Global Freight Market Insights
Impact your business with timely information on global freight trends that could affect capacity availability, pricing, and more. Create and download custom reports by adding your preferred ocean and air trade lanes—then, check back monthly for updates.
-
-
-
-
-
Copy to clipboardCopy to clipboardLink Copied
Updated on May 18, 2023
The following information is built on market data from public sources and C.H. Robinson’s information advantage—based on our experience, data, and scale. Use these insights to stay informed, assist with decision making to potentially mitigate risk, and hopefully help avoid disruptions to your supply chain.
Customize and download this report
Select the topics you would like to export:
Explore all market insights
Global Market Overview
Transporting freight abroad can be challenging. Available ocean capacity, shifting port receiving windows, and dray congestion are just a few common issues that arise. U.S. ports made headlines when an unprecedented number of ocean vessels stalled along the East and West coasts. This caused major delays for shippers with already disrupted supply chains.
Despite this list of ever-evolving challenges, there are several strategies you can use to overcome and avoid disruptions when exporting from the United States.
Around the world, shippers know the export market can be volatile based on the market conditions.
Shifts in ocean capacity
As an example, the U.S. export market faced tight ocean capacity when ocean carriers prioritized bringing empty containers back to Asia to meet the demands of their booming export growth rather than filling them with U.S. exports. This capacity challenge expanded globally as carriers also diverted ships from other markets to meet the growing demand in Asia.
Potential congestion at ports
Congestion at U.S ports is another issue that can make planning difficult for shippers. When vessels are left waiting for berths, expected sailing dates and earliest receiving dates (ERD) shift. These types of delays can quickly increase costs, including container pull and yard storage charges, daily chassis rental costs, and detention fees. While detention fees can sometimes be waived depending on when the ERD changes, most fees will not be.
Shortages on rail lines
Rail service disruptions are another major influencer on export schedule reliability. Chassis shortages at rail ramps can lead to a reduction of inbound rail activity and will then limit outbound rail volume as round trip moves are preferred by most rail carriers.
In addition, if there is a shortage of containers moving from ports to inland rail yards, then inland points will face a shortage of empty containers to meet export demand.
Finding the right export strategies to address these challenges while still meeting required delivery dates and budget expectations depends on your unique situation. Taking location, budget, distribution capabilities, and other factors into consideration can help ensure you find the right strategy for your current situation.
1. Adjust inventory locations
Reducing your reliance on rail transportation can help control shifting ERD timelines and manage the availability of empty containers. If available within your domestic distribution network, consider relocating cargo to warehouses that are closer to your port of exit. This way, you can load containers and dray directly to the port, taking advantage of the better inventory of empty containers compared to rail ramps.
If you can’t move cargo closer to the port, truck and transload service can be an option—albeit it can be an expensive one. There is the added risk for potential damage with the necessary rehandling of freight from truck to container at port. So, consider carefully before choosing this strategy.
2. Consider long-haul drayage
Markets like Dallas, Atlanta, or even Cleveland are all within a day’s drive to a port and allow for long-haul drayage. This makes it possible to transport freight to the port without relying on rail. While it can be more expensive than a rail-truck solution, it can help avoid potential disruptions in rail service.
To combat chassis shortages, some truckers are investing in chassis ownership. Relying on a network that includes chassis owned by carriers can help stabilize truck-to-port solutions. Keep in mind that even though this is a very positive trend in the market, there are not enough companies making this investment to meet the full market demand.
3. Look for alternate rail ramps
If dray service to a port is not feasible, you can always use a different rail ramp entirely.
Like other modes, individual ramps face an assortment of issues, from chassis shortages to insufficient empty containers, or even reduced outbound rail traffic. But the issues faced by one may not be a problem at another location.
Prepare for a potential rise in trucking costs with this strategy based on the distance to a secondary rail ramp. It’s important to determine what is more important for your shipment: lower shipping costs or on time deliveries.
