New Zealand
AIR
IMPORT
- Air NZ and Menzies remain operational, however peak-period congestion may cause delays.
- Busiest periods continue to be Mondays all day, and mid-morning to early afternoon during the week.
- Customers should expect slower cargo availability during the Christmas–New Year period.
EXPORT
- Export operations at Air NZ and Menzies remain fully functional, with no major service issues reported.
LANDSIDE & CUSTOMS
- Port of Auckland VBS Increase 1st January 2026. Fees for on Peak Bookings are set to increase by 38%. Fees for Off Peak Bookings will increase by 53%.
- Qube Container Depots – Qube has announced there will be a VBS increase at their Container Depots effective 1st February. More detail on this next month.
- Christmas and New Year Transport – If your site is closing for a break, check that you have a plan in place for any containers or freight you have arriving between now and then. Storage charges continue to apply at freight depots and ports. Container detention doesn’t take holidays so free time still runs out and charges apply. Get in touch with your Oceanbridge CS rep to discuss your requirements.
- KiwiRail:
This summer KiwiRail are delivering the last big push on the Rail Network Rebuild (RNR) and other critical City Rail Link (CRL) preparations.
The Auckland rail network will close from 27 December to 26 January 2026. There will also be a Block of Line (BOL) happening in Wellington over the same time. Please find an overview of the closures and their impacts on services below.
Overview:
- The Auckland BOL runs for four weeks through December and January. It starts at 6.00am on Saturday 27 December and runs through until 6.00pm on Sunday 18 January (including the statutory holidays Thursday 1 January and Friday 2 January.)
- There is a concurrent full BOL between Wellington and Palmerston North from 6.00am on Saturday 27 December until 7.00pm Monday 5 January. No freight will move over that corridor during this period. Note – The rail corridor will be open between Hamilton and Palmerston North.
- A partial BOL will be in place between Wellington and Palmerston North between 5.00am and 7.00pm each day from Tuesday 6 January until Sunday 11 January. Freight will run on this corridor each night between 7.00pm and 5.00am only. There are reduced services to accommodate the partial block.
- The majority of customer sidings in Auckland will be inaccessible between 6.00am Saturday 27 December and 6.00pm Sunday 11 January.
- Customer sidings will be accessible in Auckland from 6.00pm Sun 11 Jan – excluding Coca-Cola and Owens sidings. All sidings will be open from 6.00pm Sun 18 Jan.
- Services to and from Auckland Port will resume from 6.00pm Sunday 18 Jan.
- Services to and from Whangārei will resume from 12.00pm Mon 26 Jan.
- A road-bridging operation will operate between Southdown CT site and Hamilton. Domestic freight will be split between our Crawford St and Frankton CT sites.
- Freight cut-off times will change for the three main weeks of closure due to different services running each week. See the table below for more info and please contact our Customer Delivery team on 0800 351 351 with any questions.
- For our import/export (IMEX) customers, the line from Hamilton to Tauranga is still open and accessible for freight travelling to the Port.
Australia
LANDSIDE & CUSTOMS
- Reefer (Refrigerated) container stock is becoming low in Australia. Carriers are now looking to reposition Reefer containers back into Australia to meet the export demand for the upcoming summer months. They are offering reduced rates and priority shipping for Non-Operating Refrigerated containers (NOR’s). Please speak to your Customer Service Rep for pricing options and if your cargo is suitable.
- It will reportedly be a bumper grain crop this season, which means that 20’ containers will be in short supply for exports across Australia. Please speak to your Customer Services rep about options (including large LCL shipments, shipping in NOR’s or 40’ containers).
- In addition to Stevedore Fee increases, Empty Container Parks will be increasing their cost for dehire and collection of empty containers effective 1st January 2026.
- The new Melbourne Westgate Tunnel Project is now complete effective 14th December, and trucks are required to use this tunnel to gain access into and out of the Port of Melbourne. The new access route reduces congestion and removes trucks off residential streets, however impacts importers and exporters with the introduction of new toll road costs.
- The Fremantle Traffic Bridge will close on the 1st February 2026 and will remain closed for up to 12 months to allow completion of the new replacement bridge. Although the state government has announced a suite of mitigation measures, truck congestion across the port precinct is still expected to increase. Please be aware and plan for additional travel time and waiting time costs from carriers.
