Trade

With the July 9 deadline for finalizing trade deals approaching, the Trump administration is advancing its global tariff strategy. This report outlines the latest developments in tariff implementations and ongoing negotiations with key trading partners. Details of U.S.-China Trade Deal High-level negotiations in London, concluded on June 10, 2025, have produced a framework agreement with […]

Container rates to the U.S. West and East coasts stayed above $5,000 per FEU as tariff talk and labor issues shadowed shippers’ plans.

One route during the Han Dynasty connected Europe and Asia and was the start of trade and supply chains as we know them today.

Criminals looking to steal high-value cargo are attracted to the vulnerabilities associated with international border crossings.

EU’s ban on diesel fuel from Russia shifts trade patterns

Flexport and Shopify are partnering on a new app designed to reduce the complexity of managing ocean shipments for small businesses.

Mexico approves ending daylight saving time

Supply chain planners will walk a precarious path in 2023, according to S&P Global transportation expert Paul Bingham.

Canada remains top US trading partner

Vaclav Smil, author of “How the World Really Works,” joins FreightWaves’ Supply Chain Meets FinTech event to talk about supply chain frictions.

Federal Maritime Commissioner Dan Maffei says in an interview that the bill will return “credibility to the supply chain.”

Transborder freight between the U.S. and North American countries (Canada and Mexico) in January 2022

Fancy a Moscow mule or White Russian? Get ready to change brands.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants the Biden administration to spend less time correcting economic problems the chamber feels don’t exist, and more on trade.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Canada again beats Mexico to remain the top U.S. trade partner; Merqueo raises $50 million to expand across Latin America; Aries Worldwide Logistics opens Laredo office; and CBP in Texas intercept a rare pest in a produce shipment.

Mexico Remains Top US Trade Partner, Canada No. 2

Doing business in China is tricky and companies could get sucked into the political quicksand, so best to have an exit strategy to avoid reputational risk, experts say.

It’s not that companies can’t operate without China, it’s just that for now, said companies will not grow as fast as they could with it, and will likely do so with lower margins. In a retail world constantly balancing sales and profit, avoiding China is giving up both for many Western brands.

Even though Britain is no longer a part of the European Union, it still does business with its neighboring countries. In this fireside chat, Richard Greening and Walter Van der Meiren discuss the work that needs to be done to keep trade seamless between the U.K. and the rest of Europe.

Gina Raimondo will be the anti-Wilbur Ross as secretary of commerce, with less focus on protectionism.

The US trade balance is a representation of the value of imports subtracted from exports.

A FreightWaves survey of top election issues as viewed by motor carriers found the economy top of mind ahead of Tuesday’s election. Taxes and regulations tied for second.

Global trade could be the next casualty if the virus resurges, warns OECD.

Cargo flows face worst hit in a century but have potential to bounce back fast.

North American trade agreement clears last major hurdle, but more immediate questions loom about the free flow of freight between Canada and the U.S. amid talk of tighter border controls.

It’s difficult to predict how travel and trade patterns will impact the global economy for the full year, but companies involved in trade and travel are feeling the pinch already. The crisis is creating risks and opportunities for airlines, especially for companies that fly dedicated freighters.

New pact is a plus for tankers, bulkers and box ships, but less so for equities.

Trade tensions look like they’ll get worse before they get better, a negative for ocean shipping demand.

CEO tells FreightWaves the U.S.-China trade war has transformed the trans-Pacific trade and customers are receptive to paying IMO 2020 bills.

September saw China record its lowest monthly export growth to the U.S. since 1996 as the trade war inflicted more damage.

Airbus has elevated its 20-year demand forecast for all-cargo aircraft, saying the market will need 2,800 specialized units to handle growth in international trade and e-commerce, 400 more than it estimated last year.  The European aircraft manufacturer predicts air cargo will double by 2038 based on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6%, up […]

Air freight volume declined 3.2% in July, to about 20.5 billion freight ton kilometers, compared to the same month a year earlier, the International Air Transport Association reported. It is the ninth straight month of volume decline for the air cargo industry, reflecting economic weakness in key global markets and the pullback in imports and […]

The UN Conference of Trade and Development released a study that reveals who’s at the top of the commercial maritime world—ranked based on connectivity to other ports.

The Commerce Department’s investigation into Mexican tomato exports is set to conclude on September 19th.

The U.S. is projecting a tripling of the annual duty-free exports of beef to the European Union over the next seven years.

