Asia & Freight Market Update – December 2025
In the US, freight markets are entering a transitional phase rather than a recessionary one. Air cargo demand from Asia has firmed, but ocean rates remain under pressure due to…
Author: Paul Kelly
CBP Tighten Wood Packaging Compliance Checks
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is stepping up inspections of wood packaging materials (WPM), creating new compliance pressures for US importers. With enforcement activity rising and thousands more Agriculture Emergency…
Sea Freight Moves into 2026 as Chinese New Year Looms
Carriers have been working hard to hold rates relatively stable by aggressively managing capacity. However, this stability is fragile. Structural oversupply has not disappeared, and the seasonal distortion created by…
Trans-Pacific Air Cargo Surge
The build-up to the Black Friday and Christmas shopping seasons has added sustained pressure to already busy lanes, tightening available space and pushing rates higher across key corridors. The combination…
Asia and Freight Market Update – October 2025
Ocean, air and trucking markets are being reshaped by tariff pauses, changing eCommerce patterns, capacity withdrawals and a gradual tightening in trucking supply. U.S. growth is projected to ease to…
Asia–Europe Ocean Rates Climb as Capacity Tightens Across Q4
A sharp shift in carrier behaviour is reshaping the Asia–Europe ocean market through the final quarter of the year. Repeated rate increases, widespread blank sailings and aggressive capacity withdrawals have…
Autumn Budget and Supply Chains
From new customs requirements to changes in warehouse costs and a record investment programme in infrastructure, the latest UK Budget introduces shifts that will influence route planning, landed cost structures…
What Shippers Should Prepare for in 2026
The outlook for US ocean freight in 2026 is being shaped by two powerful and unpredictable forces: a potential wave of inventory replenishment and the gradual return of container vessels…
Customs Crackdown on Pest-Contaminated Cargo Packing
Importers are increasingly being caught out by pest-related enforcement, as wood packaging materials arrive contaminated despite appearing fully compliant. The financial consequences are severe: multi-layered fines, demurrage, fumigation costs, and…
US Trade Policy Enters a New Phase
After months of political stalemate, economic pressure and regulatory unpredictability, several important developments have emerged across tariffs, port charges and government operations. For shippers, the result is a complicated mix…
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