Freight and Logistics News and Market Update

Air

• US shoppers set a new record during Cyber Week with 202.9 million people shopping and online spending rising 7.7% year-over-year to $44.2 billion. That total came in about $500 million higher than the estimated $43.7 billion. The strong result suggests robust consumer demand heading into the rest of the holiday season and could bode well for retail and air freight moving forward.
• Air cargo demand on transpacific lanes has increased in recent weeks as consumers took advantage of Cyber Week and Black Friday promotions. Spot rates from Hong Kong to the US are $1 higher than they were the previous month with rates from APAC to Europe rising sharply as well. The China to Mexico and intra APAC lanes have also seen increased volume over the same period.

Ocean

• CMA CGM will start accepting India to Russia container bookings in January through its CNC Line brand. The service will use CMA CGM’s India Europe Epic service with transshipment through Hamburg and the company is evaluating a Finland Express connection to St. Petersburg. The lane is profitable for permitted cargo such as pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural goods and volumes have reached an estimated 8,000 TEUs a week as exporters diversify trade.
• Canada will invest CAD $5 billion over seven years to reduce dependence on US trade by expanding ports and adding new customs-designated container gateways along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The plan includes major projects such as the CAD $1.6 billion Contrecoeur terminal near Montreal and aims to attract private investment and increase exports outside the US as part of a broader trade diversification strategy.
• Port of Los Angeles operations resumed Monday after an electrical fire aboard the ONE Henry Hudson shut four container terminals on Friday night. Fire crews contained the blaze, which involved hazardous materials, and no injuries were reported. Terminal inspections were completed over the weekend and cargo handling restarted under normal operating conditions.
• Ocean carriers saw a sharp decline in revenue and profit in the third quarter as fleet capacity continued to outpace demand. Freight rates fell sharply, especially on the trans Pacific, and analysts expect volume weakness to continue into early 2026. With limited scrapping, ongoing vessel deliveries and slowing demand, experts anticipate further rate erosion and a heavy reliance on blank sailings to manage excess capacity.
• Analysts say container shipping is dividing into a two tier market as oversupply of large vessels continues on major east–west routes while regional and north–south trades face a shortage of small and mid size ships. The return of Suez Canal transits will add more capacity to already crowded mainline trades and the shrinking sub 5,000 TEU fleet is raising reliability risks on secondary corridors such as North America to Latin America. Experts expect more capacity imbalances, congestion and rate volatility on niche trades through the second half of the decade.

Air

• UPS Brazil inaugurated its first automated center on November 28 at Viracopos International Airport in Campinas. The new facility increases UPS import and export capacity and expands the company’s investment in technology and operational efficiency.
• Global data from IATA show international air cargo demand rose 4.8% year-over-year in October while capacity increased 6.4%. In Latin America, demand fell 2.7% even though capacity rose 2.8%, highlighting a regional slowdown despite global growth.

Ocean

• Latin America and Caribbean exports are projected to rise 5% in 2025, driven by a 4% increase in volume and a 1% rise in prices. The growth comes despite US tariffs, thanks in part to early year inventory buildup in the US and strong Asian trade demand that softened tariff impacts. While 2025 looks resilient, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) warns global trade conditions may weaken in 2026 and calls on regional economies to diversify export partners and deepen regional integration.
• The first Latin American cherries of the 2025–26 season have arrived in China, with Argentina using an early harvest window to compete on quality before Chile’s larger crop reaches the market. Exporter Extraberries relies on fast air shipments and China specific protocols to deliver premium fruit ahead of the main Southern Hemisphere supply. Chile remains the dominant supplier due to scale and its Cherry Express sea service, and both Argentina and Chile are adjusting production and growing practices in response to climate pressures and strong Chinese demand.

Air

• Following regulatory changes that ended de minimis entries into the US, eCommerce exports from China have shifted from the US to Europe. This has tightened freighter capacity as carriers redeploy wide-body aircraft to Europe’s high growth lanes. The capacity squeeze is hitting the perishables sector hardest, with shippers struggling to secure wide-body freighter charters that offer shorter transit times, airport flexibility and larger payloads.

