Freight market update - 26 June 2025

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• Airfreight capacity in the Middle East has significantly decreased following the onset of the Israel-Iran conflict.

• This has contributed to a global decline in available air cargo space.

• Cargo volumes at Southern California’s container ports dropped significantly in May, highlighting the impact of ongoing tariff policies and evolving global trade dynamics.

• The Port of Long Beach handled 639,160 TEUs in May, reflecting an 8.2% year-over-year decrease.

• Imports through the port fell by 13.4%, totaling 299,116 TEUs.

• Exports dropped sharply by 18.6%, down to 82,149 TEUs.

• The National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker anticipates stronger port activity through August.

• Cargo delays persist at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo, more than a month after a four-day customs strike.

• In early June, the Trump administration increased Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50%.

• Exemptions previously granted to derivative products were narrowed significantly.

• The United Kingdom received a temporary exemption from the new tariffs, pending future negotiations linked to a proposed U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

Read on for more in-depth updates.

Asia → North America

US/CA

Transpacific Trends and Market Updates

• Airfreight capacity in the Middle East has significantly decreased following the onset of the Israel-Iran conflict.
• This has contributed to a global decline in available air cargo space.
• According to Rotate’s database, widebody capacity—both belly and freighter—has dropped by 100% in Iran and Syria.
• Iraq has seen an 84% reduction in airfreight capacity.
• Israel’s capacity has declined by 78%.
• Jordan has experienced a 43% drop in available airfreight capacity.
• Lebanon has seen a 40% reduction.
• There is almost no demand for shipments into the Middle East at present.
• Air Charter Service reports a complete lack of requests, even for humanitarian shipments, due to the ongoing high-security risks.
• Major airlines, including Lufthansa Cargo, have suspended operations to several cities in the region.
• Flights to Tel Aviv, Amman, Erbil, and Beirut have been halted.
• Kim Ekstroem, Global COO of Air at Shipco Transport, confirms a large number of cancellations into the region.
• He anticipates this trend will persist in the coming weeks.
• Ekstroem notes that reduced passenger demand will likely cause more flight cancellations.
• This situation is expected to lead to a cargo backlog in the affected areas.
• Longer flight routes are now necessary due to regional disruptions.
• WorldACD data reported a 9% drop in tonnage from the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) region for the week ending June 15.
• This followed an 8% decline during the previous week.
• Intra-MESA volumes fell by 26% during that period.
• Air cargo tonnage from the region to Africa dropped by 17%.
• Countries in the Levant region experienced a 21% week-over-week decrease in tonnage.
• These declines accounted for 12% of the total global air cargo volume reduction.
• South Asia also posted significant decreases, with Bangladesh down 43%.
• Pakistan recorded a 30% drop in tonnage.
• The UAE and Qatar experienced smaller capacity reductions of 6% and 2%, respectively.
• Despite this, both countries reported export growth, especially toward West Africa and Kenya.
• Turkey saw a 4% increase in capacity.
• Saudi Arabia recorded a 5% capacity rise.
• On a global scale, freighter capacity declined by 2% compared to the four-week average.
• Despite this, Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic routes showed strength.
• Airfreight capacity between Asia and North America increased by 4%.
• Westbound Trans-Atlantic traffic grew by 6%.

Turkey → North America

• Cargo volumes at Southern California’s container ports dropped significantly in May, highlighting the impact of ongoing tariff policies and evolving global trade dynamics.
• The Port of Long Beach handled 639,160 TEUs in May, reflecting an 8.2% year-over-year decrease.
• Imports through the port fell by 13.4%, totaling 299,116 TEUs.
• Exports dropped sharply by 18.6%, down to 82,149 TEUs.
• The only area of growth was in empty containers, which rose by 3.2% to 257,895 TEUs.
• The neighboring Port of Los Angeles also experienced a decline, processing 716,619 TEUs—a 5% decrease compared to May last year.
• Loaded imports at the Port of Los Angeles declined by 9%.
• Exports from the port dropped by 5%.
• Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka described May as the port’s weakest performance in over two years.
• Despite the contraction in May, Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero expressed cautious optimism for a rebound starting late June.
• He expects import volumes to pick up as retailers begin restocking ahead of the back-to-school and holiday seasons.
• This potential increase follows the recent easing of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, which had earlier led many retailers to delay or cancel shipments.
• The National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker anticipates stronger port activity through August.
• However, the outlook beyond that remains pessimistic, with September imports projected to fall by 21.8% year-over-year.
• October is expected to see a 19.8% drop in import volumes.
• On a year-to-date basis, both ports have reported solid gains despite May’s setbacks.
• The Port of Long Beach is up 17.2%, having processed over 4 million TEUs so far in 2025.
• The Port of Los Angeles has seen a 4% increase compared to the same five-month period in 2024.

