Air freight carries a small share of world trade by weight and a large share by value. The mix skews toward electronics and components, pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled goods, e-commerce parcels, and time-critical industrial items such as aviation spares. Those categories set the price floor and take priority when capacity tightens.
For anyone shipping outside those categories, the practical implication is timing. Capacity follows demand cycles — product launches, seasonal peaks, pharmaceutical campaigns — and a shipment that competes with one of those will pay for the privilege. Where the cargo can wait, waiting a week is often worth more than any rate negotiation.
Harbour Strategies (HK) Limited · 14 November 2023
Editorial commentary by Harbour Strategies. Figures and regulatory details should be verified against primary sources before being relied upon.
