U.S. containerized imports closed 2025 slightly below prior-year levels, while early 2026 reflects uneven demand across regions. China-origin volumes continued to erode into December as Southeast Asia gained share, leaving capacity available but misaligned with demand. Carriers deployed additional tonnage ahead of Lunar New Year, boosting utilization without tightening [...]
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reinforced its expectations for first sale valuation in Ruling H337689, issued October 6, 2025, and recently published publicly. The decision highlights that first sale eligibility depends on an importer’s ability to document how title, risk of loss, and pricing operate across each tier of [...]
Week 2 finds the freight market transitioning from year end recovery into early pre Lunar New Year positioning, defined by elevated ocean capacity, uneven port conditions across Asia and Europe, and a gradual normalization of transpacific air cargo operations. Carrier deployment decisions ahead of the late 2026 Lunar New [...]
TRANSPACIFIC CAPACITY REMAINS LONG AS CARRIERS EXTEND YEAR END BLANK SAILINGS Transpacific container markets remain oversupplied as December demand continues to fade. Carriers are relying heavily on blank sailings to manage utilization, particularly into the USWC where vessel rotations remain highly fluid and short term. USEC services are showing [...]
Week 50 reflects broad softening in containerized import volume, ongoing capacity oversupply across Transpacific services, and sustained peak activity in key Asia air cargo markets. Carriers are initiating extensive blank sailings through late December to manage utilization, while congestion persists at select Asian ports. Trade policy developments remain active, [...]
TRANSPACIFIC & ASIA–U.S. OCEAN TRADE: CAPACITY STILL OUTPACING DEMAND According to a recent industry-leading container-shipping index, offered capacity on Far East → U.S. West Coast and East Coast trade lanes rose over the past two weeks, signaling that capacity supply continues to outpace demand on many routes. This extension [...]
Week 47 brings active shifts in U.S. trade policy, a softening in Transpacific volume, and continued pressure across key Asia air cargo markets. At the same time, Asia origin capacity remains generally stable, while strong e-commerce activity and fourth-quarter demand continue to influence regional air cargo conditions. HOW ARE [...]
Trade activity remains steady as carriers fine-tune deployments across Asia. Transpacific ocean volumes have eased into the seasonal slowdown, while air cargo from Southeast Asia continues to climb ahead of year-end. U.S. Customs compliance remains a critical focus for importers working to manage tariff exposure under the latest trade [...]
The global freight environment continues to balance trade progress with ongoing capacity management. U.S. policy developments in Asia are reinforcing supply stability, while carriers in key markets are adjusting deployments to match persistent fourth-quarter demand. UNITED STATES AND CHINA REACH TRADE AGREEMENT The United States has announced coordinated actions [...]
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to refine how it examines multi-tier import transactions, with a stronger focus on documentation supporting first sale for export valuation. Importers using first sale to determine declared value should expect closer review of intermediary paperwork and transaction structures. According to trade compliance professionals, [...]
