Summary
Freight signals on October 26 were mixed: Asia-Pacific to US air cargo strengthened sharply while Asia-Europe volumes remained softer. Valencia posted monthly container growth, but year-to-date transshipment stayed under pressure; Shenzhen reached a throughput milestone early and China’s national port data showed steady container growth. Yangshan moved into recovery after typhoon disruption, while a major forwarder expanded AI into quoting, booking and customs workflows.
Key Updates
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WorldACD and TAC data showed global air spot rates rising about 4%–4.7% over two weeks and roughly 26% year on year. Asia-Pacific to the US was stronger: volumes were up 14% year on year and rates up 41%. Asia-Europe volumes remained weak, so peak-season pricing still varies by lane and available capacity; fuel and geopolitical disruption are adding cost pressure.
Source: Asia Pacific the star performer as airfreight rates take offThe Port Authority of Valencia reported 498,837 TEU in September, up 5.48% year on year, with imports and exports gaining. Yet January–September throughput remained 0.91% below last year as transshipment volumes fell. China remained its largest international container market, with associated volumes up 15.07%.
Source: Valenciaport reports September container growth despite weaker transshipmentC.H. Robinson says its AI pricing tools have produced more than 80,000 quotes for over 3,600 customers, cutting quote turnaround from hours or days to minutes. New workflows also handle ocean booking requests and US import customs documents; the company reported a 23% reduction in time spent on the affected customs processing. These are company-reported results, and human compliance review remains in place.
Source: C.H. Robinson debuts Lean AI for ocean shipping, air freight, and customsShenzhen had handled 30.1 million TEU by October 17, up 7.7% year on year and about three weeks earlier than in 2025. The report also cited more than 270 international liner services and a network of 33 inland ports and 45 sea-rail intermodal routes, linking gateway growth with hinterland connectivity.
Source: 深圳港集装箱吞吐量较去年提前3周达到3000万标箱Shanghai maritime authorities said Yangshan handled 344,000 TEU and safely managed 87 mainline container-ship movements from October 20–25. As Typhoon Champi weakened, the port shifted to vessel clearance and recovery. Shippers should continue checking vessel-specific berthing and pickup plans, since wind and accumulated backlogs can affect normalization.
Source: 台风影响期间保持连续作业 洋山港集装箱码头逐步复工复产China’s Ministry of Transport reported 1–3Q port cargo throughput of 13.64 billion tonnes, up 0.7% year on year. Foreign-trade cargo grew 2.9%, while container throughput reached 280 million TEU, up 4.5%. Port cargo throughput rose 2.6% year on year in September, indicating a measured recovery in transport demand.
Source: 2026年前三季度交通运输经济运行情况DH Logistics View
- Peak-season air tightness is not uniform across lanes. Asia-Pacific to the US is materially stronger than Asia-Europe, so compare origin options and transit plans while confirming fuel surcharges and space validity.
- Port indicators also diverge: Shenzhen is growing, Valencia’s transshipment remains soft, and Yangshan is still normalizing after weather disruption. Keep checking vessel, drayage and terminal pickup milestones after booking.
Planning Notes
- Secure space early for urgent air freight and compare origin points and routings across Asia-Pacific to the US and Asia-Europe.
- For Shanghai, Shenzhen and Valencia cargo, reconfirm vessel schedules, terminal appointments and container availability shipment by shipment.
- When assessing AI quoting or customs tools, verify lane coverage, data scope, exception handling and human compliance review responsibilities.
Sources
View sources (6)
- International · Industry mediaAsia Pacific the star performer as airfreight rates take offThe Loadstar · 2026-10-26
- International · Industry mediaValenciaport reports September container growth despite weaker transshipmentContainer News · 2026-10-26
- InternationalC.H. Robinson debuts Lean AI for ocean shipping, air freight, and customsC.H. Robinson · 2026-10-26
- China · Industry media深圳港集装箱吞吐量较去年提前3周达到3000万标箱深圳商报·读创（东方财富网） · 2026-10-26
- China · Industry media台风影响期间保持连续作业 洋山港集装箱码头逐步复工复产上海人民网 · 2026-10-26
- China · Official institution2026年前三季度交通运输经济运行情况交通运输部 · 2026-10-26