<img src="https://www.indexbox.io/landing/img/blog/insights/telegram-video-telegram-20260907-110234-90c3477a3d.webp?v=1788779105" alt="Global Air Cargo Tonnages Rise 5% in August” loading=”lazy”>
WorldACD Air Cargo
Global air cargo tonnages rose 5% in August
EU import duty cut Hong Kong-Europe volumes
China-US traffic still up 13% year on year
Stock video by Activedia
Global Air Cargo Tonnages Rise 5% in August
Global air cargo tonnages rose by 5% in August compared with the same month last year, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. The data provider reported that volumes from Hong Kong to Europe fell by 30% year on year and dropped 24% below their level in June, just before the introduction of new European Union import duty rules on 1 July.
The decline in Hong Kong-to-Europe traffic reflects how e-commerce stakeholders are adjusting their use of air logistics for relatively low-value cross-border shipments after the EU ended de minimis exemptions on goods valued under EUR150. Although total estimated tonnages from Hong Kong to Europe in August were about 7% lower than the previous month, weekly data suggest the decline has bottomed out, with volumes in week 35 (24-30 August) gaining 3% week on week and 6% compared with the low recorded in week 33.
Tonnages from mainland China to Europe, which are less dependent on e-commerce, rebounded slightly for four consecutive weeks after dropping by around 15% in response to the July changes. China-to-Europe tonnages in week 35 were down 6% year on year, and for August as a whole they were down 5% year on year, compared with an 8% decline in July. Combined China and Hong Kong to Europe tonnages were down 14% year on year in both July and August, whereas they had been flat in June.
In contrast, combined China and Hong Kong to US volumes in August were broadly similar to their levels in May, June, and July, and up 13% compared with August last year, with China-US traffic up 15% and Hong Kong-US volumes up 9% year on year. However, the year-on-year growth rate for this lane slipped from 19% in May and 20% in June to 13% in August and 14% in July.
On the pricing side, average spot rates for China and Hong Kong to Europe fell from around $5.22 per kilo in May and June to $4.34 per kilo in August, a drop of about 17%. Year on year, the excess narrowed from 32% in May and 30% in June to 12% in July and 11% in August. For China and Hong Kong to the US, average spot rates dropped from $6.59 per kilo in June to $5.89 per kilo in August, down about 11%, with the year-on-year excess narrowing from 50% in May and June to 26% in August.
Worldwide air cargo tonnages in August were up about 5% year on year, with each main origin region reporting between 4% and 5% growth, based on more than 2 million monthly transactions in WorldACD’s database. This is broadly consistent with the 5% growth recorded in July and for the first eight months of 2026, although year-to-date regional growth rates range from 8% for Asia Pacific origins to stable tonnages from Africa.
Average worldwide rates, including spot and contract, were 22% higher in August year on year, compared with 24% in July, 33% in June, and 37% in May. Average worldwide spot rates in August were $3.36 per kilo, up 28% year on year, but slipped 1% from July and were down about 9% from the average across April, May, and June. The biggest percentage drop was from Middle East and South Asia origins, where spot rates fell from $4.75 per kilo in April to $3.92 per kilo in August, a decline of about 17%. From Asia Pacific origins, average spot rates dropped from $5.03 per kilo in April to $4.52 per kilo in August, down about 10%.
Total worldwide air cargo capacity rose by 1% in the final two weeks of August compared with the previous two weeks, with the biggest increase being a 2% rise from Asia Pacific origins. Compared with last year, worldwide capacity was up 2%. Despite disruptions from the conflict between the US and Iran, capacity from Middle East and South Asia origins in the last two weeks of August was up 2% year on year, with capacity stable in week 35 on a week-on-week and year-on-year basis. However, compared with week 7, before the attack on Iran by the US and Israel, capacity from these origins was still down almost 9%, with capacity from the Gulf area down 16%, while capacity from surrounding subregions rose: South Asia up 1%, Central Asia up 2%, and the Levant and Caucasus up 8%.
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