China’s e-commerce market remains the most eventful corner of air cargo. When the European Union scrapped its de minimis exemption in July, the effect was immediate: low-value and e-commerce exports from China to Europe fell by 40% year on year in the latest data, to August. The US offers a guide to what comes next: one year after its own ban, US-bound e-commerce exports are up 17% year-on-year, still below pre-ban levels but recovering as shippers moved to consolidated freight and, in part, to ocean. Rates tell the tale from the other side. Before the EU ban, China–Europe and China–US spot rates were running almost on top of each other; since July the gap has widened, with China–US holding around USD 5.60 per kg while China–Europe has dropped to around USD 4.00. A gap of this size makes a capacity shift to the transpacific market plausible, mirroring the adjustment a year ago.
Pricing and capacity hold steady as traffic slows | WorldACD
6 oktober 2026
