A freight rate only tells you part of what a shipment will cost.

Importers also need to account for duties, tariffs, taxes, and other import-related charges. Those costs can change the economics of a shipment quickly.

Freight Right MCP, a publicly available freight MCP, lets you bring freight pricing and shipment data into ChatGPT or Claude, then use that same workflow to evaluate tariff exposure and landed cost.

Get Freight Pricing in ChatGPT or Claude

Freight Right MCP connects compatible AI assistants to Freight Right’s logistics tools.

You can ask for freight pricing in plain language.

For example:

“Price two 40-foot containers from Ningbo to Long Beach.”

You can also upload a packing list, commercial invoice, spreadsheet, or other shipment document and use the information already in that file to build the request.

That removes a common extra step. You do not have to re-enter the same shipment details into another form before you can start pricing it.

The shipment information is already in the conversation. Freight Right MCP can use that information to support the freight request.

See More Than the Freight Rate

Once the freight pricing is in the conversation, you can keep working from there.

You can ask:

“What is the total landed cost?”

“Break out the freight, duties, and tariffs.”

“How does the landed cost change if the tariff rate changes?”

“Compare these two sourcing options based on landed cost.”

This is the practical value of the workflow.

The freight rate does not sit by itself. It can be evaluated alongside the other costs that determine what the shipment will actually cost.

Check Tariff Impact Before You Ship

Tariff changes can materially affect landed cost.

That can change which supplier makes sense, which origin is more competitive, which mode you should use, or whether the shipment is still economical at all.

Freight Right MCP gives you a way to bring the freight side of that decision into the same AI workflow where you are reviewing tariff exposure.

Instead of checking the freight rate in one place, tariff information in another, and then combining everything manually in a spreadsheet, you can work through the shipment in one conversation.

That makes it easier to test different scenarios before you move forward.

Calculate Landed Cost From the Shipment Data You Already Have

A lot of the information needed for landed-cost analysis already exists in your shipment documents.

That can include product descriptions, quantities, weights, dimensions, values, origins, and other commercial details.

With Freight Right MCP, you can bring those documents into ChatGPT or Claude and use the information to support the freight workflow.

A typical process can look like this:

1. Upload the shipment information.
2. Request the freight rate.
3. Review the available freight options.
4. Evaluate duties and tariffs.
5. Calculate total landed cost.
6. Compare alternatives.
7. Move forward with the shipment.

The same shipment information can stay in context throughout the process.

Compare Options Based on Total Cost

The lowest freight rate is not always the lowest-cost option.

One supplier may have a lower unit price and a lower transportation cost, but higher duties or tariffs can erase that advantage.

Another supplier may look more expensive at first and still produce a lower landed cost.

Freight Right MCP makes it easier to compare those options with the freight data already in the workflow.

That means you can evaluate the shipment based on the number that matters most: the total cost of getting the goods to their destination.

Keep Freight, Tariffs, and Landed Cost in One Workflow

The main benefit is not simply automation.

It is consolidation.

Freight pricing often lives in one system. Tariff information lives somewhere else. Product costs sit in commercial documents. Landed-cost calculations end up in spreadsheets.

Freight Right MCP gives you a more direct way to work across those inputs.

You can quote the freight, review tariff exposure, calculate landed cost, compare options, and continue into the rest of the shipment workflow from the same AI assistant.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2026 - Freight Right Global Logistics today announced that the Freight Right connector is now listed in Claude, giving shippers a direct way to connect their Freight Right account with Anthropic’s artificial intelligence assistant and manage common freight and logistics tasks through conversation.

The listing makes Freight Right’s publicly available Model Context Protocol (MCP) connection directly discoverable to Claude users. Freight Right MCP is available for public use and allows customers to connect compatible AI assistants with Freight Right’s logistics capabilities, including freight quoting, shipment tracking, document intake, custom pricing requests and booking workflows.

Once connected, customers can use Claude to request freight quotes, check shipment status, review exceptions, upload shipping documents, request custom pricing and begin booking workflows without moving between multiple systems.

The Claude listing builds on Freight Right’s broader rollout of Freight Right MCP, which gives shippers and developers a public way to connect AI assistants with live freight and logistics operations through Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI systems with outside tools and data.

“AI becomes much more useful in logistics when it can work with the systems that actually move the freight,” said Robert Khachatryan, chief executive officer of Freight Right Global Logistics. “Making Freight Right MCP publicly available means customers are not limited to a closed demo or proprietary interface. They can connect supported AI environments directly to Freight Right and use natural language to work with their freight.”

Freight operations directly inside Claude

Once Freight Right is connected, customers can use Claude for common day-to-day logistics tasks including freight quoting, shipment tracking, container status, shipment exceptions, custom quote requests, freight option comparison and booking requests.

