U.S. containerized import activity moved through late January without the traditional pre-Lunar New Year volume lift, even as China extended the public holiday to nine days this year. December data already showed a year over year decline in U.S. imports, with China-origin volumes continuing to contract and full-year 2025 volumes ending slightly below 2024. Vessel supply remains ample, but demand has not followed expected seasonal patterns. With Winter Storm Fern recovery still underway, near-term planning is centered on clearing backlogs and managing service execution.
U.S. WINTER STORM FERN SUPPLY CHAIN RECOVERY
Following Winter Storm Fern, U.S. freight networks remain in active recovery mode after widespread flight cancellations and surface transportation disruption over the weekend. Thousands of canceled and delayed flights continue to affect air cargo schedules as carriers reposition aircraft and crews, particularly across eastern and central hubs. Key trucking corridors across the Southern Plains, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic are working through backlog as refreeze conditions slow normalization. Several ports and inland facilities remain focused on clearing deferred vessel and gate activity, extending recovery timelines beyond the weather event itself.
TRANS-PACIFIC OCEAN CAPACITY AND BLANK SAILINGS
Carrier capacity continues to outpace demand across the trans-Pacific following an underwhelming pre-holiday shipping window. In response, carriers have confirmed a concentrated round of blank sailings for Weeks 08 and 09, affecting West Coast, East Coast, and Gulf routings. Pacific Southwest Asia and East Coast services account for the largest share of cancellations, while Gulf capacity is expected to be meaningfully reduced. These adjustments reflect supply-side correction rather than tightening conditions.
SPACE AVAILABILITY AND ORIGIN PORT OPERATIONS
Space remains available across most Asia-U.S. trade lanes, but booking outcomes remain inconsistent. Rolling issues have persisted through late January and are expected to worsen during the holiday window as service strings compress. South China and Southeast Asia origins continue to show the highest execution variability, despite open allocation. The disconnect between published capacity and realized lift remains the primary planning challenge. Southeast Asia continues to absorb incremental outbound volume as China-origin demand softens further. Network adjustments that elevate Vietnam and neighboring origins are holding, though operating conditions remain uneven across specific load ports. North China ports continue to exhibit comparatively stable performance. These patterns point to sourcing and network rebalancing rather than a near-term demand shift.
ASIA-U.S. AIR CARGO CONDITIONS
Asia-U.S. air cargo markets entered Week 5 without the typical pre-Spring Festival surge, leaving conditions unsettled rather than tight. Post-storm recovery following Winter Storm Fern remains visible across U.S. express networks, with residual congestion and repositioning delays affecting select hubs. Capacity pressure on Midwest gateways reflects supply-side constraints more than demand strength. E-commerce continues to command a growing share of available lift.
U.S. TRADE POLICY DEVELOPMENTS
Recent remarks from the White House introduced potential tariff increases for imports from South Korea and Canada. The comments referenced reciprocal treatment and origin enforcement but were not accompanied by formal guidance or timelines. No regulatory actions have been issued, and current customs treatment remains unchanged.
Stay up-to-date on freight news with Green’s Weekly Freight Market Update by following us on LinkedIn. For continuous updates, make sure to check out our website at greenworldwide.com.
