Summary
The June 18 brief prioritizes public updates published or refreshed on the previous Asia/Shanghai calendar day. U.S. inland intermodal is the main theme: BNSF's Barstow International Gateway received local approval, while weekly U.S. rail intermodal volume continued to outperform carload freight. On the port side, Los Angeles reported May throughput up 17% year on year, while DP World and Corpus Christi entered talks that could add Gulf Coast container capacity over time. Air cargo and operating-risk signals also matter: Southeast Asian general cargo is replacing ecommerce as a transpacific airfreight driver, FedEx Vietnam recovery still needs shipment-level attention, and a CargoWise outage highlights the need for platform contingency plans.
Key Updates
Select a headline to expand the full update.
FreightWaves reported on June 17 that the Barstow City Council approved BNSF's proposed Barstow International Gateway at the local level. The project is positioned as an inland rail and logistics hub for the San Pedro Bay port complex, covering about 4,500 acres and supporting the transfer of freight from international containers to domestic containers, port-to-rail handoffs and long-haul corridor service. For transpacific importers, the potential value is not only off-dock storage, but also lower truck miles, more stable inland rail flow and less pressure on LA/Long Beach warehouse nodes.
Source: BNSF wins local approval for new $4B California rail intermodal projectFreightWaves reported on June 17, citing AAR data, that U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 13 totaled 520,406 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.2% year on year. Carloads increased 2.8% to 230,959, while intermodal containers and trailers rose 10.9% to 289,447. The report linked stronger intermodal demand to rising truckload rates, transpacific frontloading and fuel-cost concerns. Shippers comparing inland U.S. options should evaluate door-to-door transit, rail cutoffs, destination deconsolidation capacity and final-mile drayage availability together.
Source: Intermodal pulls away from carload rail freightThe Port of Los Angeles said on June 16 that it processed 840,165 TEUs in May, 17% above last year, and 4,119,869 TEUs during the first five months, up 1.4%. Loaded imports reached 449,370 TEUs, up 26%; loaded exports were 107,657 TEUs, down 10%; and empties totaled 283,138 TEUs, up 18%. The port also said there were no vessel backlogs or cargo delays. For transpacific importers, stable port operations are helpful, but early peak-season cargo can still shift pressure to pickup appointments, rail loading, warehouse receiving and empty returns.
Source: Port of Los Angeles May Cargo Volume Climbs 17%The Loadstar reported on June 17 that DP World and the Port of Corpus Christi signed an exclusive negotiation arrangement for a long-term lease to design, build and operate a new container terminal. Corpus Christi is currently a major U.S. LNG and crude oil export gateway and does not yet handle containers; if the project advances, it could add an option beyond Houston in the western Gulf. For energy equipment, chemicals, manufacturing and U.S. South import-export flows, the project is not an immediate routing change, but its terminal design, inland rail and road connections and carrier service commitments are worth tracking.
Source: DP World enter US market with new box terminal at Corpus ChristiA Maersk rate announcement that took effect on June 17 applies to Far East Asia origins including China, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea to the United States and Canada. The announcement lists a PSS of USD 1,000 for 20-foot containers and USD 2,000 for 40-foot and 45-foot containers, and states that it applies to non-SPOT bookings with price calculation date rules differing for FMC and non-FMC trades. Transpacific bookings moving into late June should be rechecked for PSS, contract applicability, SPOT versus non-SPOT treatment, cutoffs and destination local charges.
Source: Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) - Far East Asia to US West coast/East coast and Canada West coast/East coastThe Loadstar reported on June 17 that Trade and Transport Group analysis shows transpacific air cargo demand is shifting from the ecommerce boom of recent years toward general cargo imports, with Southeast Asian exports standing out. The change reflects U.S. de minimis policy shifts, tariff context and supply chain relocation. For air cargo customers, capacity pressure will not be driven only by ecommerce parcels; electronics, industrial goods, consumer products and supply-chain migration can also shape rates and flight allocations, so dimensions, weight, delivery windows and split-shipment options should be prepared earlier.
