Date: 21st May 2026

Australia | Asia | Trans-Tasman | Europe | North America

New Zealand

AIR

IMPORT

• Major terminals (Air New Zealand, Swissport, Menzies) are operating normally nationwide.

EXPORT

• Major terminals (Air New Zealand, Swissport, Menzies) are operating normally nationwide.
• Capacity from Sydney remains very limited, with booking confirmation delays of up to 5 days, however our consol services continue to move as scheduled.
• Melbourne and Brisbane are operating as usual with minimal delays.

LANDSIDE & CUSTOMS

• New Zealand Exports – Due to the conflict in Iran and the resulting increase in fuel costs, delivery rates for DAP & DDP shipments will increase for shipments booked and in transit. Should your shipment be affected we will be in contact once costs are known. Weather is disrupting services resulting in equipment shortages.
• KiwiRail Block of Line Kings Birthday Weekend. This will cause a backlog with the Tauranga to Metroport movements as there is no road-bridging planned.
• Interislander Ferry Maintenance Schedule – From June to September 2026, Interislander will be operating a temporary one ship timetable while Kaiārahi undergoes wet dock maintenance (Mon 22 June – Monday 13 July) followed by Kaitaki entering dry dock (Saturday 18 July – Saturday 26 September).
• Port of Auckland VBS increase 1st July – Port of Auckland is applying another 28% increase to the Fergusson Container Terminal daytime VBS prices from 1st July.
• Over the last few weeks, we have seen a number of changes regarding customs restrictions and requirements. Changes are coming to the importation of Nitrous Oxide (NSO) and we also see changes to a Customs forms. In the coming months we will also see the introduction of the free trade agreement with India once it has passed through both Parliaments. If you have any questions on the changes, please reach our to any of the customs Team.

Australia

LANDSIDE & CUSTOMS

• The Far North Queensland Rail Corridor has a scheduled network closure in place from Sunday 17th May through to Sunday 31st May. This closure is required for essential maintenance and repair works across the FNQ network.
• The Federal Government delivered their 2026-2027 budget on the 12th May with inclusions for investment to expand the Australian Trusted Trader (ATT) program through an establishment of an Approved Exporter Scheme, expecting to remove requirements for Certificates of Origin to access tariff reductions across certain Free Trade Agreements, including the AU-NZ FTA & the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• Also included was additional staffing for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to support delivery of cost-recovered biosecurity functions at Australian borders including additional biosecurity officers at airports and seaports.
• BMSB Season concludes on the 1st May 2026, however please note that BMSB measures apply to anything shipped between 1st September to the 30th April inclusive.
• DAFF has published 3 new instructional fact sheets to help treatment providers meet documentation requirements for methyl bromide fumigations. The fact sheets provide step-by-step guidance on how to correctly complete the required forms, reducing the risk of processing delayed or refused biosecurity clearances caused by administration errors. The newly published resources can be found here: Methodologies and documents for biosecurity treatments – DAFF
• As Australia enters peak reefer season, exporters of hay, grain, and other perishables continue to face container shortages across multiple shipping lines. Demand remains particularly high for 20GP, 20RF, 20FQ, and 40RF units, creating ongoing pressure on supply chains for temperature-sensitive and bulk agricultural shipments.
• The Federal Government has announced a Trade Resilience Service (TRS) to support Australian exporters facing significant shipping and cargo disruptions resulting from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The service will operate for 12 months commencing on the 15th April. Website link here: https://www.austrade.gov.au/en/how-wecan-help-you/programs-and-services/trade-resilience-service
• Carriers are introducing fuel levies to ancillary charges and waterways such as final truck deliveries, rail, and between Melbourne and Tasmania due to the escalating fuel crisis.

Asia

AIR

IMPORT

• Capacity remains tight across all of Asia including China. Generally, New Zealand import bookings need to be made around 5 to 7 days before departure to secure space.
• Capacity is tightening across SYD, MEL, and BNE but expected to stabilise over the coming weeks. Minor delays may occur.
• Rates have stabilised overall for Australian imports, with spot pricing still available for urgent or oversized shipments.

