Air Cargo Spot Prices Rise 3% in Early December 2025 as Volumes Increase
Early December data from WorldACD shows air cargo spot market pricing was on the up in the first week of December, although this year’s peak season has been less “spiky” than recent years. Figures from the data provider show that international spot rates in week 49 increased by 3% compared with the last week of November to $3.01 per kg.
Read also: Global Air Cargo Hits Record High in October with 4.1% Growth
The increase was “led by an 11% week-on-week rise from Africa origins, a 6% increase from Europe, and a 4% increase from Asia Pacific origins.” On the other hand, “spot prices from Central & South America (CSA) dropped by 7% week on week, mainly because of the end of the cherry air export season from Chile.”
Drilling into spot rate performance out of the Asia Pacific region, prices from China to the US continued their recovery in week 49 after what has been a turbulent year as a result of tariff policy emanating from the White House. Rates between China and the US increased 8% week on week to reach their highest level of the year at $6.82 per kg.
“For the wider Asia Pacific to the US market, spot rates in week 49 increased by an average of 6%, week on week to $6.32 per kg, mainly driven by those rate rises from China and a big spike in spot rates from Japan (26%),” WorldACD said. Despite the spot rate increase, volumes between Asia Pacific and the US were flat on a week earlier.
Asia Pacific to Europe markets saw the average spot rate increase by 5% week on week to $4.65 per kg. “Volumes were slightly up [week on week] for Asia Pacific to Europe (1%) with mainly Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia volumes up, and tonnages ex-Thailand down,” WorldACD said.
“On a worldwide basis, tonnages edged up slightly (1%) from week 48 to week 49.” The small worldwide tonnage increase was almost entirely driven by the recovery of US tonnages from the effects of Thanksgiving the previous week.
WorldACD said: “It is important to note that global tonnages are around 5% higher than this time last year, with big year-on-year growth from Asia Pacific (+9%), CSA (+8%), Middle East & South Asia (MESA, +6%) and North America (+4%) origins.” While demand is up compared with a year ago, spot rates moved in the opposite direction. “Compared with last year, worldwide spot rates are down by an average of 6%, year on year, with significant declines from all the main origin regions apart from Africa,” WorldACD said.
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