Freight Math Just Changed
The equations driving global trade are shifting fast. Tariffs face a Supreme Court showdown, port fees are set to add billions, Golden Week is spiking blank sailings, and spot prices are testing the limits of contract deals.
This Cargoccino connects the dots, giving you the context you need to recalibrate before Q4.
Tariffs on Trial
The Supreme Court will soon decide whether presidents can impose tariffs without Congress. The outcome could mean billions in refunds or reinforce a precedent for unpredictable trade policy. Importers must prepare scenarios for both continuity and reversals.
Sources: Supreme Court to Decide the Fate of Tariffs and IEEPA and Tariff Refunds: Preparing for Potential Reversals
De Minimis Reality Check
Over 30 countries are halting or restricting small-parcel exports to the U.S. as the de minimis channel unravels. The change is reshaping cross-border e-commerce, raising fulfillment costs, and forcing new compliance strategies.
Source: Deliveries drop 80 percent
The $2B Port Fee Shock
New U.S. port fee structures are poised to add more than $2 billion to carriers’ costs, with the largest impact expected on COSCO, OOCL, and operators of Chinese-built vessels. Though the fees won’t officially take effect until October, shippers are already feeling the ripple in new contracts and freight forecasts.
How the fees work:
- The charges target ships built in China or operated by Chinese carriers.
- They are structured as per-port-call assessments, creating unavoidable recurring costs.
- Even carriers outside of China’s sphere will face indirect exposure as costs cascade through vessel-sharing agreements.
Source: JOC
Special Read: Spirit Halloween and Timing Risk
Seasonal retailers depend on timing. Spirit Halloween’s muted rollout highlights how tariffs and import costs can quietly derail seasonal launches.
The lesson extends to all importers: tariff exposure, combined with poor timing, can dismantle carefully planned supply chains.
Source: When the Countdown gets Ghostly
☕ What’s Brewing at BlueCargo? ☕
Inland25: Searching for Value
This year’s Inland Distribution Conference in Chicago will tackle freight demand, cross-border flows, cargo theft, intermodal recovery, and the push for true value in logistics partnerships. The sessions aim to equip shippers for 2026’s next reset.
At Inland25, meet BlueCargo’s co-founders Alexandra and Laura, alongside Pedro and Tyler.
BlueCargo's meetings aren’t generic. They will help:
- Map tariff refund scenarios against your AP workflows
- Model Port fees exposure
- See where you when spot rates don't align with contracts
- Strengthen your audit process to stop leakage before year-end
Walk away with insights tailored to YOUR supply chain before 2026 resets the cost structure.
Email us HERE to book a meeting today with our co-founders and/or or Enterprise team.
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