Disruptions may shift, but they will never disappear altogether. Chassis shortages and port congestion may ease, but it’s important to be prepared for other potential factors impacting your business such as vessel capacity constraints, schedule reliability, and equipment availability, which continue to cause delays and impact supply chains.
Attempt to plan shipments at least three to four weeks out—potentially longer for some markets. Combined with the right export strategy for your budget and objectives, proper planning can help you keep cargo moving—no matter what you’re up against.
Need additional U.S. export guidance? Connect with an export specialist today.
Get the latest market updates delivered to your inbox
Thank you for signing up for the global freight market updates from C.H. Robinson. Read our global privacy notice.
Market Insights Live! Ways to Win in Today’s Market
Tune in for new ways to leverage today’s softer market, and strategies to prepare for the next shift.
Air Freight Update
Demand is set to remain soft in May with sufficient capacity across most markets and general rates will continue to be competitive and stable.
Compared to the same period in 2019, direct passenger flights between the United States and China have decreased by 73% so far this year. U.S.-based airlines are currently allowed a total of 12 round-trip flights per week, while China-based airlines had been permitted 8—this number was increased to 12 in early May.
The most efficient flight path between China and the United States passes through Russian airspace, which U.S.-based airlines are not allowed to enter, but China-based airlines can. This gives them a significant cost advantage. As a result, ticket prices on China-based airlines are approximately 40% cheaper than those offered by their U.S. counterparts.
Demand for air freight between the two countries remains relatively low and manageable with current capacity. However, when additional capacity does return, it is expected to lead to further air rate declines, although it is unclear when this will occur.
Ocean Freight Update
Ocean freight demand on most trade lanes is generally flat. To compensate on the supply side, steamship lines continue to void sailings to balance the supply. They are also slow steaming on the backhaul legs of major East-West services. This allows them to allocate more vessel/capacity per service and save on bunker costs.
Source: Linerlytica
While congestion is mostly gone, the need for some flexibility remains as blank sailings and service adjustments continue to impact lead times.
As congestion eases globally, ocean carrier schedule reliability improved to 62.6% in March 2023. It is interesting that carrier schedule reliability on the U.S.-Asia trade lane is far below the average, at only 42.4% to/from U.S. West Coast (USWC) ports and 44.6% to/from U.S. East Coast (USEC) ports in March.
Source: © Sea—Intelligence
The Panama Canal is imposing lower draft restrictions due to drought conditions/falling water levels at nearby lakes that form part of the waterway. The restrictions went into effect at the end of April. This means container ships seeking to cross the canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans must reduce their payloads. This will have the impact of tightening vessel space as carriers will have to load less cargo on these routes.
Carriers successfully implemented the mid-April general rate increase (GRI) on Transpacific and Asia-Latin America trade lanes, however rates are under continued pressure.
With the idle fleet continuing to shrink, carriers are reversing the slow steaming program introduced in the first quarter. The active containership fleet has reached a new record high this spring as the new ships delivered have added more than 360,000 TEUs of incremental capacity.
Asia-Europe spot rates are still holding steady, despite the high-capacity utilization and relatively healthy demand on European routes.
The frequency of blank sailings on the export trade, especially on the USWC, increased in April. On many service strings, the sailings are reduced to almost fortnightly.
There is generally more capacity supply than space demand on trade lanes out of Europe. There are many national holidays in Europe in May, which will only reinforce the current imbalance.
The backhaul trade to Asia has reached very low rate levels, while export rates to North America are almost back to pre-pandemic levels.
Dockworkers in France have reached a new agreement, so no further labor strikes are expected. The daily four-hour strikes, which had been ongoing for weeks, are now over. It will still take some weeks for the ports in France to clear out the congestion and completely resume normal operations. However more union workers continue to participate in the general strike action over the increase in the retirement age.
Imports remain soft year over year due to inflation and normalizing demand from the largest importers, including retail, furniture, electronics, and home improvement, which represent over 50% of U.S. imports.
Many shippers are waiting to order more, while seasonal shippers have not yet started to increase their volumes.
April U.S. container import volumes increased over 2 million TEUs (~9%) from March. This is up 5.3% from pre-pandemic April 2019. If the curve keeps following the 2019 trends, May should see an increase over April, even if it is small.
While Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals spot slowdown actions are not significantly impacting cargo flow, shippers keep looking to USEC and Gulf ports as alternatives. This solidifies the shifts occurred during the pandemic.
U.S. export capacity is generally open, and rates continue their downward trend. Expect additional capacity entering the market in the coming months to support increased travel demand.
The trans-Tasman market has softened. Space and equipment availability is open. Rates are dropping with the introduction of new options on this trade lane.
The market continues to soften. Rates will continue to slowly decline as carriers compete for market share. Space continues to be tight on the USEC but easing on the USWC.
Port calls to New Zealand for exports from the USWC have been upgraded to weekly, and transshipment service options are increasing with reduced congestion through Asian ports.
The Europe export market remains stable, with space and equipment readily available for dry cargo. Rates are still gradually being reduced by all carriers as supply continues to outweigh demand.
Ocean carriers operating between Northeast Asia and Oceania still experience bottom rates. To prepare for the upcoming GRI in mid-May, they have begun to implement certain measures—increasing blank sailings (canceling entire vessel sailings) or even temporarily suspending services to bolster their position.
Up to 17% of available capacity has been cut in the Asia-Europe trade so far in 2023 according to Drewry.
Rates decreased marginally by 4% in April despite the cuts in vessel capacity, signaling a continuing weak market demand. As a result of the carriers’ capacity management, rates have remained relatively stable and spot rates remain 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The Southeast Asia rate decline has slowed. There is no inclination of a potential GRI, but there may be one if the increases in Northeast Asia rates hold. Blankings on Southeast Asia (origin to transship port) continue to be the main issue.
Carriers caution that vessels are approaching full capacity due to increased blank sailings, despite no reports of congestion in Singapore or Malaysia. This has resulted in some shipment delays, caused by both origin service and port of destination blanking, which means that the vessel will not be calling at that port.
The recent political unrest in Pakistan continues to evolve. The city of Karachi is under control. In the north, (Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Sialkot) the situation is slightly elevated, and suppliers/shippers are exercising caution to ensure the safe transportation of goods. Expect more updates as they become available.
Inland Drayage Update
General updates
Drop/pick, street turn programs, and alternate routings are gaining appeal as more businesses look for ways to control costs in the final mile. Contact your C.H. Robinson representative if you have questions or would like to explore your options.
Canadian ports and terminals continue to battle the backlog since late spring of 2022, because of congestion combined with equipment, railcar, and driver shortages. The most affected port is Vancouver, where the average dwell time for rail cargo is 13 days. The most congested rail terminal in Canada continues to be Toronto.
Inland Port Dillon
South Carolina ports celebrate the five-year anniversary of Inland Port Dillon with record number of containers handled at the rail-served inland port. Driven by agriculture, the Inland Port Dillon connects the Pee Dee region to the Port of Charleston via rail, helping existing companies grow and also attract new investments to the region.
Jacksonville cold storage
A new cold storage facility is breaking ground in Jacksonville less than 10 minutes from JAXPORT to address the growing demand for pallet space in the market. The Jacksonville cold storage facility will boast an impressive 216,297 square feet and 30,254 pallet positions with blast freezing capacity to freeze more than 6 million pounds of product a week. Clearing the site for construction has already begun. Arcadia expects to open its doors to customers in early 2024.
Queen City Express
The Queen City Express is the prioritized two-day transit service between the Port of Wilmington and the CSX ramp and/or Charlotte Inland Port. North Carolina ports also offer a link to the Heartland of America with the Wilmington Midwest Express, which provides service to Chicago and Northwest Ohio in five days and St. Louis in seven via the CSX Carolina Connector.
