WorldACD data shows air cargo volumes from China and Hong Kong to Europe fell 17% year on year in October, with Hong Kong-origin volumes down 32% and mainland China down 8%. The decline follows the EU's July introduction of a €3 charge on items under €150 and comes as platforms shift toward consolidated B2B imports. A further €2 per-item handling fee took effect 1 November. Rates on the lane still rose 9% month on month and 14% year on year to $4.85 per kg. By contrast, China-Hong Kong to US tonnages rose 8% year on year.
Air cargo volumes from China and Hong Kong to Europe kept sliding in October, with data firm WorldACD reporting a 17% year-on-year decline for the combined lane as e-commerce supply chains shift away from airfreight, according to www.aircargonews.net.
The drop was uneven across origins. Volumes from mainland China to Europe fell 8% year on year, while Hong Kong — which WorldACD describes as “a strong origin point for e-commerce platforms” — plunged 32%.
The decline follows the European Union’s introduction in July of a €3 charge on items valued below €150, a measure aimed at curbing the flood of imported e-commerce goods entering the bloc.
WorldACD sees structural shift, not a temporary dip
Rather than a short-term fluctuation, WorldACD suggests the weakness may be structural as platforms rethink how low-value shipments reach European buyers.
“Many European e-commerce air logistics specialists believe the developments reflect a structural shift, as major international e-commerce platforms make greater use of consolidated business-to-business (B2B) import models for low-value shipments, including via ocean or other transport modes, rather than flying individual business-to-consumer (B2C) parcel shipments.” — WorldACD
The data firm added that an additional €2 per-item handling fee for EU imports, effective from 1 November, is expected to further limit EU e-commerce air import volumes — a key driver of China-Europe air cargo growth in recent years.
Seasonal demand and the continued strength of underlying European e-commerce demand are expected to partly offset that effect, according to WorldACD.
Rates climb despite softer demand
Even as volumes fell, airfreight rates on the lane kept rising. Rates increased 9% in October compared with September and were up 14% year on year to $4.85 per kg.
WorldACD said the increase will have been influenced by fast-rising jet fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
US lane moves the other way
The transatlantic picture diverged sharply. Total air cargo tonnages from China and Hong Kong to the US rose 8% year on year in October, with mainland China up 9% and Hong Kong up 4%.
WorldACD noted these growth figures are notable because October last year saw strong volumes when demand rebounded following the initial challenges posed by fast-changing US import tariffs and de minimis rules.
From China to the US, rates rose 7% month on month in October to $6.47 per kilo, taking them 30% above October last year. Overall air cargo tonnages for the month were up 6% year on year, WorldACD said.
Source: Air Cargo News
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
