Zencargo Market Update: 28 July 2026

Ocean

• Demand remains healthy but has softened over the last couple of weeks, prompting carriers to adjust FAK rates accordingly.
• August freight rates are not yet fully settled. Final indications are expected later this week.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) remain  in place, driven by the considerable gap that still exists between long-term contract levels and current FAK rates.
• Overall  space remains tight heading into August.
• Capacity on Named Accounts (NAC) and long-term (LT) contracts remains strictly controlled and fully booked.
• FAK space is currently full 2 to 3 weeks in advance, while CMA remains fully booked out 4 weeks ahead.
• Container equipment availability remains a challenge
• Schedule reliability has seen marginal improvements across all alliances, with the exception of MSC.  Gemini  has achieved 100% reliability, while MSC currently holds the number two spot.

Air

Central China (SHA/NGB)

• SHA: Export rates to the UK remain dynamic. Pricing must be checked on an individual case-by-case basis to secure optimised spot rates depending on specific cargo details.
• NGB: Air freight rates have dropped slightly this week. Bookings and rate validations require direct case-by-case verification.

North China (DLC/TSN/TAO/PEK)

• TSN: Market capacity remains tight while rate levels remain stable. Certain carriers provide lower rate levels to London Heathrow (LHR) in exchange for longer transit times, while others can offer earlier estimated departure dates. Space requires a 4-to-5-day booking lead time.
• DLC / PEK: Rate levels across most major airlines have decreased this week, with spot rates accessible for high-density cargo. Large volume cargo requires a booking lead time of 6 to 7 days and must accept flight splitting.
• TAO: The market to Europe remains slack this week and space is not constrained across most European airports, with departure timelines tracking around late July. Directional air freight rates to primary destination hubs have decreased, though airlines continue to release spot pricing for dense or high-volume shipments.

South China (CAN/SZX/XMN)

• CAN: Fuel surcharges are set to increase further, and with carriers intending to reduce capacity, freight rates are likely to push upward. Spot rates remain variable and must be confirmed case by case according to actual scheduled flight dates.
• SZX: With the onset of the summer holiday period, all carriers have lowered rates to Europe, with specific options available for deferred services to main European hubs. All individual shipments must be validated case by case.
• XMN: Air freight rates are being quoted on a strict case-by-case basis, with opportunities to secure optimised spot pricing depending on specific cargo details.

Ocean

• Following rate increases during the first half of July, FAK rates eased during the second half of the month, particularly on US West Coast routes. August rates remain under review.
• Named Account Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) remain elevated, while Bunker Adjustment Factors (BAF) continue to reflect ongoing geopolitical tensions.
• Vessel space remains severely constrained as shippers continue front-loading cargo ahead of tariff deadlines, compounding pressures from equipment shortages and an early peak season.
• Carriers have announced approximately 30 cancelled sailings across a five-week period, though extra-loader vessels are being deployed into the Los Angeles and Long Beach corridors to help absorb peak demand.
• Shippers are advised to place bookings 3 to 4 weeks in advance to secure required space.
• US port congestion remains manageable with fluid operations overall. Trade lane schedule reliability has edged up slightly year-on-year to just under 72%.

Air

Central China (SHA/NGB)

• SHA: Freight rates to both US West Coast and East Coast gateways have increased significantly this week. Hot weather has restricted aircraft payload capacity, compounding tightness alongside surging e-commerce volumes, flight cancellations, and elevated fuel prices. Airlines are expected to maintain current elevated pricing until underlying fuel costs ease.
• NGB: Air freight market conditions remain stable this week, with bookings and rate validations requiring direct case-by-case verification.

North China (DLC/TSN/TAO/PEK)

• TSN: The market remains steady with stable rate levels this week. Dedicated freighter flights are providing earlier departure options, with select airlines offering competitive pricing to US West Coast hubs. Space requires a 6-to-7-day booking lead time.
• DLC / PEK: Air freight rates across most major carriers have decreased this week, with spot rates accessible for high-density shipments. Large volume shipments require a 6-to-7-day booking lead time and acceptance of flight splitting.
• TAO: Market conditions to the US remain stable, with unconstrained space across both US West Coast and East Coast destinations. Rates have ticked up slightly across all US gateways, though airlines continue to release spot pricing for dense or high-volume cargo.