Source: South-east Asia the star exporter replacing ecommerce in air cargoFedEx Vietnam's service notice says that from June 15 operational recovery is progressing, clearance and last-mile shipment flows are stabilizing, and backlogs are declining. Temporary transit extensions from worldwide origins to Hanoi have been removed, while worldwide to Ho Chi Minh City has been reduced from +2 days to +1 day. FreightWaves also reported on June 17 that FedEx had been recovering from delays linked to a ground partner change and new system rollout. Vietnam inbound parcels and sample shipments should still include customs and delivery buffers, with importer profiles, arrival notices and commercial invoice data prepared in advance.
Source: Service News and AlertsThe Loadstar reported on June 17 that CargoWise users saw login failures and EDI disruption during an approximately two-hour major incident affecting both cloud-hosted and self-hosted customers, although the severity varied by organization. For companies that rely on one TMS or forwarding platform for bookings, customs, billing and EDI, this type of event can quickly disrupt manifests, status synchronization and customer response. Forwarders and large shippers should prepare offline operating checklists, key document exports, fallback EDI or email procedures and customer notification templates before a platform outage occurs.
Source: EXCLUSIVE: CargoWise users hit by global outage in 'major incident'DH Logistics View
- The most important signal today is inland capacity, not a single ocean gateway. Rising Los Angeles volume and BNSF's inland hub approval show that transpacific freight competition is extending into rail, warehousing, transloading and final-mile execution.
- New Gulf Coast container capacity remains at an early discussion stage, but it shows how regional ports are looking to diversify beyond Houston and support energy, manufacturing and chemical supply chains.
- The air cargo demand shift means Southeast Asian general cargo should not be handled with low-season assumptions. Even if ecommerce parcels cool, general cargo, tariff-driven frontloading and supply-chain migration can tighten selected lanes.
- System outages and customs recovery are freight risks too. Companies need to treat logistics platforms, clearance data and importer information as operating capabilities, not just back-office details.
Planning Notes
- For transpacific imports, plan port, rail, warehouse and drayage as one schedule, confirming inland rail ramps, deconsolidation capacity and empty-return windows early.
- For U.S. West Coast cargo, use the stable Los Angeles operating picture, but reserve inland resources ahead of peak-season frontloading.
- For Gulf Coast cargo, monitor Corpus Christi terminal talks, while keeping Houston, Mobile and New Orleans as practical near-term alternatives.
- For Far East-U.S./Canada quotes, recheck the June 17 PSS, SPOT versus non-SPOT treatment, price calculation dates and destination local charges.
- For Southeast Asian airfreight, submit dimensions, weight, pieces, commodity, temperature needs and delivery windows early; split shipments or sea-air combinations may reduce capacity risk.
- For Vietnam inbound shipments, keep customs and delivery buffers and maintain importer profiles, arrival notice contacts and commercial invoice or HS data.
- Forwarders and cross-border shippers should prepare TMS/EDI outage procedures, including document backups, manual status sheets, customer notices and post-recovery data-entry rules.
Sources
View sources (9)
- BNSF wins local approval for new $4B California rail intermodal projectFreightWaves · 2026-06-17
- Intermodal pulls away from carload rail freightFreightWaves · 2026-06-17
- Port of Los Angeles May Cargo Volume Climbs 17%Port of Los Angeles · 2026-06-16
- DP World enter US market with new box terminal at Corpus ChristiThe Loadstar · 2026-06-17
- Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) - Far East Asia to US West coast/East coast and Canada West coast/East coastMaersk · 2026-05-18
- South-east Asia the star exporter replacing ecommerce in air cargoThe Loadstar · 2026-06-17
- FedEx slowly recovers from operational meltdown in VietnamFreightWaves · 2026-06-17
- Service News and AlertsFedEx Vietnam · 2026-06-15
- EXCLUSIVE: CargoWise users hit by global outage in 'major incident'The Loadstar · 2026-06-17