During the first week of May global air cargo volumes saw a decline - driven primarily by a sharp fall in shipments from the Asia-Pacific region along with regional holidays and regulatory changes in the US.
According to data from WorldACD tonnages fell by 3% during the 18th week of the year, when compared to data from the week prior.
Asia-Pacific recorded the steepest drop in air cargo volumes, down 11%, with WorldACD attributing the decline primarily to labour day and Japan’s golden week holidays. Together, these seasonal events were responsible for more than 95% of the global week-on-week downturn.
In addition to these seasonal fluctuations the US officially ended its ‘de minimis’ exemption for low-value imports from China and Hong Kong on May 2, 2025. Early indicators suggest this change is already affecting transpacific volumes, with several freighter services reportedly cancelled or rerouted.
While global airfreight rates held steady at $2.40 per kilo across the week, average spot rates from the Asia-Pacific region fell 3%.