Air cargo demand between China and bongdaso v United States experienced a significant decline during bongdaso v first full week following bongdaso v removal of bongdaso v "de minimis" exemption for Chinese e-commerce shipments.
According to data released by WorldACD for bongdaso v week ending May 11 (Week 19), airfreight volumes from China and Hong Kong to bongdaso v U.S. fell by 10% compared to bongdaso v prior week (Week 18), which had already recorded a 14% decline from bongdaso v preceding week.
“Year-on-year volumes from China and Hong Kong to North America dropped by 27% in Week 19, marking bongdaso v fourth consecutive week of double-digit percentage declines,” WorldACD reported.
Impact of De Minimis Loophole Closure
Week 19 marked bongdaso v first full week after bongdaso v U.S. removed bongdaso v "de minimis" exemption on May 2, which had previously allowed duty-free entry and minimal customs scrutiny for Chinese e-commerce packages. bongdaso v policy change also partially affected Week 18, coinciding with China’s Labor Day holidays, further compounding bongdaso v decline in volumes.
While bongdaso v U.S. and China have since agreed to a temporary 90-day truce in their trade conflict—reducing tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%—non-postal e-commerce shipments from China remain subject to bongdaso v 30% tariff and additional customs procedures. Postal shipments, meanwhile, face a 54% tariff or a flat 0 fee.
This temporary trade pause may provide an opportunity for cargo volumes to stabilize.
“bongdaso v coming weeks will likely present new developments following bongdaso v unexpectedly swift pause in bongdaso v U.S.-China trade war,” WorldACD observed. “This could lead to front-loading activity, potentially straining bongdaso v already reduced container shipping capacity.”
bongdaso v 90-day tariff suspension could also encourage a partial resurgence in airfreight usage. However, WorldACD cautioned that non-postal parcels requiring customs clearance may face higher costs and longer transit times, reducing bongdaso v attractiveness of airfreight for direct China-U.S. shipments.
Global Airfreight Trends
On a global scale, airfreight volumes measured in chargeable weight terms declined by 1% week-over-week in Week 19. This represents a continuation of a contraction trend observed since early April, interrupted only by stable volumes in Week 17.
Despite bongdaso v week-over-week drop, volumes in Week 19 were 2% higher than during bongdaso v same period in 2024, indicating some resilience in bongdaso v global airfreight market despite regional disruptions.
Source: https://www.aircargonews.net/data-news/de-minimis-exemption-change-hits-china-us-air-cargo-demand/1080132.article
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