In this month’s Freightos market update webinar we took a data-driven look at the latest in the international ocean and air freight markets, including the latest in the trade war, other geopolitical volatility, implications of a return to the Red Sea, and the growing ocean fleet.Â
Watch the full recording below:
Key Takeaways:
- The transpacific container market may return to normal seasonality in 2026 after trade war frontloading and disrupted patterns skewed the timing of ocean freight in 2025 – but wildcards like unforeseen trade tensions and the pending Supreme Court decision on IEEPA tariffs still make anything possible.
- US ocean imports were flat in 2025 and are projected to decline by 2%, while global volumes grew 4.5% in 2025 – with strong growth in EU imports, intra-Asia trade, and many other lanes, indicating trade diversification away from US markets which is likely to continue this year.
- Several carriers are now gradually returning to the Red Sea. A full return would initially cause congestion but ultimately will release significant capacity back into the market.
- And ocean freight is already showing signs of oversupply: spot rates were 45% lower in 2025 vs. 2024 despite volume growth, and several carriers are reporting Q4 ‘25 losses as a result.
- Air cargo showed unexpected resilience in 2025 with 4.2% international volume growth, despite early predictions of contraction due to trade tensions. But, like in ocean, growth was uneven across trade lanes, with transpacific volumes contracting slightly.
Speakers
Judah Levine
Head of Research, Freightos Group
Judah is an experienced market research manager, using data-driven analytics to deliver market-based insights. Judah produces the Freightos Group’s FBX Weekly Freight Update and other research on what’s happening in the industry from shipper behaviors to the latest in logistics technology and digitization.
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