How will the airfreight ‘wild card’ be played in 2018?

Based on the latest combined January and February results from WorldACD and IATA, 2018 clearly got off to a strong start in terms of cargo demand. But the real question is: Now what? Except the 2018 version of “now what” also includes a new wild card.

Any speculation about the future involves taking stock in inventory levels, new electronics releases, fluctuations in the purchasing managers’ index, trends in the relationships among world trade, GDP and air freight demand. But this year the wild card will be the sudden possibility of global tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be saber-rattling for a trade war – first with China, then with the rest of the world. If we can stop the march down that path and work to resolve perceived trade injustices through negotiation, then worldwide economic growth will continue to drive growth in demand for air freight.

David Harris, senior editor of sister publication Cargo Facts, delves into this topic today and discusses some of the ways the cargo industry can play the hand that is dealt to it:

https://cargofacts.com/the-wild-card-in-the-air-freight-game/