Weekly Freight Report: October 16, 2026
Global ocean on-time performance has fallen four months in a row, and containers headed for North America are now arriving almost a week late while carriers pull more October capacity. Meanwhile CBP wants low-value imports filed before they land, container ships are being hit in Hormuz, and late AI shipments are competing for peak air space. Here is what you need to know.
Shippers Wait an Extra Week for US-Bound Containers as Ocean On-Time Performance Falls to 27%
Global ocean on-time performance fell to 27% in September, its fourth straight monthly decline, and the average vessel delay is now six days, according to Xeneta. Asia to North America ran 20% on time with a 6.9-day average delay, and carriers have announced blank sailings on at least 13% of Far East to North America capacity for October. Add lead time to October bookings and ask your carrier which services are protected from the cuts.
CBP Proposes Filing Low-Value Imports Before Arrival and a New Entry Type for Mail
CBP published a proposal on October 8 that would require entry type 11 filings for shipments valued at $2,500 or less to be submitted on or before arrival instead of within 15 days. A CBP sample found more than half of those entries would have missed the earlier deadline. A new entry type 13 for international mail would add the sender and tracking number as required data. Comments are due December 7, so check how fast your broker can file.
Container Ships Are Now Being Hit in Hormuz as One Sinks and Hundreds Wait at Anchor
Attacks around the Strait of Hormuz have spread to container ships. Eight projectile attacks on October 11 and 13 hit four tankers and four containerships, and the GFS Pride caught fire and sank on October 14 with all 21 crew evacuated. More than 400 ships are waiting at anchor off Fujairah, Dubai and Sohar, and transits are running about 30 a day against 138 before the war. If you have Gulf cargo, ask your carrier whether it is moving or holding.
AI Hardware Shippers Still Booking Peak Air Capacity Could Squeeze Everyone Else
Some AI hyperscalers have not yet booked peak-season air capacity, while ecommerce and other large shippers already have, according to TAC Index sources. US air imports by weight set another record in August, up 20% year over year, with computer parts including GPUs adding 12,932 tonnes. Jet fuel is up 111% year over year and fuel surcharges reset in late October. If your Q4 air freight is not booked, lock in space now before late AI demand takes it.
Panama Canal Limits Push Cargo to Los Angeles, Which Just Had Its Busiest Month Ever
The Port of Los Angeles handled 1.04 million TEU in September, the busiest month in its 118-year history, with loaded imports up 19% year over year. Executive director Gene Seroka said shippers in Korea and Singapore are moving allocations that normally go through the Panama and Suez canals to Los Angeles. Panama cut Neopanamax slots to nine in September and only raised them to 10 on October 9. Expect busy LA terminals and rail through an early Lunar New Year.
FMC Proposes $200,000 Per-Voyage Fees on Spanish-Flagged Ships and Import Limits on $3.1B of Goods
The Federal Maritime Commission proposed a $200,000 fee each time a Spanish-flagged vessel enters a US port, after finding that Spain denied port access to US-flagged ships carrying military cargo bound for Israel. The proposal also allows import restrictions on five categories of Spanish goods worth about $3.1 billion, including oils and fats, cosmetics and ceramics. The measures are not final, and comments run 60 days from October 15. If you import Spanish goods in those categories, watch the docket.
Mexico Driver Shortages and Visa Withdrawals Keep Cross-Border Capacity Tight Into 2027
Cross-border truck capacity is expected to stay constrained into 2027, according to TRAFFIX, after US authorities withdrew visas from about 25,000 Mexican freight drivers. Laredo outbound tender volume rose from 39.95 in mid-September to 51.95 on October 11 and the rejection index turned positive, both signs of tightening. Carriers are also handing back contracted freight that no longer covers their costs. Lock in cross-border carrier commitments for Q4 now and build buffer time into Laredo moves.
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