NY/NJ
Furloughs resulting from the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILUA) have caused gate slowdowns at most terminals, although turn times within the ports remain unaffected. It is important to note, entry into the ports has significantly worsened.
Drivers can sometimes see a three-hour delay in entering the port to complete their first transaction. Although the ports in this area are currently seeing delays, no port congestion fee will be assessed in this region, and standard wait time rules should apply.
Warehouse transloading options have opened completely, as the lack of freight moving into this region's ports has caused warehouse space to clear out.
Detroit
Weather in this region has impacted operations. However, no significant impact is being seen with the reduction in inbound freight into this area.
Memphis/Nashville
The IMC Depot in Memphis remains a challenge when returning empties, with about 2–3 hour average wait time. Most carriers are not implementing any congestion surcharge at that location. MCCP chassis pool has improved capacity, with only about 85% being utilized. The average street dwell time on their equipment is 25 days for 40ʹ containers and 29 days on 20ʹ containers.
Chicago
The UP Global IV’s lift fee increased from $50 per lift to $115 per lift effective May, 1 2023.
Minneapolis
Capacity is open, chassis are becoming more available, carriers are simply at the mercy of the efficiency of the ramps. Carriers are reporting that the BN is placing containers on chassis that need repair before they can pull. The CP has numerous times unloaded trains late on a Friday and made last free day Sunday.
Kansas City
For 40' chassis, supplies are becoming more available (almost 35% pool availability now) and dwell is down to 26+ days. Driver capacity is open, many carriers in the market are looking to keep their drivers moving.
St. Louis
Capacity is open in this market. Pool chassis are dwelling 20+ days and are only 14% available.
Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach
Message from Matt Schrap, CEO at Harbor Trucking Association:
On Friday April 28, 2023, at 11:35 a.m., the State of California air quality regulatory agency, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously adopted the historic Advanced Clean Fleets Rule (ACF).
For drayage operators, this means that any drayage truck put into service after January 1, 2024, MUST be zero emissions. This means battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell only. No more internal combustion engines, no alternatives, no renewables.
If carriers’ fleet needs additional capacity to meet customer needs, after January 1, 2024, carriers will ONLY be able to add in trucks equipped with zero emissions drivetrains. Furthermore, carriers will be prevented from moving containers on the same bill of lading to other trucks that are not registered to do business at Ports or Class 1 railyards through the state’s “Drayage Truck Registry.” If it is not in the Registry, it will be subject to enforcement action.
The domestic transportation market is gradually recovering, but demand is decreasing compared to last year. Fuel rates have slightly decreased since the end of April, and the domestic freight market is still experiencing a fierce price war due to unbalanced demand.
Customs clearance times between Shenzhen and China are speeding up for both imports and exports. Transit time in the Pingxiang port from China to Southeast Asia remains at two to three days. The congestion situation has improved considerably compared to the previous month while the cross-border trucking demand is decreasing from the perspective of the entire China-Southeast Asia trucking market.
Australia port logistics and landside container transport services are currently operating at levels within capacity, and there are no reports of service issues at any of the major ports nationally.
Two major container terminal operators have completed their annual review of terminal ancillary charges. The terminals have continued investments in equipment upgrades to ensure service levels meet expectations.
The refrigerated logistics sector has seen one of Australia’s largest cold chain refrigeration companies, Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics, placed into receivership (a form of debt restructuring). This has the potential to place additional pressure on the cold chain logistics market.
Customs Update
Stay up to date on the latest news, insights, perspectives, and resources from our customs and trade policy experts. Proactively prepare for any emerging customs and trade developments by staying informed—subscribe to Trade & Tariff Insights today.
U.S. Tariff Search Tool
Stay up to date with client advisories
Receive notices on changing regulations when they happen.
