What happened in international freight transport in 2025? We close the year with major developments shaping both maritime and air freight: tariffs, geopolitical tensions, route reconfigurations, new shipping services, supply chain disruptions, and a continued commitment to digitalisation and sustainability. Below is a summary of the most relevant milestones of the year.
International maritime transport in 2025
First quarter
- The conflict in the Red Sea led to delays and route diversions via the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing both transit times and operational costs.
Second quarter
- Geopolitical tensions — particularly the conflict between Iran and Israel — threatened maritime stability and triggered strong market volatility due to the risk of a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Third quarter
- Ongoing conflicts along major trade routes, combined with new tariff announcements, continued to drive uncertainty in maritime transport services. In response, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) issued warnings about the impact on global trade.
Fourth quarter
- In the final months of the year, shipping lines partially resumed transit through the Red Sea following a reduction in tensions, signalling a gradual return to normality in maritime traffic.
- The year ended on a positive note, with a steady recovery in global maritime trade and greater freight rate stability, according to UNCTAD’s monthly global trade reports.
Air freight developments in 2025
First quarter
- Air cargo demand grew by more than 3% in January, marking 18 consecutive months of growth. However, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned of declining yields and uncertainty linked to trade policies.
Second quarter
- IATA emphasised the strategic role of air cargo in maintaining resilient global supply chains and urged governments and industry stakeholders to continue focusing on customer priorities: safety, digitalisation and sustainability.
Third quarter
- Leading air cargo operators warned of an emerging capacity shortage, driven by delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus as older aircraft reach the end of their service life.
Fourth quarter
- China’s Golden Week once again highlighted the importance of air freight as a solution to mitigate maritime delays.
- At the same time, IATA warned of the economic impact of politically motivated airspace closures and their disruption of global supply chains.
- In its final outlook of the year, IATA forecast a stabilisation of profitability in the global air transport industry, despite persistent supply chain challenges.
Key developments in international logistics
- European companies accelerated supply chain diversification strategies to reduce their dependence on China.
- Sustainability in maritime freight transport became a legal requirement within the European Union. On 30 September, shipping companies operating in the EU, Iceland and Norway made their first payment under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for greenhouse gas emissions.
- Additionally, as of 1 April, the new Import Control System (ICS2) requires advance cargo information for all goods entering the EU.
At Startrans, we move into 2026 closely monitoring market trends and regulatory developments in international transport, with the goal of continuing to deliver reliable, efficient and high-quality logistics solutions for our customers. Contact us to learn how we can support your supply chain.