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Both the air and ocean global freight markets are driven mainly by the current instability in fuel supply, according to the latest DHL market update reports
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The layered effects of the Middle East crisis means higher costs and longer routes, and has put upward pressure on rates
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In Asia, which remains the region powering global trade, shippers are faced not so much with the uncertainty of whether goods will move but how much more it will cost and what humps there will be
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Container rates moved quickly, and are expected to remain high as surcharges are fully implemented and routing distances remain extended
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Airlines also quickly adjusted fuel surcharges, pushing freight spot rates higher
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Demand remains high for both air and ocean markets
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DHL Asia Pacific executives highlighted the importance of risk management amid the uncertainties
Both the air and ocean global freight markets are driven mainly by the current instability in fuel supply, according to the latest DHL market update reports.
The DHL Air Freight Market Update Report (March 2026) and Ocean Freight Market Update Report (April 2026) “highlight the layered impact of fuel volatility, detours, and network friction on the freight market,” the global logistics company said in an media release.
As such, costs are higher, transport period is longer, and congestion persists, the DHL group said.
In Asia, which remains the region powering global trade, shippers are faced not so much with the uncertainty of whether goods will move but how much more it will cost and what humps there will be.
“Success in this environment depends less on finding the cheapest rate and more on building buffer into schedules, budgets, and routing strategies across both ocean and air freight,” said Niki Frank, CEO for DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
The reports indicate that even as shippers started the year with relatively disciplined capacity and steady Asian export demand, “that balance shifted rapidly as energy prices spiked.”
Given this development, container rates moved quickly, and are expected to remain high as surcharges are fully implemented and routing distances remain extended.
READ: Ocean and air freight markets to track different routes in 2026
For air freight, higher jet fuel prices have immediately affected rates. Jet fuel prices jumped 64% to US$170 per barrel in March and airlines quickly adjusted fuel surcharges, with spot rates reaching $3.38 per kilo by week 12, up 26% year on year (YoY).
But despite higher rates, demand has not softened, DHL said. Instead, “it has re‑sequenced itself geographically, with Asia remaining as the primary source of growth.
Fabio Weiss, senior vice president for Air Freight, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific, said “Asia is still powering global trade as freight continues to move along. The question is whether it will move on the schedule and cost assumptions that were made last quarter.”
Asian exports also continue to find demand, even when destination markets change. The DHL report shows demand for global air cargo grew 7% YoY, with Asia recording 14% YoY growth. The
Asia–Europe air corridor grew 8% YoY in February, supported by technology, electronics, and time critical manufacturing supply chains.
Global container demand, meanwhile, also grew 3% YoY, with Asian exports responsible for most of that increase. Asia–Europe volumes rose 22% YoY, Asia–Africa 15%, and Asia–Oceania 20 %.
Nonetheless, Bjoern Schoon, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific senior vice president for Ocean Freight, cautions that “the market is no longer just limited to supply and demand. It is demand, plus detours, plus fuel, plus network friction.”
The DHL report said heavy congestion in the Persian Gulf has forced cargo into alternate ports and triggered costly rerouting over land. It added that Asia bears the brunt of indirect strain, with mounting congestion at transshipment hubs such as Sri Lanka and Singapore, alongside reduced bunker fuel availability at key ports.
Disrupted hubs are also tightening the air freight network. Global air cargo tracking capacity fell 7% YoY in March, with the Gulf recording a 64% drop.
While Asia‑Europe capacity has since increased, it is largely replacement capacity routed around the Middle East, not genuine expansion. These longer routings come with higher fuel burn, lower network efficiency, and persistent 7 to 10-day backlogs in major transit hubs.
Frank said while shippers cannot get rid of current freight risks, these can be softened.
“The most resilient shippers are those who shift from rate‑led decisions to option‑led strategies,” he said. “That means choosing logistics partners that offer more routing options, more carrier choices, clearer surcharge rules, and tighter alignment between logistics planning and inventory strategy.”
