General Shipping Risks for July Exporters
1. Port Congestion & Delays: Congestion plagues USWC and Mediterranean ports, with vessel schedule reliability below 65%. Reserve a 7–10 day buffer for delivery.
2. Permanent Surcharges: Bunker adjustment factor, peak season surcharge and Red Sea war risk surcharge must be fully included in quotation costs.
3. EU Packaging Regulation: Full biodegradable food packaging is mandatory from 2026; non-compliant tea cargo will be detained with heavy storage fines.
4. Extreme Weather Disruptions: Severe rainstorms and thunderstorm gales across China suspend loading & inland trucking, causing inconsistent cargo arrival times at ports.
Short-Term Outlook for August Freight rates for US lanes will ease marginally in late July after the tariff rush, while Red Sea & Middle East rates stay elevated amid persistent August holiday stocking. Global shipping rates will only cool off significantly starting September.