South China (CAN/SZX/XMN)

• CAN: Fuel surcharges are set to increase further, and with carriers planning capacity reductions, freight rates are expected to push higher. Spot rates remain variable and must be confirmed case by case according to actual flight dates.
• SZX: Entering the slack season, carriers are providing case-by-case pricing for all shipments, with cost-effective options available for deferred services to both US West Coast and East Coast destinations.
• XMN: Air freight rates have maintained their levels this week, with pricing available on a strict case-by-case basis.

Ocean

• Operational conditions remain challenging heading into the first half of August, driven by ongoing weather disruptions and high cargo volumes.
• FAK and spot rates across major carriers continue to climb  into August, with rates out of Bangladesh (Chittagong) following the same upward trajectory.
• Ocean capacity from India and Pakistan remains extremely tight through mid-August as lines work through heavy backlogs.
• Severe monsoon rainfall, flooding, and strong winds continue to disrupt both port and landside operations, creating significant delays across Chittagong, Chennai, Mundra, and particularly Nhava Sheva.
• Colombo remains heavily congested due to Middle East cargo diversions and overspill from neighboring ports, though newly delivered gantry cranes at the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) are expected to expand long-term handling capacity.
• A planned 48-hour truck drivers’ strike in Chittagong was called off after an agreement was reached, avoiding further landside disruptions.
• Trade lane schedule reliability improved by 6.7 percentage points to nearly 60%, with Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk leading performance at over 93% reliability, followed by MSC.

Ocean

• The Europe-to-US corridor is currently the tightest global trade lane, with ocean freight costs hitting peak levels in July after climbing sharply since late last year. While  Peak Season Surcharges (PSS), escalating fuel/BAF fees, and widespread General Rate Increases (GRIs) are significantly inflating current all-in quotes, carriers indicate that pricing will begin to soften as the market moves into August.
• July capacity is  restricted due to a reduced number of active services on the water and ongoing European port congestion. However, securing space will become easier in August; shippers can expect required booking lead times to drop from the current four-week window down to roughly two or three weeks.
• The Transatlantic route is currently experiencing fewer cancelled voyages compared to Asian lanes. While this means no immediate capacity relief for July, space constraints will slowly ease into August as cargo demand dips without a corresponding reduction in deployed vessels.
• Overall on-time performance has improved notably, though operational delays still persist. ACL currently operates as the most reliable carrier on the lane, followed closely by MSC, while other major operators are performing moderately to poorly.
• European export gateways remain heavily strained. Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp are running at elevated yard utilisation, while Bremerhaven and Genoa continue to battle berth delays and inland rail disruptions that are actively backing up vessel schedules. In stark contrast, US inbound port operations, including vessel discharge, rail, and trucking flows, remain fully stable and fluid.

Benelux

Antwerp

• PSA 913: Yard utilisation is at 80–85%, with reefer utilisation at 55–60%.
• PSA 869: Yard utilisation stands at a level of 70–75%, with reefer utilisation at 60–65%.
• AGW: Yard utilisation normalised to 80–85%, with reefer utilisation at 70–75%. Terminal is back to normal operations after the DG incident.
• MPET: All terminals back to normal operations after last week’s DG incident.

Rotterdam

• ECT: Yard utilisation is at an elevated level of 80–85%.
• RWG: Yard utilisation remains at a critical level of 80–85%.
• Delta II: Yard utilisation is at a low level of 35–40%, with reefer utilisation at 30–35%.
• APMT Maasvlakte II: Yard utilisation is at a higher level of 85–90%.