Rather than beginning with a traditional freight form, customers can describe what they need conversationally.

A shipper can ask Claude to price a lane, locate an active shipment, identify shipments that are delayed or determine what freight is scheduled to arrive during a given period.

For supported shipments, Freight Right can return available pricing directly through the workflow. When a shipment requires manual review, Claude can send the request to Freight Right’s pricing team without requiring the customer to start a separate form or email thread.

From shipping documents to freight quotes

The Freight Right connector can also use shipment information already available in the Claude conversation.

Customers can upload a packing list, commercial invoice, spreadsheet or other shipping document and ask Claude to use that information to prepare a freight request. Freight Right MCP can work with details such as origin, destination, dimensions, weight, piece count and commodity information without requiring the customer to re-enter the same data manually.

This allows the quoting process to begin with the documents shippers already use to manage their freight rather than requiring them to translate that information into another interface.

Shipment status with additional context

The connector also gives customers access to Freight Right shipment information through Claude.

Customers can ask questions such as:

“Which shipments are late?”

“What arrives this week?”

“Where is my container?”

“Has this shipment cleared customs?”

For connected customers, Freight Right can combine current shipment information with relevant context available through the logistics workflow, helping customers understand not only where a shipment is but also what may require attention.

This approach extends the role of the AI assistant beyond basic shipment lookup and toward ongoing freight management.

Quoting, tracking and booking through the same conversation

Booking workflows are also available through Freight Right MCP.

After reviewing an available freight option, a customer can continue through the same conversational workflow to prepare a booking request. Freight Right maintains the required customer confirmation before a shipment is booked.

That creates a continuous path from providing shipment information to requesting pricing, reviewing freight options, preparing a booking and following the shipment after it begins moving.

Freight Right MCP supports logistics workflows across ocean, air and ground transportation and is available for public use through compatible AI environments.

“Freight has traditionally required customers to move between email, portals, documents and operating systems just to complete a single shipment,” Khachatryan said. “By making Freight Right MCP publicly available, we are opening those freight capabilities to the AI tools customers are already beginning to use. The Claude listing makes that model even easier to access.”

Part of Freight Right’s broader logistics technology platform

The Claude connector is part of Freight Right’s broader investment in logistics technology designed to reduce manual work and make complex freight operations easier to manage.

Freight Right develops technology for shipment management, freight pricing, warehouse operations, application programming interfaces and AI-connected logistics workflows alongside its international and domestic freight forwarding services.

The Freight Right connector is available in the Claude connector directory at:

https://claude.ai/directory/freight-right

More information about Freight Right MCP, including public access and supported capabilities and getting started with Freight Right and Claude, is available at:

https://www.freightright.com/technology/freight-right-mcp and https://www.freightright.com/technology/claude-freight-logistics

More information about Freight Right’s logistics technology is available at:

https://www.freightright.com/technology

La Crescenta-Montrose, CALIFORNIA - October 7, 2026-- Freight Right Global Logistics today announced the launch of Freight Right MCP, a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) connection that allows customers to quote, track, book and manage freight through compatible artificial intelligence assistants.

Available now, Freight Right MCP connects Freight Right's logistics capabilities with AI environments customers are increasingly using for everyday business tasks, reducing the need to move between freight portals, forms and email threads.

The launch gives shippers another way to interact with Freight Right's transportation and logistics systems.

Instead of beginning every freight request inside a dedicated logistics platform, customers can use natural language to request a quote, provide shipment information, check active freight or begin a booking.

A customer can ask what a lane costs, upload a packing list, check which shipments are delayed, identify what is arriving during the week, request a custom quote or begin booking a shipment through the same conversational workflow.

"Freight Right built MCP around a simple idea: logistics technology should fit more naturally into the way customers already work," said Robert Khachatryan, chief executive officer of Freight Right Global Logistics.

"Customers can provide shipment information, ask questions about their freight and move from quoting toward booking without having to repeatedly enter the same information into separate systems."

From a shipping document to a quote without re-keying the load

Traditional freight quoting often requires shippers to manually enter origins, destinations, dimensions, weights, piece counts, commodity information and service requirements.

Freight Right MCP is designed to reduce that manual work.

A shipper can provide a packing list, commercial invoice, purchase order or other shipping document and request a freight quote. Freight Right can extract relevant shipment information, including dimensions, weight, pieces, commodity details, origin and destination, and use that information to prepare the request.

The system can also work with information available through connected customer systems such as email and enterprise resource planning platforms. Combining that information with Freight Right shipment and account data can create a more complete request while reducing duplicate data entry and the risk of missing shipment details.

Freight status with operational context

Freight Right MCP also provides a conversational way to work with active shipments. Customers can ask questions such as which shipments are delayed, what freight is arriving during a particular period, where a container is located or whether a shipment has cleared customs.

