Topic: Global Trade

Quarterly revenue, at $23.5 billion, increased 7% annually, and operating income, at $1.38 billion, was up 31%. Earnings per share, at $4.82, beat Wall Street expectations, at $4.02.

With one year ending and a new one soon beginning, there is often a sense of a change or a fresh start coming. While that may sound good on paper, when it comes to the current state of the freight, or logistics, economy, it is more than likely that that prospects of meaningful shifts, or changes, in the current landscape, may not represent anything more than wishful thinking.

November imports, at 2.63 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), decreased 3.2% annually, falling for the third consecutive month, and were down sequentially compared to October’s 2.71 million TEU.

Uncertainty still dominates the transportation landscape, but shifts in capacity, trade policy, energy markets, and global demand suggest a year of transition. Our panel reveals where rates may finally stabilize—and where volatility is far from over. In this annual webcast, supply chain group editorial director Michael Levans and contributing editor Brooks Bentz have assembled our annual panel of logistics and freight transportation analysts to share their insights on rate patterns in all the major transport modes in an effort...

the Federal Reserve announced it has lowered the target rate, for the federal funds rate, which comes from its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) for the third consecutive month, dropping it by 0.25%, to 3.5%-to-3.75%, its lowest rate level since 2022.

Representing the National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) at the USTR hearing, Patrick Lozada, NEMA Senior Director of Global Policy, made the case for the USTR to move forward with what he called a swift review and renewal of the USMCA.

November U.S.-bound container import volume—at 2,183,048 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—were off 5.4% compared to October and saw a 7.5% annual decline.

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, U.S. imports, for the ports surveyed in the report, came in at 2.07 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), excluding the Port of Charleston, which marked a 1.8% sequential decline and a 7.9% annual decline.  

The November LMI reading came in at 55.7 (a reading above 50 indicates growth is occurring), following matching 57.4 readings, for both September and October. This represents the ninth straight month the LMI has been below the all-time overall average of 61.4.

Non-asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) services providers recently received good news, with the announcement that United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has introduced a five-year pilot program, which, for the first time, includes freight brokers and warehouse-based 3PLs to be able to be part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program.

Peak season used to feel like a mad dash, but DHL says the holidays don’t bring the same sense of chaos they once did. Thanks to years of planning, better forecasting, and rapid growth in robotics, the company is heading into the busiest stretch of the year with confidence instead of panic.

The letter added that USMCA ensures U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and service providers can continue to access the Canadian and Mexican markets, while also noting that it guarantees that virtually all U.S. exports enter these markets tariff-free, while also helping American companies and their employees compete in the country’s top two export markets.

Companies are responding by diversifying sourcing and looking for new trade routes.

POLA reported that October volume, at 848,431 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), fell 6.25% annually, and POLB reported that October volume, at 839,671 TEU, fell 14.9% annually, compared to October 2024, the port’s strongest month on record in its 114 years of operations.

October U.S.-bound container import volume—at 2,306,687 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—were off 0.1% compared to September’s 2,307,933 TEU and saw a 7.5% annual decline.

Mike Short, president of Global Forwarding at C.H. Robinson, observed that while the FAA’s 10% reduction in intra-U.S. flights will create some ripple effects in transportation, the impact on air freight overall is expected to be limited.    

For September, the most recent month for which data is available, U.S. imports, for the ports surveyed in the report, came in at 2.1 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which marked a 9.3% sequential decline and a 7.4% annual decline.  

A new report recently issued by DHL eCommerce, a subsidiary of global logistics services provider, Deutsche Post DHL Group, examined how both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce shippers are getting ready for peak season, in terms of their key objectives and priorities.

With expedited review underway, businesses brace for possible refunds, new trade measures, and prolonged market volatility.

Tariffs, trade restrictions, and new export-control rules made 2025 one of the most complex years in global logistics, forcing shippers to rethink sourcing, compliance, and cost structures. As 2026 approaches, experts urge companies to invest in people, processes, and technology to strengthen compliance programs, automate trade management, and stay resilient amid ongoing regulatory uncertainty.