North America → Turkey

• Cargo delays persist at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo, more than a month after a four-day customs strike.
• Efforts to ease congestion, such as extending weekend hours and adding more customs staff, have not improved the situation.
• Ships are currently experiencing an average wait time of 1.8 days to dock—the longest delay recorded at the port this year, according to Vizion and Dun & Bradstreet.
• A global freight forwarder reported that container throughput at the port is down by 50%.
• Some shipments are facing delays of up to two weeks.
• To avoid such disruptions, the forwarder recommends booking cargo three to four weeks in advance or rerouting through alternative ports like Lázaro Cárdenas.
• A customs broker warned that if containers miss their scheduled gate-out times due to congestion, importers may need to reapply for customs clearance.
• This can lead to extra costs, including storage fees and demurrage charges.
• In early June, the Trump administration increased Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50%.
• Exemptions previously granted to derivative products were narrowed significantly.
• The United Kingdom received a temporary exemption from the new tariffs, pending future negotiations linked to a proposed U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.
• Trade negotiations with the European Union have reached a sensitive stage.
• EU officials are considering a deal to accept a flat 10% U.S. tariff on all European exports.
• The goal of the proposal is to avoid higher tariffs on key sectors like cars, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.
• However, the proposed agreement includes conditions and has not been finalized.
• Broader U.S.-EU discussions remain complicated, especially on issues like agriculture, digital services, and pharmaceuticals.
• Both sides are searching for politically acceptable compromises in these challenging areas.
• Progress in U.S.-China trade talks has been slower and more cautious.
• Both governments claim to have agreed in principle on a “framework” deal focused on rare earths and semiconductors.
• Officials on both sides admit that many important details are still unresolved.
• The agreement awaits final approval from Presidents Trump and Xi.

Terminal Updates

Vessels heading to North America via the North Atlantic Sea are expected to have a change in schedule due to severe weather conditions.

New York:

• The waiting time for all vessels calling APMT is up to 6 hours. Maher Terminals LLC reports vessel waiting times averaging around 6 hours.
• Average gate turn times are 43 minutes for single transactions and 55 minutes for double transactions at APMT terminals and 39 minutes for Maher Terminals.
• The average import rail dwell time is 2.3 days at APMT and 1 day at Maher Terminals.
• The last 2 cranes on APMT East berth to be operational by end of June.

Norfolk:

• No waiting time for a berth for Gemini and Non-Gemini Vessels.
• Average gate turn times are 29 / 41 minutes for single and double transactions at NIT, and 37 / 64 minutes for single and double transactions at VIG.
• The average Import dwell time is 2.9 days.
• Crane #4 at NIT remains out of service since April 16 with no current update.

Charleston Terminal:

• No waiting time for Gemini and non-Gemini vessels at Wando Welch Terminal.
• No waiting time at North Charleston Terminal.
• Average truck turn times are 19 / 19 / 16 minutes at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal, and Leatherman Terminal respectively.
• Average Import dwell time is 1.6 days at North Charleston Container Terminal.
• Average Import dwell time is 1.6 days at Wando Welch Container Terminal.

Savannah:

• The average waiting time for vessel berth is 0.75 days for class 1 and 1 day for class 2 vessels.
• Average gate turn times are 30 / 25 minutes for single and double transactions respectively.
• Import dwell time is 6.8 days. Rail dwell time is 1 day.

Houston:

• Waiting time is up to 3 hours at Barbours Cut Terminal and 6 hours at Bayport Container Terminal.
• Average gate turn times are 32 / 49 minutes at Barbours Cut and 30 / 49 minutes at Bayport for single and double transactions respectively.
• Loaded import dwell time is 3.6 days at Barbours Cut and 3.6 days at Bayport.
• Yard use remains high at Barbours Cut.
• Effective July 1, 2025, Excessive Import Dwell Fees will be implemented for loaded refrigerated (reefer) import containers.
• These fees will apply after the expiration of free time.
• This includes days when the terminal truck gates are closed due to scheduled terminal closures.

Oakland:

• No waiting time at Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT).
• Average gate turn time is 84 minutes for OICT.
• Average import deliveries can take up to 4 days at OICT.
• Oakland International Container Terminal has 3 cranes out of order.

Seattle-Tacoma:

• No waiting time at Husky Terminal or Washington United Terminal in Tacoma.
• No waiting time in Seattle.
• Import rail dwell is 2.2 days at Husky and 3 days at T18.
• The average gate turn times are 59 minutes for T18.
• Average gate turn times are 33 / 56 minutes for single and double transactions at Husky.
• Husky is not offering hoot gates on Week 26.

Los Angeles/Long Beach:

• All terminal gates are running as published and in line with the Pier Pass program.
• Port of Los Angeles dwell time for local import cargo is 2.9 days; on-dock rail dwell is 3.1 days.
• Import units on the street are averaging 5.4 / 6.9 days for 20 ft and 40+ ft containers respectively.
• Port of Long Beach dwell times for local imports remain at 4-8 days.
• Average terminal gate turn time is between 47 - 53 minutes, depending on the terminal.

Chassis Pools

All pools are operating as normal.

Intermodal Operations

Truck power can be secured within 1-3 days for the majority of locations, including marine terminals, rail ramps, and depots.

Port Status

Final Thoughts

In light of the latest updates and trends, the market is currently in the course of showing robust performance and is equipped with ample capacity and resources. Individuals and businesses involved in import/export activities must stay well-informed about market dynamics and strategies to make informed decisions.

To ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience with your import/export operations, it is recommended to seek guidance from industry experts. Taking proactive measures and staying proactive in your approach will help you navigate the market effectively. We greatly appreciate your continued readership and encourage you to subscribe to our weekly market updates to stay abreast of the latest developments and insights.