Air freight update Q3 ‘24
28 October 2024
With the help of Ritra’s Rob van de Werve – who is no stranger to those that regularly book air shipments – we put together this air cargo update. The topics covered include current tariffs and volumes, tightened export security and tighter controls on sample shipments and e-commerce goods. Additionally, we offer you an alternative for air and sea freight shipments from 3,000 kilos. Want to read along with us?
Expected capacity and rates Q4
Recently, airline organisation IATA reported with a positive tone. In the first three quarters of this year, international aviation recorded growth of over 10%. Available cargo capacity has also increased significantly, particularly thanks to additional belly capacity (belly capacity stands for available cargo space on passenger aircraft).
The penultimate record in air cargo dates back to 2021, during COVID-19. The growth, according to IATA, is driven by increasing global trade, an improving e-commerce market and continued restrictions in container shipping.
Air freight rates from China are already showing another upward trend. Rates from countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan also remain at substantially higher levels than previous years. We expect this trend to continue for at least the next month, as forwarders want goods in distribution centres by mid-November.
Sea-air options
Persistently long ocean-freight transit times are a thorn in the side of many forwarders. Ritra Cargo offers you an interesting sea-air service for shipments of 3,000+ kg. With average Port-Airport transit times of around 28 days, this is significantly shorter than current sea-freight shipping times.
Additionally, the rates for this mode are at a significantly lower level than air-freight rates. For more information on sea-air options, please refer to this article. Of course, you can also just contact our team at Schiphol for details and up-to-date information.
Export Security tightened around Middle East situation
Due to the tense situation in the Middle East, the rules and security procedures for export shipments to the United States, and others, have been tightened considerably. Forwarders are screened more frequently than in the past (Enhanced Air Cargo Security – ACAS) before being allowed to fly.
Do you want to know if your (new) shipment will also be affected? Team Ritra Schiphol will gladly provide you with honest advice in advance regarding any limitations and possibilities.
Stricter EU controls on samples and e-commerce goods
In accordance with the decision made by the European Union, the threshold for the value of imports of sample shipments and e-commerce shipments must be lowered. Therefore, more shipments will be stopped by Customs for physical inspection. We often hear from market parties that there is no direct control over the progress of the shipment and therefore it is delivered severely delayed.
A good alternative, already used by a number of our customers, is to send your sample shipment as air freight. We consolidate these ourselves with our agents to ensure competitive rates and rapid transiting. Customs clearance is arranged by Ritra’s in-house customs department. For these shipments, you will also have one permanent contact person.
Other important news