- BMSB Update: DAFF has released updated guidelines for New, Unused and not Field-Tested (NUFT) declarations, Break-Bulk Requirements, mixed goods risks, and the end of the 120-hour post-treatment window for goods treated after 1st December 2025:
NUFT Goods:
Goods may use a NUFT declaration (and avoid mandatory treatment) where:
Goods may use a NUFT declaration (and avoid mandatory treatment) where:
- Manufacture starts on or after 1 December;
- Goods fall under tariff chapters 82, 84–89;
A compliant NUFT declaration confirms the goods are “new, unused and not field tested” and includes the manufacture
start date.
NUFT applies to sealed containers, break bulk, and LCL/FAK. Incorrect or incomplete declarations may result in onshore treatment (where allowed) or export.
Break Bulk, Open Tops & Flat Racks:
Target high-risk break bulk must be treated offshore. Untreated goods discharged in Australia will be directed for export, with no onshore treatment options. If identified prior to discharge, cargo will be held onboard for export.
Mixed Goods Consignments:
Containers with any target high-risk promotional or gift items (common during the festive season) will trigger full BMSB measures. Deconsolidation before treatment is not permitted; if the container cannot be treated, it will be exported.
120-Hour Post-Treatment Window:
The 120-hour export/sealing window remains only for goods treated before 1 December.
It does not apply to goods treated on or after 1 December or to treatments in non-risk countries.
Asia
AIR
IMPORT
- Capacity remains tight across most Asian origins, driven by sustained airfreight demand, ongoing ocean delays, and continued sea-to-air conversion — particularly ex-China, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong.
- Peak-season load factors are now in full effect, with airlines prioritising premium, express and higher-yield cargo.
- Spot rates remain volatile, with week-to-week movement depending on uplift availability and airline payload management.
- Transit times from secondary hubs may extend, and standard consolidations are more exposed to offloads during peak departures.
- Weight, density and oversize restrictions continue to apply across several carriers as aircraft payloads are optimised.
- Pre-Christmas airline cancellations and embargoes are being implemented on select services, particularly in the final 7–10 days before Christmas.
- Last uplift before Christmas is carrier-specific — freight tendered late risks rolling into January.
EXPORT
- Capacity remains generally strong into key gateways (SIN, HKG, ICN, KUL, PVG).
- Seasonal congestion is being experienced at HKG and PVG, which may cause short transit delays.
- Rates remain stable with occasional peak or spot surcharges.
- Dense, oversize and DG cargo may require extended lead times.
OCEAN
IMPORT
- Most countries in Asia are open through the Christmas period, so everything operates as usual through that period, with offices only closing a day or two over the (calendar) New Year period.
- Most Chinese suppliers have one eye on the Lunar New Year holidays from 17 February. We will likely see pressure coming on space again from mid-January.
- 2026 is shaping up to be a stronger year, economically, which may put more pressure on space from Asia, as demand grows. At this point the shipping lines have all indicated there will be no consistent additional capacity or services added to the market. We would encourage all importers to consider this when planning for 2026, as it could lead to an extended/sharper peak season.
EXPORT
- Some Carriers are still experiencing transhipment delays in Singapore.
- Space has eased but vessels are often still fully booked 2+ weeks in advance, we encourage you to make bookings in advance where possible.
Trans-Tasman
AIR
IMPORT
- Consols are generally moving as booked, with stable capacity ex SYD, MEL, BNE and PER.
- Minor delays may occur around weekend cut-offs and peak SYD–AKL departure windows.
- Holiday-period congestion and reduced staffing are expected from mid-December through early January.
- Rates remain steady, with only minor fuel or terminal charge adjustments anticipated.
- Higher load factors into AKL and CHC mean last-minute space is increasingly limited.
- Airlines continue to prioritise express and time-critical cargo, increasing the risk of standard consol rollovers during peak weeks.
- Best practice: Book early, confirm final uplift dates, and ensure accurate weights, dimensions and commodity details.
EXPORT
- Consols ex AKL/CHC are generally moving as booked with solid uplift.
- Some capacity tightening expected in the final pre-Christmas window.
- Rates remain stable.
OCEAN
IMPORT
- 20’ containers are still in short supply across Australia. Please speak with your Customer Services Representative for options.
EXPORT
- All NZ export services have immediate availability.
Europe
AIR
IMPORT
- Strong demand and constrained capacity into Auckland continue across the UK/EU–NZ tradelane, especially ex LHR, FRA, AMS and CDG.
- Space remains limited, with airlines selectively reducing allocations or prioritising high-yield cargo during peak weeks.
