and the US are showing signs of life, while those headed to Europe have declined. This could be an early indicator of a market rebalancing as the US finalizes new tariffs. For the week ending August 10, chargeable weight from China to the […]
Read MoreU.S. containerized imports surged to an all-time monthly high in July as shippers rushed to frontload cargo ahead of potential new tariffs, according to PIERS. Total volumes hit 2.609 million TEUs, up 17.5% from June and surpassing the previous record set in May 2022. While China remained the top origin, U.S. importers accelerated shipments from […]
Read MoreU.S. imports are expected to surge in July, reaching their highest monthly level in at least 18 months and marking the peak for 2025, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. The spike is being driven by a last-minute decision by the Trump administration to extend a pause on new “reciprocal” tariffs, […]
Read MoreThe U.S. government’s decision to eliminate the de minimis exemption for Chinese imports in May has triggered a dramatic 43% plunge in airfreight e-commerce shipments from China to the United States. According to new data from logistics consultancy Aevean, volumes of e-commerce goods flown from China to the U.S. fell sharply from 109,325 tonnes in […]
Read MoreAmerican companies rushed to import goods from Asia in May, triggering record-setting export figures from Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand as they moved to beat a looming deadline for new U.S. tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump. The surge in shipments—driven by fears of steep “reciprocal” tariffs that could take effect in early July—has upended normal […]
Read MoreImport duties imposed by the Trump administration have caused well-documented disruptions to container services, but what is less often reported is the impact these taxes are having on U.S. ports and terminals. In May 2024, the Biden administration imposed a 25% tariff on ship-to-shore (STS) cranes. More recently, former President Trump has floated the idea […]
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