Cargoccino 1.27.26
Fresh pours of supply chain insights, served ahead of contract season
Freight decisions are being shaped by a mix of policy, market behavior, and operational pressure. Many of those decisions are already showing up in early contract conversations, even before formal negotiations begin.
This month’s Cargoccino brings together the developments we are hearing about most often and the places where these conversations are happening in person over the next few weeks.
Global Routing Assumptions Are Under Pressure
Disruptions in the Red Sea forced carriers to move away from the Suez Canal, adding transit time and absorbing spare capacity by rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. While some carriers are testing limited returns to Suez, uncertainty tied to regional security and broader geopolitical risk remains unresolved.
For shippers, routing decisions now show up in places they used to take for granted, inventory buffers, customer commitments, and costs that only surface once it is too late to change them.
This is a topic we expect to come up frequently at TPM26, where routing assumptions often surface during contract discussions rather than formal agenda items.
Source: JOC
Retailers Reevaluate Cross-Border Fulfillment Models
Retailers are facing renewed pressure as De minimis treatment tightens and tariff exposure increases. Aritzia’s experience highlights how quickly fulfillment economics can shift when policy changes intersect with high e-commerce volumes.
Higher duties and added compliance are forcing teams to reassess where inventory sits and how orders are fulfilled. These decisions directly influence freight spend, often in places that are not immediately visible.
We expect this to be a common conversation at RILA LINK 2026, where retail leaders are already comparing notes on cost leakage across fulfillment networks.
Source: Retail Dive
Supply Chain Finance Takes a More Central Role
Tariffs and volatility are pushing supply chain finance into the center of operational decision-making. Finance teams are requesting clearer visibility into landed costs and how freight spend affects working capital and margins.
Estimates and after-the-fact reconciliation are proving insufficient in this environment. Organizations are looking for ways to connect operational freight data more directly with financial outcomes.
This topic is front and center at Manifest 2026, particularly as companies prepare for contract season and assess their true cost exposure.
Source: SCMR
Supply Chains Are Expected to Deliver Measurable Business Value
Supply chain decisions are now being reviewed much more directly through a financial lens.
In practice, that means procurement, operations, and finance are in the same room more often, asking the same questions about cost exposure and tradeoffs. When that visibility is missing, it usually shows up later, during contract reviews or budget corrections.
This dynamic is already influencing how companies prepare for negotiations this quarter.
Source: KPMG
Rates Rise Ahead of Negotiations
Container shipping rates increased by 16 percent week over week in early January as carriers pushed opportunistic rate increases. This reinforces how quickly conditions can change heading into contract discussions.
Rate discipline and accessorial oversight are becoming just as important as base rate negotiations.
Source: gCaptain
☕ What Is Brewing at BlueCargo
Across RILA LINK 2026, Manifest 2026, and TPM26, one theme keeps coming up: companies want clearer visibility into freight spend before contracts are finalized.
Our team has been working on a new user experience designed to make that visibility practical and usable across supply chain and finance teams.
The goal is simple: help teams see where freight costs are accumulating before they're locked in by contracts.
If you will be attending any of these conferences, we would welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation in person. You can find us at:
-> RILA LINK 2026, Startup Kiosks SK9
-> Manifest 2026, Booth 1050 near DHL
-> TPM26, including private meetings in our Partner Suite
👉 View our Q1 Conference Calendar and lock your time in.
☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕
