Trans-Pacific carriers are facing rapidly declining demand and freight rates on the trade lane as the frontloading that occurred during the 90-day pause on new US tariffs — now extended to Aug. 1 — has largely lost steam.
Still, analyst Larry Gross suspects that the early strength seen in the first half of the year is substantially composed of volume that has been “borrowed” from a peak season that will be “late and tepid” as a result.
The tariff framework agreement between Washington and Hanoi, while still short on details, is expected to support Vietnam’s strong air cargo volume growth this year.