Dimerco October Freight Report: Peak Season Runs Longer as AI Demand and Congestion Keep Capacity Tight

AI demand and extended peak-season pressure keep Asian freight tight, while congestion, blank sailings and Suez returns split rate trends by lane.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, October 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dimerco Express Group has released its October 2026 Asia Pacific Freight Report, showing a freight market where peak season is running longer than expected. AI, semiconductor and year-end retail demand continue to support air and ocean volumes, while typhoon backlogs, port congestion and short-notice capacity cuts are keeping space tight across several key Asian origins. At the same time, Asia-Europe ocean rates are moving in the opposite direction as more services return through the Suez Canal.

The Global Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.3 in August from 52.1 in July, reaching a three-month high and remaining above 50 for a thirteenth consecutive month. Output and new orders accelerated, while new export orders increased for the first time in four months. The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam led regional manufacturing growth, with Japan, Taiwan, the US and India also above the global average.

AI and Q4 Demand Keep Air Capacity Tight
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Airfreight remains tight across several Northeast Asian markets. Taiwan continues to see strong demand for AI servers, semiconductors, high-performance computing equipment and electronic components, keeping rates under upward pressure to the US and across intra-Asia lanes. South Korea is also seeing tighter conditions around the Chuseok period, with some Southeast Asia services from Incheon requiring bookings up to two weeks in advance.

Conditions in China are more mixed. Pre-holiday and e-commerce activity is tightening some regional routes, while US and Europe capacity remains more balanced in several origins. Dimerco expects clearer tariff direction and persistent ocean congestion to potentially push more cargo into air as Q4 progresses.

“Bookings look quiet right now, but that's the calm before the door opens. Once held-back China-US cargo releases and ocean congestion pushes shippers into air, the space will face some constraints,” said Kathy Liu, VP, Global Sales and Marketing at Dimerco Express Group.

Ocean Peak Season Extends as Capacity Tightens
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Ocean freight is being shaped as much by supply disruption as by demand. Lingering typhoon delays, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week are pushing vessel schedule disruption into October, while demand has not slowed as quickly as expected. Retail and e-commerce inventory building is keeping US imports elevated, and selective blank sailings are maintaining high transpacific utilization and firm-to-rising rates.

The impact is particularly visible in China. Shanghai is expected to remain heavily congested into mid-to-late October, with berthing waits above five days and on-time performance falling sharply. Yantian is also facing container availability pressure as intake restrictions limit empty releases.

“Everyone expected October to mark the start of the slowdown, but the cargo hasn't stopped and the overflow is still rolling forward,” said Ted Chen, Director, Ocean Freight, Global Sales and Marketing at Dimerco Express Group. “With carriers blanking sailings at short notice, the real risk isn't port congestion, it's space disappearing before you've booked it.”

Southeast Asia Faces Uneven Q4 Pressure
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Across Southeast Asia, India and Australia, air capacity to the US remains tight from most origins. Singapore faces backlog conditions, Thailand is dealing with capacity reductions and flooding-related delays at Bangkok, while India is entering its festive season with both air and ocean space constrained to Europe and the US.

Ocean freight is also tightening around Golden Week as blank sailings reduce available space. Asia-US rates are rising across several markets, although Europe presents a more mixed picture. Vietnam and parts of Malaysia are seeing softer conditions as additional services return via Suez.

Europe Moves in the Opposite Direction
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Asia-Europe ocean rates are continuing to fall as carriers resume Suez transits, creating a different rate environment from the transpacific. However, German port strikes and low water levels on the Rhine continue to pressure inland movements, while transatlantic ocean capacity remains tight with rising rates.

Trade policy also remains a planning variable. The US-China trade truce has been extended to January 10, 2027, providing some near-term certainty, while ongoing US Section 301 investigations into structural excess capacity cover several major Asia-Pacific manufacturing economies and sectors.

Practical Recommendations
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Dimerco recommends booking early on high-demand corridors, particularly from Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea. Ocean shipments should generally be secured one to two weeks ahead for intra-Asia movements and two to three weeks ahead for long-haul routes.

Shippers should also keep alternative sailings available around Golden Week, build additional buffer time for weather and congestion, and consider China-Europe rail where appropriate. Transit times currently range from approximately 15 to 24 days on major routes.

To download the full October 2026 Asia-Pacific Freight Report, click here.

About Dimerco Express Group
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Dimerco Express Group integrates air and ocean freight, trade compliance and contract logistics services to make global supply chains more effective and efficient. Founded in Taiwan in 1971, Dimerco connects Asia’s manufacturing hubs with North America and Europe through a robust network of 150+ offices and 200+ strategic partner agents.

For media enquiries, contact:

Gitte Willemsens
Dimerco Express Group
gitte.w@pesti.io
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