Booming western demand for fast fashion and ecommerce goods sold by Chinese online brands like Temu and Shein is buoying air freight rates and creating fierce competition among logistics companies shipping from Asia.
Consumers in the US and Europe began buying more from Chinese ecommerce platforms during the pandemic, with some orders being delivered within a week. That demand has continued and sustained air freight rates, supporting logistics companies in an otherwise weak cargo market.
Some ecommerce platforms have been willing to pay close to double what general cargo customers are charged in some cases, in order to secure sufficient capacity to meet rigorous delivery schedules, according to logistics executives.