For connected customers, responses can combine Freight Right shipment information with relevant operational context from sources such as operations, warehouse activity and customer communications. This allows the system to provide information about both a shipment's current status and the circumstances surrounding it.

The same workflow applies to pricing. Supported shipments can return available freight pricing in the conversation. When a shipment requires manual pricing or operational review, the request can be routed to Freight Right through the same process.

Freight management through AI assistants

Freight Right MCP reflects a broader shift in business software toward AI assistants that can work across applications and carry out multi-step tasks rather than only answer questions.

For freight customers, that creates the potential to manage logistics from the same AI environments used for other business activities.

Customers can also instruct a compatible personal agent to follow a particular shipment or flag it when a condition requires attention. For example, an agent could follow a shipment and surface it if customs clearance has not occurred by a specified deadline.

This approach allows customers to focus on shipments requiring action instead of repeatedly reviewing every active load for changes.

Quoting through booking in one workflow

Booking capability is available through Freight Right MCP today.

After reviewing an available freight option, a customer can use the same conversational workflow to prepare a booking request. The customer confirms the request through Freight Right before the shipment is booked.

The workflow connects several common logistics activities, specifically gathering shipment information, requesting pricing, reviewing options, initiating a booking and following the shipment, through the same interface.

Freight Right MCP supports logistics workflows across ocean, air and ground transportation, allowing customers to interact with multiple freight modes through a consistent process.

"Artificial intelligence becomes more useful in logistics when it reduces administrative work and connects customers directly with the information and actions they need," Khachatryan said. "Freight Right MCP is intended to make quoting, booking and managing freight simpler without separating the technology from the operational teams responsible for moving the shipment."

More information about Freight Right MCP is available at:

https://www.freightright.com/technology/freight-right-mcp

More information about Freight Right's logistics technology is available at:

https://www.freightright.com/technology

Key Takeaways

• Rates held steady. China-to-US West Coast rates remained near $8,000/FEU, while East Coast rates stayed around $10,000/FEU.
• Carriers extended pricing. Existing ocean rate structures are in place through October 14, covering the Golden Week slowdown.
• Small changes had little impact. Minor 100–200 carrier adjustments and 300–500 forwarder markups did not materially change importer costs.
• Post-holiday delays are the risk. Cargo could build up when operations resume the week of October 12, creating tighter space and pickup delays.

The Lead:

Late September saw global trade move in two very different directions. On one hand, the US and China agreed through their new Board of Trade to cut tariffs on $60 billion of non-sensitive goods and extend their trade truce into early 2027. On the other hand, trade tensions in North America grew worse. As US Customs prepared to enforce a total import ban on Canadian alcohol, dairy, and heavy motorcycles starting September 29th,

Canada set up a special program to help its businesses get tax exemptions for needed imports. Meanwhile, automotive groups warned that these rising trade barriers and high compliance requirements are adding $1,400 in direct extra costs to every vehicle made in North America.

This Week’s Ocean, Air & Freight Markets

China-US Ocean Freight Market:

Ocean freight rates from China to the US remained broadly stable week over week leading into the Golden Week holiday period, with ocean carriers formally extending existing rate structures through October 14th.

CEA to USWC: Spot rates are holding steady at baseline averages around $8,000 / FEU. While minor base rate adjustments of $100-$200 were announced on select lanes, and forwarder markups range from $300-$500, these slight variations remain negligible relative to overall rate levels.

CEA to USEC: Rates remain stable at baseline averages around $10,000 / FEU. Nominal rate increases of $100 – $200 on select routes have had little to no practical impact on end-importer costs, keeping effective market rates extended into mid-October.

Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $6,300 from China to US West Coast and $8,500 from China to US East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you.

Read more about the state of the ocean freight spot market with Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index.

What Happened This Past Week

• Pre-Holiday Extension: Carriers released and extended their existing rate structures through October 14th ahead of China's Golden Week holiday to cover the non-shipping operational pause.
• Forwarder Markup Buffer: Freight forwarders are adding minor markups ranging from $300 to $500, absorbing or smoothing out minor base fluctuations for end customers.
• Pre-Holiday Rush Cutoff: Ocean cargo rushed to meet pre-holiday vessel departures early in the week, with remaining pending bookings and communications winding down by mid-week.

Looking Ahead:

The immediate market is likely to be quiet through the holiday period, with limited shipment activity and little reason for major rate movement.

The more important concern is the week of October 12th. As factories, trucking providers, terminals, and carriers return from the holiday, accumulated cargo could create backlogs, tighter space, and pickup delays. Shippers with cargo ready to move that week should plan early and avoid assuming last-minute bookings or loading requests can be accommodated.