- Transit delays of 1–3 days may occur as carriers adjust routings or manage congestion through Asia and the Middle East.
- China-routed and Asia-tranship consolidations continue to experience backlogs and extended transit times.
- DG, oversize, loose-loaded and special-handling cargo are facing longer acceptance and approval windows.
- Operational pressure across Middle East and Asian hubs may impact planned ETDs/ETAs.
- Early bookings and flexible routings (via MEL / SYD / CHC) remain strongly recommended.
- Rates may adjust weekly based on capacity, fuel, and tranship congestion.
- Limited uplift and cancellations expected from mid-December through early January.
EXPORT
- Consols are moving as booked via key tranship hubs (SIN, HKG, BKK, DXB).
- Transit times remain generally consistent, though congestion through Asia/ME hubs may cause minor delays.
- Rates remain stable.
- High-volume periods may impact connection priority for standard General cargo.
OCEAN
- Red Sea is still at risk of attacks by Houthi rebels. Maersk and CMA have not announced any return to the Suez Canal for NZ services, and continue to sail around the Cape of Good Hope. We may get some information on the return to Suez after Chinese new year.
IMPORT
- Our LCL service from Germany, Belgium and Netherlands will return to via Panama routing in January which will improve the transit time by 2 weeks.
- We have seen increased customs inspections from European ports particularly on cargo with any military connection.
- BMSB season has started again on September 1st 2025 and will run to April 30th 2026. Procedures are mostly the same as last season.
- Vessels are off window arriving into Europe from the Cape of Good Hope. On time arrivals are as low as 21%. This is causing the weekly schedules to be disrupted.
EXPORT
- Due to increased imports from China to the Middle East many carriers are experiencing heavy demand and space has tightened.
- Vessels are strongly booked; we encourage making bookings 3 weeks in advance.
- European ports congestion has eased slightly.
North America
AIR
IMPORT
- Rates remain generally stable, though spot pricing may apply for urgent or late bookings.
- Peak-season congestion is impacting several gateways, particularly LAX, where consol delays of up to 5–7 days can occur.
- Capacity into AKL is relatively stable, supported by seasonal services, though most flights are operating near full load.
- Late bookings remain at high risk of rolling, particularly for standard consol freight.
- Increased TSA and export screening activity continues, causing occasional processing delays — especially for electronics, DG, automotive parts and high-value goods.
- Weather-related disruptions are increasingly likely heading into the US winter period (Dec–Feb), impacting LAX, ORD and JFK.
- Direct services are performing more reliably than tranship routings, which may face additional handling delays during peak.
EXPORT
- Consols ex-NZ are moving as booked, with adequate uplift on most carriers.
- Direct NZ–USA services remain the most reliable option.
- Transhipments within the US may experience extended transit windows due to seasonal congestion and winter weather.
OCEAN
- Vancouver – no berthing delays. Import rail dwell average has reduced to 2.8 days.
- Panama Canal services for ANP/OC1 service – Space is readily accessible, we do encourage that bookings are placed in 2+ weeks in advance of departure.
- US Terminal Operations:
New York – no berthing delays. Import rail dwell time has reduced to 0.5 days.
Norfolk – berthing delays of 21 hours, import dwell time has increased to 2.97 days.
Charleston – no berthing delays, import dwell has increased to 5.8 days.
Savannah – average wait time for a berth has decreased to 1.7 days, Import dwell time has increased to 5.6 days,
rail dwell time is 1.3 days.
rail dwell time is 1.3 days.
Houston – no waiting time for a berth. Import dwell time is 3.7 days.
Oakland – no berthing delays, however 1 crane remains out of service. Average import delivery timeframe is
running at 4 days.
running at 4 days.
Seattle – no berthing delays. Rail import dwell time remains at 3 days.
Long Beach – Congestion on port has not improved with delays of 4-8 days.
IMPORT
- The introduction of the Eagle Service will be from Sydney on the Northbound legs in mid-February, with the first Southbound voyages not occurring until mid-late March (arriving in NZ in April).
- No major issues or challenges from the USA or Canada at this point.
EXPORT
- MSC’s Eagle service commences in February with the first vessel, Etoile, departing Wellington February 16th and Tauranga February 18th.
- West Coast North America – the direct service to West Coast of the US & Canada is seeing a drop off in demand, the Vancouver calling vessels remain at capacity. There is a blank sailing in week 5, after the departure of the Mate 602N (Jan 22) the next departure for Seattle is not until Feb 12th.
