Posted on September 14, 2026
By Florencia Serra
Transatlantic update: European import demand into North America continues to hold up, please book at least three weeks ahead to secure space or consider our SPOT product to secure your space online. We’re experiencing bottlenecks in select services due to draft restrictions in Salerno, while on the landside we have some truck power constraints in the Netherlands. Capacity is opening up on our North Europe and Mediterranean trades into the U.S., though northern European ports are still recovering from a recent labor disruption and space into the U.S. Gulf and West Coasts remain tight.
On our Europe to Canada trade, capacity varies by specific routes/destination due to, for instance, low water in rivers or connected services so please liaise with your Maersk representative about the most suitable/available routing options.
Transpacific update: Transpacific imports remain strong despite the typhoon season across Asia which has built up shipment backlogs and likely will take several weeks to clear. A resilient retail peak season plus rising demand for AI data center and power generation equipment is driving elevated volumes. Gemini Cooperation’s schedule reliability came in at 95.7% into the North America West Coast and 93.5% into the North America East Coast in the latest Sea-Intelligence report, well above industry averages of 69.7% and 71.5%. Gemini has scheduled two Transpacific blank sailings around Golden Week on the TP8 and TP12 services, see our customer advisory for details.
India, Middle East and Africa update: Demand into North America remains strong while capacity stays limited, so book at least six weeks ahead, with space expected to be especially tight through September. Our direct service into Canada is also constrained by low water levels, and our ocean plus inland option via the U.S. remains constrained through the same period. As we previously shared, our MECL service has resumed transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Suez Canal, cutting transit times by eight days.
Within Africa, West Africa foodstuff and cut flower flows remain steady, East Africa apparel and textile volumes are strong into both U.S. coasts, and South Africa’s citrus season is driving strong reefer demand into the U.S. and Canada. Space is tight across the board, so book early, and if you have urgent cargo, talk to your Maersk representative about options to secure priority space.
Intra-Americas: Starting the week of September 7, we’re adjusting our Intra West Coast network to offer shorter, more direct routings. A new West Coast Shuttle will connect Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas to Balboa and Posorja. On our WCCA2 service, Corinto is coming out of the rotation while Puerto Quetzal stays in. On WCCA1, Puerto Quetzal is coming out while Corinto and Acajutla are added as northbound and southbound calls. If you route cargo through any of these ports, check with your Maersk representative to confirm how the change affects your routing and transit times.
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Less than Container Load (LCL) Update
LCL keeps proving useful when full-container space is tight or expensive, letting you ship smaller, more frequent volumes without waiting to fill a container, which protects cash flow and keeps your inventory agile. We continue to grow our consolidation network and expand express container handling and domestic connections, so you can track your freight’s status at each step. When goods need to move quickly, LCL also offers a lower-cost alternative to air freight for shipments that don’t require air speed. We expect LCL demand to stay strong into the fall, as e-commerce growth and sourcing diversification keep demand for predictable, visible transport high.
Air Freight Update
North America’s airfreight market is growing, but capacity is tightening underneath that growth. IATA’s July 2026 data shows North America posted the strongest demand growth of any region, up 4.8% year over year, while capacity fell 1.5% and load factors rose to 41.2%. Strong demand for AI infrastructure, semiconductors, electronics, and other time-sensitive technology products is driving much of that pressure at selected origins across Asia, even as capacity stays available on most other international corridors. The security situation tied to the Middle East has eased since earlier this year, but Gulf routings, fuel costs, and airspace conditions still carry the potential for short notice change, particularly for cargo moving from India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Tariff uncertainty is also shifting when and where companies ship into the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We monitor capacity at the origin and gateway level, work directly with airline partners, and line up alternative carriers, hubs, and routings when direct space runs short; we also help with customs classification, origin validation, and duty-impact assessments before cargo leaves the ground. For your own planning, share forecasts early, book space ahead of time for Asian origins, and keep your routing and gateway options flexible. Confirm customs documentation before shipment, and separate critical cargo from non-critical cargo so you reserve premium airfreight space for shipments where speed actually matters. Demand should stay positive through the rest of the year, though unevenly, with technology cargo continuing to drive North American imports. Watch for added pressure during the Q4 peak and treat Middle East-related developments and tariff policy as the two areas most likely to bring short-notice change.
Customs Update
USA and Canada: New tariffs took effect on a broad range of U.S.-Canada trade in late August 2026, adding to tariffs already in place since 2025 on steel, aluminum, automobiles, copper, and lumber. The U.S. applied a 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods effective August 22, and Canada introduced counter-tariffs of 15%, 25%, and 50% on select U.S.-origin goods, including steel and aluminum, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, plastics, and electronics, effective September 8. Even USMCA-originating goods aren’t fully insulated, since tariffs can apply to the non-U.S. content within otherwise qualifying products. For Canadian importers, what matters is whether goods are U.S.-origin and whether their classification falls on the affected list, not simply whether they moved through the U.S. Confirm your HTS classifications and origin documentation now rather than relying on how a product was treated a few months ago, and watch shipments moving around September 8 closely, since qualifying U.S.-origin goods already in transit may get transitional treatment. Our customs team can help verify how these changes apply to your products.
Mexico’s role in North American manufacturing keeps expanding as companies reduce reliance on Asia and build production closer to home, particularly in semiconductors, electronics, EVs, medical devices, critical minerals, and other advanced manufacturing. The ongoing USMCA review process is part of that shift, keeping the regulatory relationship between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada in focus as companies plan long-term investment.
Separately, Mexico and the EU signed a trade agreement in May 2026 that will eliminate tariffs on 99% of goods traded between them once fully in force. The EU has completed its side with approval in July, and Mexico’s Senate ratification is the one step still outstanding, with Mexican officials pointing to entry into force by the end of 2026. For you, it’s worth reassessing your Mexico sourcing and production footprint now, both for the nearshoring opportunity and for new compliance requirements tied to rules of origin and certification. Our trade compliance team can help you understand how these changes apply to your supply chain.
Tariff and trade rules have shifted often this year across all three of these markets, so treat this as an ongoing check-in rather than a one-time review. Our Trade and Tariff Studio uses AI to help with HTS classification, landed-cost modeling, and real-time tariff monitoring across changes like these. Book a demo with our experts to see it in action.