USA

Ocean

• LA/LB: 0 vessels waiting, with a 7-day dwell on the rail terminals.
• Oakland: 6 vessels waiting, with a 5-day rail dwell.
• Seattle and Tacoma: 0 vessels waiting, with a 4-day dwell on rail.
• Vancouver: 3 vessels waiting, with a 5-day dwell on rail.
• NY/NJ: 2 vessels waiting, with a 3-day dwell on rail.
• Savannah: 3 vessels waiting, with a 2-day dwell on rail.

Europe Public Holidays

We anticipate a shortage of availability and the occurrence of delays around the bank holiday periods. Plan ahead and allow extra time for your products to be delivered.

July 2026

• 28 July (Tue): Faroe Islands*, San Marino, Spain*
• 29 July (Wed): Faroe Islands

August 2026

• 1 August (Sat): Andorra*, North Cyprus, Switzerland
• 2 August (Sun): Andorra*, Macedonia
• 3 August (Mon): Andorra*, Guernsey and Alderney*, Iceland*, Ireland (Eire), Macedonia, UK (United Kingdom)*
• 5 August (Wed): Croatia, Spain*
• 14 August (Fri): Holy See (Vatican City), Saint Helena*
• 15 August (Sat): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany*, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City), Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland*
• 20 August (Thu): Estonia, Hungary
• 21 August (Fri): Hungary
• 24 August (Mon): Ukraine
• 25 August (Tue): North Cyprus
• 27 August (Thu): Moldova
• 29 August (Sat): Slovakia
• 30 August (Sun): North Cyprus, Türkiye
• 31 August (Mon): Gibraltar, Guernsey and Alderney, Isle of Man, Jersey, Moldova, Saint Helena, UK (United Kingdom), UK (United Kingdom)

September 2026

• 2 September (Wed): Spain, Transdniestria (PMR)
• 3 September (Thu): San Marino
• 5 September (Sat): Albania
• 6 September (Sun): Bulgaria
• 7 September (Mon): Albania, Bulgaria, Luxembourg
• 8 September (Tue): Andorra, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malta, Spain
• 10 September (Thu): Gibraltar, Switzerland
• 11 September (Fri): Spain
• 15 September (Tue): Slovakia, Spain
• 17 September (Thu): Holy See (Vatican City), Spain
• 20 September (Sun): Germany
• 21 September (Mon): Malta, Switzerland
• 22 September (Tue): Bulgaria
• 24 September (Thu): Austria
• 25 September (Fri): Switzerland
• 27 September (Sun): Belgium
• 28 September (Mon): Czech Republic

Traffic bans

28.07.26

• AT | Austria: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

29.07.26

• AT | Austria: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

30.07.26

• AT | Austria: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

31.07.26

• AT | Austria: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CZ | Czech Republic: 17:00 – 21:00
• GR | Greece: 16:00 – 21:00
• GR | Greece: 15:00 – 22:00
• PL | Poland: 18:00 – 22:00
• RO | Romania: 12:00 – 22:00
• RO | Romania: 18:00 – 22:00
• RO | Romania: 06:00 – 22:00
• CH | Switzerland: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• IT | Italy: 16:00 – 22.00
• LI | Liechtenstein: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

01.08.26

• AT | Austria: 15:00 – 24:00
• AT | Austria: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• AT | Austria: 08:00 – 15:00
• AT | Austria: 07:00 – 15:00
• HR | Croatia: 04:00 – 14:00
• CZ | Czech Republic: 07:00 – 13:00
• FR | France: 07:00 – 19:00
• GR | Greece: 08:00 – 22:00
• GR | Greece: 08:00 – 16:00
• LU | Luxembourg: 21:30 – 24:00
• LU | Luxembourg: 23:30 – 24:00
• DE | Germany: 07:00 – 20:00
• PL | Poland: 08:00 – 14:00
• RO | Romania: 06:00 – 22:00
• SK | Slovakia: 07:00 – 19:00
• SI | Slovenia: 06:00 – 16:00
• SI | Slovenia: 08:00 – 13:00
• CH | Switzerland: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• HU | Hungary: 15:00 – 24:00
• IT | Italy: 08:00 – 16:00
• LI | Liechtenstein: 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00