This week, we’re tracking developments that could affect capacity, reliability, and the movement of goods, including EU customs concerns, shifting ocean capacity, continued port congestion, tightening air freight capacity, and ground transportation disruptions across Europe. 

  • 5 min

Current Position | Weekly Briefing October 14th - 20th

The Expeditors Podcast

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You're listening to Current Position, a weekly briefing from Expeditors mapping the shifts across trade compliance, regulatory changes, and global supply chains.

I'm Chris Parker, and here's the latest from October 14th to October 20th. 

Global Customs & Trade Market

• EU logistics groups have asked the European Commission to clarify who pays when importers commit customs fraud. CLECAT, FIATA, CER and UIRR have asked if forwarders, rail operators and other supply chain businesses can be held liable for importer fraud they had no way to detect. The cases concern Chinese imports where goods were allegedly incorrectly declared to avoid anti-dumping duties. The claims reportedly total hundreds of millions of euros including duties, VAT, anti-dumping duties and interest. Read more.

• China's September exports jumped 36.3%, putting the country closer to a US$1 trillion annual trade surplus. Customs data showed exports ex-China far exceeded the 25.5% growth analysts expected. The September surplus widened to over $133.5 billion US dollars, including a $34.8 billion surplus with the European Union and a $34 billion surplus with the United States. Read more.

Global Ocean Market

• Carriers are returning to the Red Sea faster than expected, with capacity doubling in six weeks. Xeneta reports show weekly scheduled capacity crossing in at least one direction reached over 448,000 TEU in early October, which doubled what was offered just a month before. This available capacity on the route remains close to half of what moved via the Red Sea in 2023. Read more.

• European port congestion remains elevated, with the impact trickling down to impact other ports across Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. The backups are now creating ongoing schedule reliability challenges for shippers. Read more.   

Global Air Market

• Global air cargo demand is growing faster than capacity, with worldwide demand up 9.4% year to date. This increase, alongside geopolitical conflicts and weather-related impacts on the market, is creating ongoing pressure on available space and rates in several regions. North Asia to the Americas saw increasingly constrained capacity across most origins. Market costs out of Shanghai have reached their highest level this year, while freighter aircraft maintenance and fully booked flights out of Taiwan are creating schedule and capacity pressure. Most demand is being driven by project and high-tech cargo needs. Read more.

• Flights from Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) can now make their way to airports in the U.S. Mexico officials say the change occurred after they agreed to improve access into the airports. The U.S. Department of Transportation originally placed flight restrictions on Mexico-based carriers over one year ago after Mexico required carriers to shift cargo operations from MEX to AFIA. This will reopen additional flight options into and out of MEX. Read more.

Global Ground Transport Market

• The Central & Eastern Europe domestic market remains under significant capacity pressure. Ongoing low water issues on the Rhine continue to shift cargo onto rail and truck networks, while overlapping rail construction further reduces flexibility. Corridor restrictions in Germany are also expected in additional areas the remainder of Q4. Carriers such as MSC, Maersk, Contargo, Samskip and others have announced low-water surcharges or inland emergency fees. Shippers trying to secure trucking capacity as a contingency plan should book early.  

• Meetings began October 20 to end blockades in Italy over increasing diesel prices. Italian carriers recently began protesting soaring prices of diesel fuel by blocking roadways near distribution centers, port routes and other key roadway connections. The largest impacts are being seen in the timing of deliveries and especially around areas such as Campania, Basilicata and Sicily. Read more.

You are now at our current position. Links to everything we covered today, plus some extra articles of interest, are in the show notes.

And while you're there, check out the events and webinars we flagged for the weeks ahead. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next week. 

Be sure to subscribe to your preferred podcast platform so you don't miss future episodes. To learn more about Expeditors, you can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X, or simply visit us at expeditors.com. Take care, and I'll see you next time!