As the United States-China trade war frightened stock markets on August 5 into their worst day of the year, some analysts said Mexico could find a silver lining in increased trade exports.   “The commercial problems that China-United States are having can have benefits for Mexico – there are products in which Mexico is competitive and […]

Warehousing markets have just recovered from the last round of tariffs and there is not a lot of slack.

On this historic WTT, Chad returns and joins Dooner on this odyssey of freight. We have breaking news about Trump’s new tariffs against China. Plus, K Ratio joins us to talk freight futures, JP returns to defend his earnings over/under title, and we celebrate our first-ever live stream on LinkedIn! Bang your little cowbell for […]

The new tariffs, announced a day after the Fed cut rates, will affect mostly consumer goods.

U.S. shale oil production might reach tipping point; U.K. auto industry investment is on the decline; Amazon is looking to expand to food services in India.

The company attributed the revenue slip to pricing and volumes, especially on routes between Europe and Asia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touts Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union, but Canadian exporters have been slower to take advantage of the deal.

Dry bulk shipping could be a winner following the ceasefire in the trade war between the U.S. and China.

As freight conditions continue to deteriorate, along with tariffs imposed on a variety of goods and a prolonged U.S.-China trade war, some less-than-truckload carriers are closely examining their operational budget to remain competitive.

No single country can absorb the trade flow from China to the U.S., and likely contenders are already growing faster than capacity.

FedEx sues U.S. Department of Commerce claiming trade restrictions are difficult to meet and places additional burden on common carriers to ensure shippers comply.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will boost trade between African partner states by removing tariffs. This helps the U.S. improve trade relations as it takes out the need to draft separate trade agreements with individual African states.

The Trump administration is considering levying tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of Chinese exports to the United States so far unaffected by duties. Freight Intel, FreightWaves’ proprietary research group, has just published a study warning that such a move would disrupt trade flows far beyond what has occurred so far. Freight Intel Group research […]

Mexico became the first country to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when its Senate approved it by a vote of 114 in favor to 4 against on June 19. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the ratification as “very good news.” “We celebrate the approval in the Senate of the [USMCA], to maintain […]

It appears that Chinese retail investors are moving capital out of the country in response to the devaluation of the yuan.

FreightWaves’ SONAR chart of the week (June 16, 2019 – June 22, 2019) Chart of the Week: Drewry World Container Index – Shanghai to Los Angeles and Shanghai to New York (SONAR: WCI.SHALAX, WCI.SHANYC ) If you are involved in the movement of containerized ocean freight, you are undoubtedly familiar with the beast known as […]

Donald Broughton explains the harm that tariffs can do to the economies of the United States, the country(ies) that tariffs are imposed on and the global economy.

Laredo’s historic reign as the top United States trade port was short-lived, as the Port of Los Angeles rebounded from its lowest monthly total in three years, enabling it to once again lay claim to the number 1 ranking among U.S. ports. “In April, imports into the Port of Los Angeles recovered from the worst […]

FreightWaves’ SONAR chart of the week (June 9, 2019 – June 15, 2019) Chart of the Week: Wait Time (El Paso, Laredo) (SONAR: WAIT.ELP, WAIT.LRD) International trade has been a going concern for any involved in supply chain management over the past year as the current administration continues to impose tariffs on many goods entering […]

President Donald Trump said he has called off plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting on Friday night that the Mexican government has “agreed” to stem the flow of Central and South American migrants into the United States. Mexico “has agreed to strong measures to stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our […]

Market expert Scott Case writes about an innovative program at Miami-Dade International Airport that generates revenue while helping the citizens of Brazil receive e-commerce purchases much quicker than ever before.

Brian Mulroney, an architect of NAFTA’s precursor, says the trade deal will withstand Trump’s latest tariffs.

Trade war tariffs are hurting the competitiveness U.S. businesses working in China, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China). Tariff troubles increased over the weekend as the latest round of Chinese tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods began on Saturday, June 1.

President Trump’s recent announcement of tariffs on Mexico marks a sharp departure from previous moves with potentially disastrous results for U.S. businesses and supply chains

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing ahead on the successor of NAFTA following the end of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican metals.

Market expert Scott Case writes about the air cargo operations at Alaska Airlines, which not only serves Alaska, but the entire U.S. market.

Sub: Removal of levies on aluminum and steel end costly trade dispute – but both nations reserve right to resume them in response to dumping.

Market expert Cathy Roberson writes about issues that are impacting the air freight market.

Manila, Philippines-based container terminal operator International Container Services International has posted a solid set of first quarter results. Revenues were up. Profits were up. Box lifts were up. The group attributed its good results to operational improvements, lower finance costs and a “ramp up” in contributions by its new ports.