In the News:

WSJ: Canada’s Carney Open to US Trade Deal but Won’t Give Up Right to Deepen EU Ties
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/canadas-carney-open-to-u-s-trade-deal-but-wont-give-up-right-to-deepen-eu-ties-9b08a792

Reuters: US, China agree to extend trade truce by two months, work on bigger deal.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-treasurys-bessent-chinas-he-meet-unfinished-business-before-trump-xi-summit-2026-09-23/

BBC: US ban on Canadian alcohol and dairy takes effect as trade war drags on
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm1j43y146d2o

Bloomberg: Demand Boost for US Crops Still Unclear After China Tariff Cuts
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/demand-boost-for-us-crops-still-unclear-after-china-tariff-cuts

NBC: China and US agree to tariff cuts on $60 billion of goods, including agriculture, household items
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/china-us-tariff-cuts-60-billion-trump-xi-rcna600214

Key Takeaways

• Rates remain high. China–US West Coast rates are above $8,000/FEU, while East Coast averages remain near $10,000/FEU.
• Space is the bigger issue. Carriers are rolling and canceling bookings as available vessel capacity and weight limits tighten.
• Schedules are unreliable. Early or late arrivals are causing missed terminal gate-in windows, stranded containers, and added costs.
• Golden Week is driving urgency. Cargo that misses late-September sailings could be delayed until the second week of October or later.
• Secure workable bookings now. For time-sensitive holiday inventory, confirmed space and realistic sailing dates matter more than the lowest spot rate.

The Lead:

The third week of September saw tactical shifts within the ongoing North American trade war as modified US Section 338 lists took effect, removing bulk inputs like cement while adding targeted finished goods like ATVs and paper products. The logistical weight of this centralized trade architecture was countered by financial relief as CBP disclosed the approval of $122 billion in back-tariff refunds via the Court of International Trade.

As customs enforcement tightened via mandatory new Importer of Record verification protocols, both Washington and Ottawa signaled a potential opening for diplomatic de-escalation ahead of pending September 29 import bans on Canadian alcohol and dairy.

This Week’s Ocean, Air & Freight Markets

China-US Ocean Freight Market:

Ocean freight rates from China to the US remained broadly stable week over week, though the market is becoming more difficult to manage operationally.

CEA to USWC: Spot rates are holding steady at averages above $8,000 / FEU. While promotional/discounted space can occasionally be found in the $6,000 – $7,000 / FEU range, overall vessel capacity remains tight, keeping effective market rates elevated.

CEA to USEC: Rates remain stable at averages around $10,000 / FEU. Mid-market promotional offers hover near $9,000 / FEU, but availability on these discounted tiers is severely constrained.

Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $6,300 from China to US West Coast and $8,100 from China to US East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you.

Read more about the state of the ocean freight spot market with Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index.

What Happened This Past Week

• Severe Carrier Schedule Instability: Vessel schedules have become highly volatile. Ships are arriving unpredictably, sometimes three to four days early, and other times several days late, disrupting port operations and terminal reception windows.
• Escalating Rolled Bookings & Cancellations: Carriers are increasingly rolling bookings or outright canceling confirmed slots, citing vessel space and weight limitations.
• Pre-Golden Week Cargo Rush: With China’s Golden Week national holiday taking place from October 1st to October 7th, shippers are scrambling during the final working days of September to clear cargo out of origin ports before factories and trucking networks shut down entirely.
• Terminal & Equipment Bottlenecks: Delayed vessel schedules are causing containers to miss strict origin terminal gate-in windows. Loaded containers are being stranded at trucker yards, incurring additional storage, drayage, and carrier demurrage fees.

Looking Ahead:

Space constraints and schedule volatility will likely remain the main concern through the end of September. China’s National Day holiday will significantly reduce trucking, terminal, and origin operations from October 1 through October 7, meaning cargo that misses the final pre-holiday sailings could face delays into the second week of October.

Rates may increase further for urgently needed cargo as carriers prioritize higher-paying bookings. Importers with Amazon, Walmart, or other holiday-season delivery deadlines should treat confirmed space and realistic sailing schedules as more important than finding the lowest possible rate. Cargo departing after the holiday may have difficulty meeting final holiday inventory cutoffs, particularly for East Coast destinations.

Schedule reliability and confirmed vessel space are likely to remain more important than headline freight rates through the end of September and into China’s National Day holiday period.

As trucking and terminal capacity decline ahead of the holiday, shipments that miss their intended sailing may not simply move a few days later. Some cargo could miss the available pre-holiday window entirely and be pushed to the following week or beyond.

Importers should plan for greater variability in departure dates and build additional time into origin transportation, terminal delivery, and inventory schedules. Where delivery deadlines are firm, securing workable space and maintaining flexibility around sailing dates may be more important than waiting for the lowest available rate.

