News

Please find a fresh and easy-to-digest US duty tariffs overview below.

The start of 2025 signalled some relief for shippers around the world, with the US East and Gulf Coast port strike having been averted and Houthi rebels announcing a ceasefire in the Red Sea, prompting hopes of a long-awaited return to Suez Canal passage.

Our defined purpose at SGL is to make the world a little less complicated, and never has our purpose been more relevant, with ever constant volatility being present in all corners of our industry.

Starting with the conclusion: Chaos across both the global ocean and airfreight markets with no short-term outlook for relief.

In recent weeks, a severe ocean freight capacity crunch across most major trades has sent freight rates on a skyrocketing trajectory. This rather sudden change in supply and demand has been fueled by high demand and network bottlenecks in part due to the Red Sea situation.

Starting with the conclusion, ocean freight levels are surging in a period that is usually considered a slack season, especially on the Far East Westbound trade from Asia to Europe, which is widely considered the global blockbuster trade.

With the crisis in the Red Sea having turned into a prolonged new normal, yet another stark reminder was provided on 13 April that ever-present geopolitical turmoil has a profound impact on global supply chains.

With apparent pressure on capacity ex Asia in recent weeks and this leading to significant rate level increases we have again moved towards a market development similar to pre-pandemic. Somewhat unexpectedly the peak season for volumes ex Asia has led to significant pressure on available capacity having been boosted by events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some analysts now predict that this could be sustained all the way up to Lunar New Year, 10 February 2024.

Get the latest market overview for air, ocean and rail freight.