Growth of developing countries is disrupting trade flow; logistics job openings trump available workers; Starbucks is experimenting with blockchain for coffee supply chain traceability.

Trade would sort itself out in the longer run post-Brexit, but it is hard to forecast when that would happen.

The following findings were compiled by DHL from more than 8,500 responses.

Global freight forwarder Bolloré Logistics and productivity software provider WiseTech Global  ASX: WTC) have done a deal to roll-out WiseTech’s core software across the forwarder’s global network.

The U.S. is proposing $11 billion in tariffs on European Union goods because of allegations that Airbus received that amount of subsidies when it launched the Airbus 380, thereby harming U.S. interests. Read Jesse Cohen’s explanation of the articles proposed for tariffs and what the tariffs might do to the air cargo and maritime industries.

Ottawa plans to fight decision over how Washington calculates anti-dumping levies as trade tensions continue.

Pork and wine among the potential targets as Ottawa looks to step up pressure over steel and aluminum levies.

Around the world, consumers are clamoring for more seafood. Read how airlines and airports are working to move more seafood more quickly around the world.

U.S. and European freight railroads are very different in many respects. Market analyst Jim Blaze gives insights about how the two systems differ.

Even if the border remains open to freight, shutting out the ~500k workers, students, shoppers, and tourists who legally cross each day would still have a major economic impact.

Trucks designed to haul freight on highways are becoming much more sophisticated in China. Thanks to standardization, trucks now have the ability to do drop and hook, according to Perkins. Trucks are also being upgraded to more modern emissions systems.

Talks between the U.S. and China have made significant progress over the last several weeks, and the two sides appear to be closer to a deal than at any time over the past several months. However, while the restoration of positive trade relations will help the trade outlook, other factors are likely to keep trade growth subdued going forward.

A summary of the key developments in the U.S. economy over the past month and highlighted trends to watch in March.

Political tensions in the Washington-Beijing bilateral relationship are making the China-based U.S. business community uneasy. Tariffs are being blamed for driving business confidence down, decreasing investment and for re-routing Asia-Pacific supply chains.

The U.S. trade deficit in goods widened to a record in December 2018 as a sizeable decline in goods exports was paired with a jump in goods imports. This reversed the decline in the deficit from the previous month, and the drop in goods exports sent yearly growth into negative territory for the first time in over two years.

DHL showcased its Resilience360 platform at the 2019 LINK Conference in Orlando

Descartes Systems Group (NASDAQ: DSGX) has completed its acquisition of Management Systems Resources according to a Descartes press release.

Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles Apple’s iPhone product in China, announced on Saturday that it has raised over $213 million for what it described as a “mega-development” in India.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises is selling its interest in its Mexican cross-border operation, but the company is not abandoning the Mexican market, says its CEO.

Economic and freight indicators are mixed, with some suggesting a downturn is coming, but others pointing to continued growth.

Among news of poor performance in the Chinese economy, one of the most distressing signals for foreign retailers and manufacturers is Apple’s announcement on Wednesday that the company had reduced revenue expectations due to poor iPhone sales in China.

U.S. equity futures tumbled and stocks slumped across Europe and Asia after evidence of slowing Chinese growth dashed investor hopes for an upbeat start to 2019.

Fervent hope and speculation in the West about forthcoming policy announcements by China failed to materialise yesterday in a speech given by China’s President Xi Jinping.

The two sides traced out an agreement that would involve a commitment by China to increase purchases of American goods and services by $1.2 trillion over the next several years.

More of the same. That was the consensus in a quick informal poll of listeners to FTR’s State of Freight webinar on Thursday when they were asked what the most likely outcome was for the U.S. economy in 2019.

While most of the new trade deal with Mexico and Canada is an update to NAFTA, there is a paragraph inserted into the agreement that could disrupt cross-border trade via truck.

Continuing efforts to fight what he says are unfair trade practices, the administration of President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will pull out of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty, which sets how much can be charged for international shipping.

A roundup of economic data releases and events over the past month, and view of trends worth watching in October. Freight demand conditions remained generally solid during the month, though international trade and housing remain trouble areas. Supply within trucking looks to be expanding, and hires in the industry continued to climb

Speaking at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2nd Annual Economic Summit on Thursday in Washington, DC, ATA President & CEO Chris Spear touted the accomplishments of the association but told attendees now is not the time to become complacent.

The economic roundup is a monthly summary of the various factors that affect freight demand and supply in the economy. Data releases in August showed an economic that was performing generally well, but softness in housing and trade are likely to impact freight demand.