Customize and download this report
Trade lane updates
Use these insights to forecast how capacity changes and trends impact your business. Create customized, shareable reports by adding your preferred trade lanes. Check back each month for the latest updates in the lanes you care about. Updated ocean and air freight market insights will be available the third Thursday of each month.
Add a trade lane
Trade lane {origin} to {destination} is not available.
Trade lane {origin} to {destination} is already listed.
Africa to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is generally available
- Vessel schedules are unreliable
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Spot rates are fluctuating based on conditions at the time of booking
Africa to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is generally available
- Rates are volatile out of South Africa
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Spot rates are fluctuating based on conditions at the time of booking
- Capacity can get tight, but generally workable
Africa to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- East and South Africa rates are holding; vessels are mostly sailing full; North Africa space is available, rates are down
- Space can be difficult to obtain out of South Africa, recommend booking in advance
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity is limited with extended transit times
Africa to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- East Africa rates are flat; North Africa space is available and rates trend downward
- Rates are volatile out of South Africa as demand remains steady
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Spot rates are fluctuating based on conditions at the time of booking
Africa to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- East and South Africa rates are holding; North Africa space is available, rates are down
- Schedule reliability improving; high rates for direct service options from South Africa
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity is limited with extended transit times
- Spot rates are fluctuating
Africa to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is generally available
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Demand and capacity are relatively balanced
Africa to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is generally available
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Demand and capacity are relatively balanced
Asia to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates slightly increasing
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Generally low demand, sufficient capacity
Asia to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Ships are still sailing full to both North Europe and Mediterranean
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Generally stable demand
- Strong ecommerce demand in south China adds mild pressure on capacity and rates
Asia to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Ships are overbooked to the point some cargo gets rolled over to the next sailing
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Generally stable market with some challenges out of Singapore
Asia to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Space is tight because of more blank sailings
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Generally low demand, sufficient capacity
Asia to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Carriers continue blank sailings to balance capacity and demand
- Space to the U.S. Gulf Coast is tighter
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Flight cancelations from overall low demand is boosting spot market rates
Asia to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates remain low
- Space is open
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Demand is relatively light
Asia to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates remain low
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Demand is relatively light
Europe to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- This lane remains stable
- Space is relatively open
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity and rates are stable month over month
Europe to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Rates have reached very low levels
- Space is above the demand
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Demand remains moderate, allowing for easier access to capacity
- Expect capacity to gradually increase as travel demand increases and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted
Europe to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Rates are decreasing as steamship lines try to attract volumes
- Space is above the demand
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Overall stable market, with a balance of capacity and demand
Europe to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- This lane remains stable
- Space is relatively open
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Overall stable market
Europe to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Rates are decreasing increasingly fast as steamship lines try to attract volumes
- Space is above the demand; fairly open to all U.S. coasts
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- With capacity exceeding demand, spot rates are dropping
- Capacity is growing as the summer schedule comes into effect in Q2
Europe to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Rates are decreasing increasingly fast as steamship lines try to attract volumes
- Space is relatively open
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Stable capacity accompanied with moderate market rates
Europe to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- This lane remains stable
- Space is relatively open
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity and rates are stable
Latin America to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Consistent service is lacking due to frequent services rearrangements from carriers
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Options are limited and require connections via Europe or the Middle East
Latin America to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Strong demand with some commodities being prioritized by carriers
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Options are limited and require connections via Europe or the Middle East
Latin America to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Steady demand
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- While additional capacity has opened, airlines are prioritizing perishables
Latin America to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Steady demand is rebounding after Ramadan in the Middle East
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity is available
Latin America to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity and demand are closer to balanced
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity is generally available
Latin America to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space remains very tight
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Options are limited and require connections via Europe or the Middle East
Latin America to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Steady demand
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Options are limited and require connections via Europe or the Middle East
Middle East to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, has led to congestion; rates are flat out of Turkey
- Seasonal demand rebound after Ramadan in the Middle East; spot rates trending up out of the Gulf
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
Middle East to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, has led to congestion; rates are flat out of Turkey
- Gulf services are seeing the seasonal demand rebound after Ramadan in the Middle East
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
