No precipitous plunge in container shipping rates, just ‘orderly’ decline.
Spot rates are at least temporarily plateauing because U.S. import demand remains above pre-COVID levels, some U.S. ports remain extremely congested, and ocean carriers are “blanking” or “voiding” (i.e., canceling) sailings, both because their ships are stuck in port queues and because they’re matching vessel supply with cargo demand to avert the fate of Greek tanker owners.
Void sailings are still the go-to options for carriers at this point to try and stymie the fall in rates. Congestion is still the buzzword for East Coast ports, with Savannah currently feeling the full force of loaded imports and associated delays.
French container line giant CMA CGM SA is seeing an across-the-board drop in shipping rates and a loosening of logistics bottlenecks in some regions as demand softens. The decrease is expected to continue.
The observations are in line with those of the World Trade Organization, which said this week merchandise trade flows slowed last quarter and will likely stay weak in the second half. This could see the winding down of a frothy period for container carriers after two years of high rates and capacity shortages stemming from pent-up demand from consumers during the pandemic.
The air cargo market remains flat as the industry heads towards the traditional peak season.
Forwarders have also reported a switch back to sea freight from airfreight as container shipping supply chain snarl-ups have eased and prices have come down. Airfreight conversions back to ocean freight have continued with more shippers seeking lower supply chain costs by tolerating the longer duration of ocean freight transit.
During the peak of the pandemic, the air freight industry picked up ocean volumes due to the higher prices and disruption in ocean shipping.
This disruption is easing due to easing demand in ocean. The cost differential between the two modes is also edging back up.
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In a converging policy shift on both sides of the Atlantic, European regulators this week published a roadmap toward fully replacing animal testing for chemical safety assessments, while the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a rare update to its list of alternative test methods.
The global pharmaceutical fine chemicals sector is undergoing a profound transformation, with India emerging as a central growth engine amid sweeping changes in supply chain strategies and regulatory priorities. As drug makers and contract manufacturers adapt to stricter oversight and evolving sourcing preferences, the industry’s focus is shifting rapidly from cost efficiency to compliance, localisation and technical sophistication.
Stakeholders are being encouraged to weigh in on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) 60-day public consultation period related to a planned ban on per-and-polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, also known as forever chemicals.
We’re pleased to share an important milestone in our sustainability journey.
ExSyn has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal, placing us among the top 1% of companies globally evaluated for environmental, social and ethical performance.
While fears around a complete shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz primarily raise concerns around oil prices and energy security, recent history shows that even partial disruptions or security threats along key sea routes can quickly spill over into freight inflation, longer transit times and working capital stress for exporters and importers.
The European Union (EU) has agreed to offer Indian pharmaceutical and medical devices companies preferential access to EU market, along with cutting tariffs on 97.5 percent of chemical products to zero.
As we approach the close of this year, we at ExSyn would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your trust, collaboration, and continued support. Your confidence in our products and services has been the driving force behind our growth and success.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced significant action to make it faster and less costly to develop biosimilar medicines, which are lower-cost “generic” alternatives to biologic drugs that treat serious and chronic diseases.
Products containing titanium dioxide in the EU are no longer required to carry warnings about cancer risk, after the European Chemicals Agency (Echa) revoked its classification as a suspected carcinogen. The move follows a June 2025 decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union and means that safety data sheets, labelling and packaging requirements for titanium dioxide have been relaxed across industries including paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food.