EXPORT

• For New Zealand exports; Consols are moving as booked with capacity available on most carriers. Rates have increased and fuel surcharges have been added.
• Australian export rates are showing slight upward pressure across key lanes into China and North Asia.
• Early bookings are strongly recommended for Australian exports, particularly for dense or oversized cargo.

OCEAN

IMPORT

• Cargo volumes from North Asia to Australia have picked up and space has tightened due to carriers blank sailing programmes which has tightened supply. Several ports in China are experiencing container shortages due to the vessel blanking and a reduction of container supply from imports into China. With demand for imports increasing and higher operational costs, carriers are seeking to increase their rates with Rate Restoration notices.
• MSC’s withdrawal of the Wallaby from NZ (effectively meaning there is no option with MSC from Asia to New Zealand) has been felt almost immediately with most remaining services now under pressure and many are rolling cargo with a sudden influx of bookings.
• Empty container availability has become a little more constrained, especially from North China, with some shipping lines running low on 40’ dry equipment.
• Congestion in Singapore and Malaysian transship ports continues to build and we are seeing cargo rolling at least a week for anything connecting there.
• We recommend forecasting 3-4 weeks in advance to allow the best chance of booking on your preferred sailing.
  Please also notify our Customer Service team of any urgent orders so we can recommend the most reliable & cost-effective solution to meet your required delivery date.

EXPORT

• Some Carriers are still experiencing transhipment delays in Singapore.
• Space is tight, particularly for North Asia. Please place your bookings a minimum of 4 weeks in advance of the desired shipment date. Reefer space and equipment is in high demand.

MIDDLE EAST:
Some Carriers are offering services to Khor Fakkan and Al Fujairah in the UAE. Alternative services to Aqaba, Jeddah and King Abdullah entering the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea are available.

Trans-Tasman

AIR

IMPORT

• Major terminals including Qantas Freight, Dnata, Swissport, and Menzies Aviation are operating as normal.
• New Zealand Imports – Blocked space consols having some uplift issues, additional space remains hard to get as airlines are downgrading aircraft from wide body to narrow body.

EXPORT

• Export terminals across Australia are operating normally.
• No major delays reported for Australian exports.
• New Zealand export consols are moving as booked. There is some disruption due to aircraft changes but overall most shipments moving well.

OCEAN

IMPORT

• As 20’ equipment shortages continue we are seeing a shift towards LCL (less container load) as the next best alternative transport mode. Delays can occur as we wait for shipping lines to find and make boxes available.
  Based on current market rates, any consignments 17 CBM or less can be on parr with an FCL (Full container load) shipment. At face value the cost per CBM as LCL is higher but savings in trucking (origin and destination), devan time and labour as well the complete removal of detention risk needs to be considered. While FCL pricing is subject to change and can impact this FCL vs LCL ratio over time, the lack of 20’ equipment supply in Australia will be ongoing.
• As the EOFY year draws closer, there is a traditional spike in demand on the Trans-Tasman trade. We suggest booking as far in advance as you can or even better, consider shipping a week earlier than you might normally. We can offer slow boats for ‘water warehousing’ if timing and early delivery doesn’t suit your consignees.
• We have observed increases of DG shipments in this tradelane, a number of which are related to lithium batteries for electric vehicles and devices. Given the process of approval of DG with shipping lines is quite involved, we would encourage clients to submit required documents as soon as possible. A check and then recheck on all mandatory paperwork helps facilitate us in achieving fast approval. If you are unsure on requirements or have questions, please contact our team as soon as possible prior to our Haz docs cut offs on Fridays for Sydney and Melbourne consols and Wednesday for Brisbane consols.

EXPORT

• Auckland and Tauranga have good capacity; space is tight from most other load ports.

Europe

AIR

IMPORT

• Capacity remains stretched via all routes for New Zealand imports, with delays occurring in the Middle east, Asia and USA. This is expected to continue for the next couple of months.
• Capacity is tightening for Australian imports, with some direct services experiencing delays of 24–48 hours.
• Australian import rates are beginning to stabilise, with spot options available for urgent or oversized freight.
• Backhaul demand into Australia remains steady.