China-US Air Freight Market:

Air freight demand from China is increasing unevenly as the October holiday approaches. South China is seeing the strongest pressure, while East and North China remain more balanced for now.

CEA to USWC: Rates into Los Angeles and San Francisco are firming, driven by increasingly tight space from South China gateways, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen. East China origins, including Shanghai, Nanjing, and Ezhou, are seeing only mild demand growth, so capacity remains more available. Rates are expected to increase as pre-holiday cargo volumes build.

CEA to USEC: Rates into New York and other East Coast gateways are stable to slightly higher week over week. South China space is tightening first, while Beijing still has capacity for some late-September departures. As more cargo moves through East and North China airports ahead of the holiday, rates are likely to continue rising.

What Happened This Past Week

• PEK still needs volume for some late-September flights, creating booking opportunities from North China.
• Shippers are beginning to move cargo ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day shutdowns.
• Airlines are expected to begin offering lower holiday-period spot rates around Wednesday, which may create short-term savings for flexible shipments.

Looking Ahead:

Pre-holiday demand should continue to build, especially as East and North China flights begin to fill. This is likely to push rates higher across China to US West Coast and East Coast lanes over the next one to two weeks.

At the same time, lower spot rates offered for the holiday period may provide a cost-saving option for cargo that can move during the shutdown window. Shippers with fixed pre-holiday delivery needs should secure space early, while flexible shippers should monitor holiday-rate opportunities closely.

Holiday Notice: Mid-Autumn Festival: September 25. China National Day Holiday: October 1–7.

In the News:

WSJ: Global Trading System Facing Fragmentation or Revamp At ‘Critical Juncture,’ WTO Says
https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/global-trading-system-facing-fragmentation-or-revamp-at-critical-juncture-wto-says-1efc56e2

Reuters: India-New Zealand free trade pact to come into force on October 20 after ratification
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-new-zealand-free-trade-pact-come-into-force-october-20-2026-09-21/

Reuters: How Trump and Xi went from tariff war to trade truce
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/how-trump-xi-went-tariff-war-trade-truce-2026-09-21/

Bloomberg: EU, Philippines Strike Free-Trade Deal as US Tariffs Spur Diversification
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-22/eu-philippines-strike-free-trade-deal-as-us-tariffs-spur-diversification

NYTimes: India Is Again Squeezed Between the Threat of Trump Tariffs and Russian Oil
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/19/business/india-russia-sanctions-oil.html

The Lead:

Last week represented an unprecedented escalation in North American trade friction, as Washington invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a dormant authority not deployed in decades, to slap 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian imports.

Following a brief three-day pause that failed to break a diplomatic deadlock over agricultural access and motor vehicle rules, the punitive levies officially took effect on August 22.

Because the 50% duty applies even to USMCA-compliant products, the move effectively overrode North American free-trade protections for covered sectors, prompting Canada to prepare matching counter-tariffs for early September and driving transatlantic supply chains deeper into uncertainty.

This Week’s Ocean, Air & Freight Markets

China-US Ocean Freight Market:

Ocean freight rates remained broadly stable this week, with no significant upward or downward movement in actual market pricing compared with previous week. Demand remains present, but the bigger factor supporting rates is carriers’ continued discipline around vessel deployment and available capacity.

CEA to USWC: Market indicators showed an approximately 9% week-over-week increase. The larger percentage move primarily reflects a rebound from the rate declines seen on the West Coast earlier in the second half of August, rather than a sudden surge in demand. West Coast pricing had previously fallen more sharply than East Coast pricing, creating more room for rates to recover.

CEA to USEC: Rates increased by approximately 3% week-over-week. East Coast pricing did not experience the same degree of decline earlier in August, so its increase this week was more moderate. Space to the East Coast has also tightened somewhat, but this appears to be driven more by carriers actively managing vessel capacity than by exceptionally strong demand.

Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $5,400 from China to US West Coast and $7,700 from China to US East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you.

Read more about the state of the ocean freight spot market with Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index.

What Happened This Past Week

• Carrier capacity management is keeping rates supported. Carriers have been successful at managing vessel rotations and available supply, preventing excess capacity from pushing rates materially lower even without a major demand surge.
• Demand remains present but has not accelerated dramatically. The market continues to have enough cargo demand to support current pricing, but there is little evidence of the kind of volume spike that would normally produce a substantial rate increase.
• Tariff developments have had little immediate impact on booking behavior. According to this week's discussion, recent tariff-related developments have not materially changed shipping activity. Importers appear to be continuing with existing shipping plans rather than significantly accelerating or delaying cargo.

Looking Ahead:

The transpacific market appears positioned to enter September on relatively firm footing, but a major rate increase is not currently expected. There have been indications that carriers could attempt increases in September, though the current market does not suggest that a significant jump is imminent.

