Xeneta data shows that the average spot rate for air freight from Asia to the US was up 49% in October from a year ago, sitting at $5.46 a kilogram.
Over the same period, rates from Asia to Europe rose 25%.
These raised rates don’t seem to have slowed down China-founded ecommerce groups, who continue to take advantage of import duty exemptions on shipments below a certain price.
But as the Financial Times warns:
“Strong growth in demand for cheap online goods from Chinese ecommerce groups and the rising use of air freight amid disruption in the Red Sea are threatening to overwhelm the already strained rapid delivery market before Christmas, causing air freight rates to jump.
“US and EU lawmakers are looking to clamp down on the flow of imports from China using this duty “loophole”, with the White House proposing to exclude a range of goods from the exemption in September, while Brussels has discussed scrapping a €150 threshold under which items can be bought duty free”
Read more on the story here: ft.com