Middle East to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Shortage of space out of Mersin, Turkey, due to recent earthquake and subsequent congestion
- Space getting tighter out of the Gulf; rates are flat out of Turkey
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
Middle East to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Space fairly available; steamship lines push rate increases; recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey caused congestion
- Gulf services are seeing the seasonal demand rebound after Ramadan in the Middle East
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
Middle East to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
- Space out of the Gulf is fairly tight with rates trending up; rates are flat out of Turkey
- Blank sailings out of Turkey; recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, has led to congestion
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
Middle East to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, has led to congestion
- Rates are holding; space is fairly available, yet large volume batches should be planned in advance
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
Middle East to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Recent earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, has led to congestion
- Rates are stable
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending up month over month
North America to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Damage from South Africa floods persist, impacting transport flow; conflict in Sudan disrupts supply chains
- Space continues to be tight into this market
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity into Africa is stable
North America to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending down month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Reduced eastbound volumes causing capacity removal; tighter space out of U.S. East Coast
- Capacity shift to U.S. East and Gulf Coasts continues; increase in blank sailings out of the U.S. West Coast
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Passenger flights are steadily being added in Trans-Pacific routes specifically in and out of China
North America to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Significant added capacity on the U.S. East Coast outstrips demand; space out of the Gulf improved but remains tight
- Stable U.S. Southwest Coast services; tight space; Pacific Northwest mostly supported with rail to East Coast
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Seasonal flights are ramping up between the U.S. and EU hubs
- Additional flights are added to both major EU hubs and popular tourism destinations
North America to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- New services from East Coast to West Coast South America boost capacity; space to East Coast is stable
- Carriers added capacity and services options out of U.S. West and Gulf Coasts, yet Gulf space remains tight
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Demand remains moderate, allowing easier access to capacity
North America to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Regular blank sailings out of South Atlantic ports; tight space but more options from Northeast Coast
- Improving capacity out of U.S. West and Gulf Coasts, more carrier options, but space remains tight
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Capacity into the Middle East remains stable
North America to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Direct service space tighter out of U.S. East Coast, but much improved out of the West Coast where demand is increasing
- Transshipment options are increasing with added capacity
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Moderate demand and steady capacity has stabilized the market
North America to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Regular blank sailings out of South Atlantic ports; tight space but more options from Northeast Coast
- Carriers adding service strings out of U.S. Gulf and West Coast; direct service added from West Coast to India
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity into South Asia remains stable
Oceania to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Congestion eased; rates remain stable
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
Oceania to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Space and equipment are available
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Limited additional capacity continues to return to market
Oceania to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates are holding
- Capacity control from carriers, as well as equipment repositioning keeps space tight
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Limited additional capacity continues to return to market
Oceania to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates are holding
- Capacity control from carriers, as well as equipment repositioning keeps space tight
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
Oceania to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates are stable
- Space is slowly opening up
Air freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Limited additional capacity continues to return to market
Oceania to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Ships are sailing full
- Steamship lines continue to decrease rates to maintain filing factors
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Limited additional capacity continues to return to market
Oceania to South Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Ships are sailing full, but more options have opened up in the market
- Steamship lines continue to decrease rates to maintain filing factors
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Limited additional capacity continues to return to market
South Asia to Africa
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is open and rates are stable out of India and Bangladesh
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- European and Middle Eastern airlines are adding flights
South Asia to Asia
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is open and rates are stable out of India and Bangladesh
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity is increasing as a result of new passenger flights
South Asia to Europe
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Although space is available, vessel delays and port omissions cause freight rollovers out of India
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity is increasing as a result of new passenger flights
South Asia to Latin America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates are stable and carriers are looking for freight out of India and Bangladesh
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity remains relatively low with limited options
- Lower cost options available via Miami
South Asia to Middle East
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Space is open and rates are stable out of India and Bangladesh
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Capacity is increasing as a result of new passenger flights
South Asia to North America
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are flat month over month
- Rates are stable and carriers are looking for freight out of India and Bangladesh; Pakistan rates still trend downward
- No demand uptick expected this month; sailings and schedules are fairly steady
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Passenger and freighter flights are increasing capacity
South Asia to Oceania
Ocean freight market update
- Capacity is flat month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Space is open out of India
- Pakistan rates still trend downward
Air freight market update
- Capacity is trending up month over month
- Spot rates are trending down month over month
- Delhi and Bangalore have new services
Trade lane FAQs
Q: What are C.H. Robinson's definitions of ‘stable,’ ‘strained,’ and ‘critical’?