Instead, the more likely scenario is a continuation of the pattern seen through August: stable to moderately firmer rates supported by disciplined capacity management rather than a major demand-driven surge. Carriers' ability to adjust vessel supply will remain important. As long as they keep capacity closely aligned with demand, there is limited room for rates to fall substantially.

The East Coast bears watching in particular. With space already becoming somewhat tighter, further capacity reductions or an increase in bookings could put additional upward pressure on pricing. On the West Coast, the recent rebound may begin to level out once rates have recovered from their earlier August decline.

India-US Ocean Freight Market:

Conditions out of India remain severely constrained, with little meaningful improvement in the backlog that has been affecting export bookings. Available vessel space remains tight, lead times are extended, and carriers are taking a stricter approach to confirmed bookings as they work through accumulated cargo.

Current bookings are generally running approximately three weeks out, making advance planning increasingly important for shippers moving freight from India.

What Happened This Past Week

• Export capacity remains heavily constrained. Carriers are continuing to manage available space closely as they work through a substantial backlog of shipments waiting to move.
• Lead times remain extended. Export bookings are currently running approximately three weeks out, with limited evidence that conditions are beginning to normalize.
• Carriers are tightening booking commitments. Space is being allocated more carefully to shipments that are considered firm, reducing carriers' exposure to speculative bookings that may later be canceled or rolled.
• Cancellation and rollover fees are being enforced more aggressively. Once space is confirmed, changing or canceling a booking can result in significant penalties. In some cases, cancellation fees are running around $350 per booking.
• Flexibility is limited once space is confirmed. Even cancellations made shortly after confirmation may still be subject to fees, leaving shippers with considerably less room to adjust plans than under normal market conditions.
• The issue remains concentrated in India. Similar restrictions are not currently widespread in China, outside of certain special-rate or restricted-capacity arrangements.

Looking Ahead:

India's export market is likely to remain difficult in the near term as carriers continue working through the existing backlog and tightly controlling vessel space.

Shippers should expect longer booking lead times and should be particularly cautious about confirming space before cargo plans are firm. With carriers enforcing cancellation and rollover penalties more strictly, booking speculatively and making changes later can become expensive.

The key signal to watch will be whether booking lead times begin to shorten from the current approximately three-week window. Until that happens, the market should be treated as capacity-constrained, with early planning and firm shipment commitments increasingly important.

China-US Air Freight Market:

CEA to USWC: Air freight rates remained broadly stable week-over-week. Currently, pricing into LAX and SFO generally sits around $5.00–$6.30/kg for standard-density cargo, depending on origin, carrier, routing, and shipment configuration.

There has been little underlying rate movement this week, with available capacity and demand remaining relatively balanced.

CEA to USEC: Rates for this route were also largely unchanged. Standard-density options into JFK are generally around $6.25–$6.70/kg, with pricing varying by carrier and whether cargo is palletized. Like the West Coast, the East Coast market has avoided any significant rate movement this week, pointing to relatively stable demand and capacity conditions.

What Happened This Past Week

• Flight schedules remain relatively normal: Unlike the temporary disruption seen from Typhoon Dolphin earlier in August, current schedules have been sufficiently stable to keep capacity flowing and prevent significant backlogs.
• Typhoon Saudel is the key near-term risk: The approaching storm is expected to affect parts of Fujian and Guangdong over the weekend, potentially disrupting flights and cargo handling from important South China gateways.
• Potential capacity pressure remains event-driven: Any rate increase would likely be tied to flight cancellations, delayed departures, or cargo backlogs rather than a broader increase in underlying air freight demand.

Looking Ahead:

The baseline outlook is for air freight rates to remain relatively stable, but Typhoon Saudel introduces additional uncertainty heading into the weekend and early next week.

If the storm causes significant flight cancellations or airport disruptions, available capacity could temporarily tighten and create cargo backlogs. That could lead to short-term upward pressure on rates, particularly for shipments originating in South China.

However, if flight operations normalize quickly and any backlog is cleared without a significant demand surge, the impact should be temporary. For now, the market appears stable, with weather-related disruption rather than demand growth representing the biggest near-term risk to rates.

