As the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House approaches, American companies are rushing to secure Chinese imports to avoid tariffs. Consequently, air cargo from China has also surged.
According to Bloomberg on the 28th (local time), there were 3,485 international cargo flights between China and other countries last week.
This is the highest number since China lifted its COVID-19 lockdown policies in March 2023. According to the Chinese Ministry of Transport, the weekly number of flights has exceeded 3,400 for three consecutive weeks.
According to the General Administration of Customs of China, the number of cargo flights over the past year until October increased by 73% compared to the same period last year. The number of ships transporting goods to China rose by 8.3%. Truck and train transportation also showed double-digit growth.
With President-elect Trump's return to the White House imminent, air cargo is expected to increase further. On the 25th, Trump announced additional tariffs of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on imports from China. During his campaign, he repeatedly pledged to impose a universal tariff of 60% on Chinese imports.
Bloomberg stated, "As President-elect Trump takes office at the end of January next year and before new tariffs are imposed on goods from China, Mexico, Canada, and other countries, American companies are trying to purchase as much as possible, which could further increase the number of flights."
Juda Levin, head of research at Freitas Group, said, "Air cargo prices departing from China have not yet surged," adding, "Carriers are busy, but it is not yet an excessively congested situation."
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