Stable: Green – Relatively open capacity and low spot market rates
Strained: Yellow – Capacity is tight and mid-level spot market rates
Critical: Red – Backlog of capacity and high spot market rates
Q: What do the terms and acronyms commonly used in market updates mean?
- Blank sailings – Blank sailings occur when a carrier has removed a vessel rotation from a given service string. This results in one week where there is no vessel sailing offered at the ports called on that particular service string.
- CY – Container Yard. A location where containers are stored temporarily during transit. It can be a port terminal, rail terminal, or trucker’s yard.
- Extra loader – An extra loader is a vessel that an ocean carrier has added to a service string to increase capacity in the short term. This vessel would not be part of the standard vessel rotation on that service string. It would be removed as soon as it is no longer required to meet excess demand.
- FEU – Forty Foot Equivalent Unit. The forty foot represents a 40′ container.
- GRI – General Rate Increase. This is one of the mechanisms ocean carriers can use to increase rates for ocean transport on a particular trade.
- IPI – Interior Point Intermodal. Also known as rail ramps, these are inland points to/from which carriers can offer service on a through bill of lading.
- PSS – Peak Season Surcharge. This surcharge is typically applied by ocean carriers during the peak shipping period on a given trade lane, where vessel space is either fully utilized or overbooked.
- Roll/roll pools – A “roll“ happens when a container booked on a given sailing/vessel is transferred by the steamship line to the following vessel serving the requested lane. A “roll pool” is created when a steamship line plans for a large number of containers to roll from one vessel to another.
- SSL – Steamship line or ocean carrier
- Steamship line alliance – Alliances occur when a group of steamship lines share vessel space on their service strings and manage services in agreement with each other. There are currently three steamship line alliances on the main east-west trades: the Ocean Alliance, 2M Alliance, and The Alliance.
- TEU – Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit. The twenty foot represents a 20′ container.
- Transshipment – This service offered transports cargo in two legs on two different vessels. The first vessel brings the container from the port of origin to the port of transshipment. The second vessel brings the container from the port of transshipment to the final destination port.
- VSA – Vessel Sharing Agreement. This is an agreement between steamship lines to share slots (space) on a service string or vessel.
Market insight videos
Wheeled v. grounded U.S. inland terminals
Explore the difference between wheeled and grounded U.S. inland terminals with Jenna Kuehn, Director of Global Forwarding Inland at C.H. Robinson.
The chassis shortage
Learn about the dynamics behind equipment shortages in the U.S. inland market with Jenna Kuehn, Director of Global Forwarding Inland at C.H. Robinson.
Watch Oceania’s airfreight market forecast
Help minimize supply chain disruptors, while providing ways your supply chain can tackle the peak season. Included are key solutions you can adopt to lift the strain on your business and reduce the impact it can have on operations.
Get a free global freight forwarding consultation
Discover how our deep expertise and seamless, multimodal set of global services can help you realize potential ocean and air savings.