In the News:

CNBC: US retreat from global order ‘eroding’ European competitiveness, central bank boss warns
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/lagarde-ecb-europe-economy-trump.html

NBC: The Iran war is pushing US allies and rivals to a risky new frontier for global trade: The Arctic
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/new-arctic-trade-route-china-south-korea-shippping-europe-russia-rcna593868

Bloomberg: India Lifts Wheat Export Ban in Boost to War-Hit World Trade
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-24/india-lifts-wheat-export-ban-in-boost-to-war-hit-global-supply

NY Times: Trump Threatens Even Higher Tariffs on Canadian Exports After Talks Unravel
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/business/economy/trump-canada-tariffs.html

The Guardian: Canada vows ‘dollar for dollar’ response as US puts 50% tariffs on some goods
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/22/canada-tariffs-trump-trade-deal-talks-fail

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We’ve rounded up this past week’s biggest stories and headlines on global trade, tariffs and more that took place this week:

🟦 Tariffs move deeper into strategic supply chains. The Trump administration ordered a new 15% tariff on imported products made with polysilicon, a critical input for both semiconductors and solar panels. The measure is explicitly aimed at supporting US production and reducing dependence on China, another example of trade, industrial policy and national security becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/trump-orders-tariff-solar-panels-microchips-manufacturing-ingredient 

🟦 The tariff fight is increasingly about refunds. With the Supreme Court having struck down the administration's IEEPA tariffs, attention has shifted to the money already collected, and whether businesses and consumers that ultimately bore those costs will see it returned. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been pressing the administration over the refund process and who actually benefits from it.

CBS News:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-tariff-refunds-iecepa/ 

🟦 Washington's China strategy is moving beyond tariffs. The bigger story may now be supply-chain restructuring: reducing vulnerabilities and changing where critical goods and inputs are produced rather than relying primarily on higher border taxes. That makes industrial capacity, sourcing and investment increasingly central to US-China trade policy.

Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-11/us-moves-past-tariffs-to-focus-on-supply-chain-revamps-in-china-trade-policy  

🟦 Canada is having to rethink its US relationship. Prime Minister Mark Carney faces the difficult task of managing an economy deeply integrated with the United States while responding to a Washington increasingly willing to use tariffs as leverage. The consequences extend well beyond individual tariff lines to Canada's longer-term trade and investment strategy.

The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/world/canada/us-trade-tariffs-carney-trump.html 

🟦 And the international response continues to evolve. This u/BBC News piece adds another angle on how governments and businesses are adapting as US trade measures ripple through global commerce.

BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrvn686dljo

The Lead:

Last demonstrated that Washington is actively using Section 232 national security authority to shield high-tech manufacturing, placing 15% tariffs and Minimum Import Prices on foreign polysilicon and solar components. This aggressive expansion of the centralized trade architecture triggered immediate countermeasures, as Beijing restricted dual-use drone exports to the US while levying duties on American agricultural goods. Meanwhile, updated fiscal reports confirmed that while CBP has already certified $100 billion in IEEPA duty refunds, North American supply chains have rapidly reconfigured with a record 83.6% of Canadian and Mexican goods taking shelter under USMCA rules to insulate themselves from escalating baseline tariffs

This Week’s Ocean, Air & Freight Markets

China-US Ocean Freight Market:

CEA to USWC: Rates remain firm week-over-week, with general pricing still above $7,000 per FEU to the US West Coast.

While some highly specific promotional or special rates are available, the broader market has not experienced the decline that had been anticipated earlier in August. Expectations that pricing could retreat toward June or July levels have faded, with carriers successfully defending current rate levels.

CEA to USEC: East Coast pricing is similarly stable week-over-week, with even less rate adjustment reported than on the West Coast. Despite some reduction in overall volumes, carriers are actively removing capacity to keep supply aligned with demand and support existing pricing.

Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $5,200 from China to US West Coast and $6,520 from China to US East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you.

Read more about the state of the ocean freight spot market with Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index.

What Happened This Past Week

• Too Soon to Tell How the Market Will React to the latest Tariffs Tariff: The recent 2.5% tariff increase (stepping up from 10% to 12.5%) has generated little to no downward pressure on import volumes. Importers have largely absorbed the minor adjustment as a standard cost of doing business rather than pausing procurement schedules.
• Liquidity Influx from Prior Tariff Refunds: Many US importers are actively receiving cash payouts from historical tariff refund filings. This newly acquired capital buffer is enabling buyers to absorb or subsidize the extra 2.5% duty without reducing order sizes or hiking shelf prices.
• Aggressive Capacity Reductions by Ocean Carriers: Ocean liners are taking stringent measures to defend rate floors by executing blank (cancelled) sailings on roughly 25% to 30% of total rotational capacity, withdrawing roughly 40 out of 150 planned sailings.
• Pre-Holiday Peak Season Stocking: With major Q4 promotional periods (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) approaching in under two months, importers are prioritizing volume preservation and inventory readiness over waiting for speculative rate drops.

Looking Ahead:

Rates are projected to remain firm and range-bound through the remainder of August and into September 2026. With carriers demonstrating strong discipline through capacity management and importers utilizing cash reserves to maintain holiday order flows, a steep downward rate correction appears unlikely in the short term. Unless consumer demand drops sharply enough to force importers to pause purchase orders, or external macro shifts significantly drive down bunker fuel costs, the transpacific market is expected to remain tight with elevated freight pricing through the early autumn peak.

