Jaguar Freight | The Weekly Roar – New truck tariffs, tariffs on air cargo, port fees on Chinese-built vessels, container service direct between East Asia and Europe, and will power outages be the next supply chain crisis?

The drumbeat of new tariffs continues. President Trump has announced a 25% tariff on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks, effective November 1, 2025. This comes after a federal investigation into truck imports and is designed to protect U.S. manufacturers such as PACCAR, the parent company of Peterbilt and Kenworth, and Ford. Most U.S. truck imports come from Mexico, which exports nearly all its heavy-duty trucks to the U.S. While USMCA allows tariff-free trade for vehicles meeting local content rules, non-qualifying trucks from Mexico and Canada will face the new tariff. This additional duty could add another cost headwind to carriers in the already struggling U.S. truckload market.

The fallout of the trade war is being felt in many diverse ways, and air freight is not immune. Tariffs and the new de minimis rules are having a negative impact on air cargo traffic, especially on routes from India and the Middle East, and Central Asia to North America. India-U.S. air freight volumes are down 50% under the new tariffs, with load factors dropping 10% year-on-year. The volatility is prompting shippers to explore alternative markets, with major e-commerce companies shifting a lot of their air cargo volume from the U.S. to Europe.

Overshadowed by tariffs, the long-discussed U.S. port fees are about to become a reality. Beginning October 14, 2025, any vessels that are built, owned, or operated in China must provide proof of payment for the new Section 301 port fees before they can load or unload at U.S. ports. Without proper documentation, they risk being denied entry. The fees are targeting Chinese maritime interests following a USTR probe and must be paid through Pay.gov before arrival. Anticipation of these new fees has already impacted trade routes, altering many carriers’ routings.

Sea Legend, a Chinese shipping company, has launched the first direct container service between East Asia and Europe via the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route, with its maiden voyage set to arrive in Felixstowe, UK, on October 10th. An alternative to the Suez Canal, the new route will reduce shipping times from China to the UK to just 18 days and has the potential to strengthen Felixstowe’s role as a major European trade hub.

A new survey shows that 89% of global executives experienced power outages in one or more of their facilities over the past year, and 83% believe power reliability, or unreliability, will drive the next major supply chain crisis. Energy demands are up due to AI usage, and most executives expect their facility’s power consumption to grow between 10% and 50% in the next five years. Only 27% of the companies surveyed have a plan to ensure some form of power resilience, and over half say they aren’t prepared at all for an extended outage. This new concern has even led many firms to prioritize energy reliability over labor costs or tariffs when they’re choosing facility locations.

For the rest of the week’s top shipping news, check out the article highlights here.

Compliments of Jaguar Freight – a member of the EACCNY.