Ocean

• Intra-Asia freight rates are increasing on tightening capacity driven by frontloading, strong China-to-ASEAN demand and an extended peak season ahead of the mid-February Lunar New Year. Spot rates on major lanes such as Shanghai-to-Singapore, Shanghai-to-Bangkok and Shanghai-to-Ho Chi Minh City have reached multi-month highs, supported by frequent general rate increases. With factories in China closing early for the holiday period, the current pre-Christmas rush is expected to flow directly into the pre-Lunar New Year surge, keeping rates elevated into January.
• US imports from Asia are falling sharply as retailers keep inventories lean amid weak consumer sentiment and tariff uncertainty. Spot rates from Asia to the US West Coast have slipped below $1,400 per FEU, and repeated general rate increases have failed to stick as demand continues to erode. Even with blank sailings and capacity shifts, carriers are facing steep declines in Asia volumes, including a 16.7% year-over-year drop from China in August through October, pointing to a difficult start to 2026 for the trans-Pacific.
• Singapore ranked first in the new Leading Container Ports of the World report published by DNV and Menon Economics, which evaluated 160 ports using 35 indicators across five pillars. Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Rotterdam and Busan completed the top five. The report notes that ports are adapting to shifting trade patterns, evolving technology and rising climate pressures, and it urges port authorities to invest in infrastructure, digitalisation and cleaner energy to stay competitive and reduce performance gaps across regions.

Air

• Asia–Europe lanes extended their lead as the strongest global corridor, with Shanghai–Europe up 1.58% and Hong Kong–Europe up 3.98% in October. The gains were supported by postal and eCommerce substitution into EU hubs and steady freighter schedules. Continued production diversification across Southeast Asia directed higher-yield shipments into European airports, keeping pricing constructive even as available capacity improved marginally.

Ocean

• Rotterdam’s container throughput rose 3% to 10.7 million TEUs in the first nine months of 2025, supported by strong Asia–Europe imports and growing trans-Atlantic trade. The increase highlights the port’s resilience despite congestion, strikes and geopolitical pressures across northern Europe.

Air

• Oman Air Cargo expanded its global network by appointing five new general sales agents and adding two offline routes to Australia and Japan. The announcement was made in Muscat at a gathering of 27 representatives from its GSA network. GSA Australia Cargo and World Prime Services will manage the new routes, while Al Madinah Travel Company, MGH Logistics and APG will strengthen coverage in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. All five contracts run for two years, and several existing agreements were extended for another year as part of a broader network strategy.
• India and Afghanistan have launched a new air freight corridor by opening two routes connecting Kabul with Delhi and Amritsar. The initiative is designed to boost trade, strengthen bilateral ties and improve connectivity. The new lanes will allow faster and more efficient movement of goods while supporting broader people-to-people engagement between the two nations.

Ocean

• Maersk is offering Indian exporters, especially grape and other reefer shippers, a faster Europe-bound option using short-haul transshipment in Salalah, Jeddah and Jebel Ali. The product relies on feeder partners such as Safeen Feeders to move cargo into Salalah, a key hub in Maersk’s Gemini network connecting West India to North Europe and the Mediterranean. The service mirrors the carrier’s named-account model by providing tailored routing for time-sensitive volumes. The move comes as Maersk works to strengthen its position in India’s seasonal grape trade, where it handled about 3,000 of the 9,000 boxes shipped to Europe last season.
• Ocean Network Express (ONE) is expanding its India-US East Coast WIN loop by adding a Jebel Ali call to better tap Middle East transshipment flows and support Indian Subcontinent–US service. The move comes amid continuing demand pressure and reliability issues on the WIN service. The new rotation aims to help stabilize service for exporters while offering an alternate route amid weakening westbound volumes from India.
• ONE has launched the India–Gulf Service 4 to improve maritime connectivity and support rising trade between West India and the Middle East. The weekly service follows a rotation linking Hamad, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Mundra and Nhava Sheva before returning through Abu Dhabi to Hamad and Dammam. The inaugural vessel, M/V AL RAWDAH 0028E, will arrive at Hamad on 12 December 2025. The new loop is designed to give shippers more predictable planning while strengthening ONE’s partnerships across the West India–Middle East corridor.

• On November 26, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that 178 exclusions under the Section 301 investigation into China’s technology transfer and intellectual property practices will be extended. Originally set to expire on November 29, these exclusions will now remain in effect until November 10, 2026.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds importers that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), such as vapes and e-cigarettes, are regulated under federal law and must be properly classified when entering the US. Misclassification or inaccurate data can bypass FDA review and lead to enforcement actions. Importers should ensure accurate, timely entry data through Customs and Border Protection (CBP’s) ACE system to avoid delays and prevent unauthorized products from entering the market.
• The US ended the 40% tariff on certain Brazilian agricultural imports effective November 13, 2025, covering over 200 HTSUS codes. The tariff was originally imposed over political and censorship concerns but was lifted after progress in negotiations. Refunds for tariffs paid after November 13 will follow standard Customs Border Protection (CBP) procedures.