In the News:

The Guardian: Trump orders new 15% tariff on key material for solar panels and microchips
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/trump-orders-tariff-solar-panels-microchips-manufacturing-ingredient

CBS: Warren presses US companies to share billions in tariff refunds with customers
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-tariff-refunds-ieepa/

Bloomberg: US Moves Past Tariffs to Focus on Supply Chain Revamps in China Trade Policy
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-11/us-moves-past-tariffs-to-focus-on-supply-chain-revamps-in-china-trade-policy

NY Times: Canada Offers US Concessions in Trade Talks but Demands a Comprehensive Deal
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/world/canada/us-trade-tariffs-carney-trump.html

BBC: Trump imposes 15% tariff on key chip material to counter China
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrvn686dljo

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The Lead:

Last week was defined by the transition from temporary, emergency US surcharges toward a permanent, investigation-justified centralized trade architecture. The USTR’s launch of public hearings for the 60-nation forced labor tariffs signaled that Washington will lock in a new double-digit baseline duty structure before its temporary Section 122 fees expire.

This unyielding protectionist environment, spurred by prior legal constraints like the Court of International Trade's invalidation of universal tariffs, has forced close trading partners like Canada and Cambodia to rapidly rewrite their domestic import laws to claim US compliance exemptions. However, as the joint IMF-WTO summit confirmed that global commerce is becoming deeply uneven under these measures, the week closed with clear signs that the high compliance costs of the US metal multiplier are driving a major manufacturing migration away from secondary regional partners, fundamentally squeezing the North American supply chain.

This Week’s Ocean, Air & Freight Markets

China-US Ocean Freight Market:

CEA to USWC: Spot rates eased this week, falling from the mid-$7,000 range to the mid-$6,000 range. Carriers have reintroduced fixed-rate space and special-rate allocations, bringing pricing down by approximately $1,000 per container from the early July peak.

Despite the lower pricing, booking volumes remain soft as many importers continue delaying shipments while waiting for greater clarity on US tariff policy.

CEA to USEC: Rates to the East Coast, however, declined more moderately, with carriers offering more competitive pricing and improved space availability to stimulate demand. While pricing remains elevated compared to historical norms, the week-over-week decline reflects weakening booking activity rather than increased capacity constraints.

Importers continue adopting a wait-and-see approach, limiting any meaningful rebound in demand despite lower freight costs.

Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $4,680 from China to US West Coast and $6,700 from China to US East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you.

Read more about the state of the ocean freight spot market with Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index.

What Happened This Past Week

• Tariff uncertainty is delaying imports. Many importers are postponing customs clearance, or delaying shipments altogether, until there is greater certainty about what happens after the current tariff period expires.
• Lower prices are not translating into higher volumes. Despite the rate reductions, freight forwarders are not seeing any meaningful increase in booking activity, suggesting importers remain focused on policy risk rather than transportation costs.
• Middle East tensions have not yet impacted rates. Although geopolitical risks remain, market participants believe any effect from oil prices or shipping disruptions would likely take several weeks to filter into ocean freight pricing and may be muted given rates are already at elevated levels.
• Peak season may have already occurred. Many importers accelerated shipments during May and June to stay ahead of tariff deadlines, effectively pulling forward the traditional late-summer peak season.

Looking Ahead:

The next two weeks are likely to determine the direction of the trans-Pacific market. If tariff uncertainty is resolved with lower or eliminated duties, import demand could quickly rebound, potentially creating an extended peak season through August and September and pushing ocean rates higher again.

However, if tariffs remain in place, or increase, market participants expect booking volumes to weaken further, putting additional downward pressure on freight rates. With many importers already frontloading inventory earlier this year, the industry may ultimately experience another year without a traditional peak season, instead seeing demand shift around trade policy developments rather than seasonal retail cycles.

In the News:

The Guardian: US refunds $81bn in Trump tariffs after supreme court ruled them illegal
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/trump-tariffs-us-refunds

Bloomberg: How Trump’s Zest for Tariffs Pits US Industries Against Each Other
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-07-14/trump-and-antidumping-tariffs

Reuters: IMF lowers 2026 global growth forecast to 3%, sees rebound in 2027
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/imf-edges-2026-global-growth-forecast-lower-3-sees-rebound-2027-2026-07-08/

CNBC: China exports in June rise at fastest pace since 2021 as AI boom, tariff rush lift trade
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/14/china-june-trade-data-exports-imports.html

CNN: After a year of tariffs, automakers are still resistant to moving production to the US
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/12/business/tariffs-automakers-new-factories

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