EXPORT

• New Zealand Exports – Emirates are now starting to fill up quickly and bookings could take a week to get confirmed, they are still committed to two freighters per week. Other carriers continue to struggle with limited capacity via the USA and Asia.
• Australian export capacity remains tight via Asia and the Middle East, however expected to get better in coming weeks.
• Australian export rates are beginning to stabilise after recent increases, although booking lead times of up to one to two weeks may still apply on some services.

OCEAN

IMPORT

• Most services are open for bookings; however some lines have introduced Emergency Fuel Surcharges due to rapidly rising oil prices.
• BMSB season has now ended.
• CMA CGM and Maersk are continuing to sail via Cape of Good Hope. There is potential for congestion to build up in Asia at the transshipment ports.
• We have seen increased customs inspections from European ports particularly on cargo with any military connection.

EXPORT

• Due to peak season, space has tightened on all European services. Please endeavour to place your bookings 4+ weeks in advance.
• European port congestion has eased across major container terminals.

North America

AIR

IMPORT

• New Zealand import consols are now generally moving as booked, there are some delays but nothing more than 48 hours. Larger shipments are taking longer to get bookings but are getting away. There have been issues with local truckers not meeting cut off times for consols leading to delays at origin.
• Market conditions remain stable overall for Australian imports.
• Rates continue to fluctuate week to week depending on carrier and routing, however average market levels remain largely unchanged.

EXPORT

• Capacity remains full for New Zealand exports. Expect around a week to 10 days to get a booking across all carriers, this is both the East and West Coast. Delta Airlines have their last direct flight this week and will resume services again in September, they are offering services via Sydney and Honolulu.
• Uplift availability remains strong across most carriers for Australian exports.
• Rates remain relatively stable overall, although minor fluctuations are being seen across selected services and routings.

OCEAN

• Vancouver terminal utilization has decreased to 80%, there are no berthing delays. The average import rail dwell time has decreased 2.5 days.
• US Terminal Operations:

New York – minimal berthing delays.Norfolk – berthing delays of up to 3 hours, import dwell time remains at 2.7 days.Charleston – berthing delays of up to 3 hours, import dwell remains at 4.9 days.Savannah – average wait time for a berth has reduced to 3 hours, import dwell time has reduced to 3.7 days, rail dwell time remains at 0.7 days.Houston – no waiting time for a berth. Import dwell time has decreased to 4.6 days.Oakland – no berthing delays. Average import delivery timeframe increased to 4.9 days.Seattle – no berthing delays. Rail import dwell time remains at 3 days.Long Beach – congestion on port is 5.5 days.

IMPORT

• There are some minor schedule challenges, with a blank sailing from the West Coast during mid-late June.
• In Los Angeles there will be a terminal change for the West Coast – Oceania service from Long Beach to Los Angeles terminal in mid-June (Seaspan Hamburg 623S). This shouldn’t have any major impacts on the service though worth noting for anything where shippers are in control of cartage.

EXPORT

• West Coast North America – demand has increased for direct service to West Coast of the US & Canada, the Vancouver calling vessels are heavily booked to late June. There is a blank sailing in Week 21, effectively there is a 3-week gap between Vancouver departures.
• US East Coast space is tightening; we do encourage that bookings are placed in 3+ weeks in advance of departure.
• US Tariffs:

Section 122 tariffs imposed after the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs will automatically expire on July 24, 2026.Three Scenarios for What Comes Next:Scenario 1: Section 122 Expires
If Congress does not act and no replacement tariffs are ready, the 15% surcharge simply disappears. For most countries (excluding China and Section 232 products), this means a dramatic reduction in tariff rates.Scenario 2: Expanded Section 301 Replaces Section 122
The administration launched Section 301 investigations in March 2026 targeting 16 economies for “excess manufacturing capacity.” These investigations could result in targeted tariffs on specific countries and products; essentially a more surgical version of Section 122.
This is the most likely replacement mechanism. Expect country-specific rates rather than one flat rate.Scenario 3: Congress Acts to Extend Tariffs
Congress could pass legislation granting broader tariff authority or explicitly extending the Section 122 surcharges. Several bills have been introduced, but none have advanced significantly.We will keep you informed of developments.

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