Platton Import Index

North Europe to the US East Coast reads $2,666 per 40ft on the Freightos Baltic Index lane series as of 17 September, against $2,366 on 26 August. That is 300 dollars more in three weeks, a bigger move than Shanghai to New York made over a comparable three week span. What this means for an importer: the freight advantage an EU supplier carried last month is thinning, so if you dual source the same goods, reprice both origins before you commit fourth quarter volume.

Drewry's cancelled sailings tracker counts 79 blank sailings out of 721 planned on the major East-West trades between 14 September and 18 October, an 11% cancellation rate, and 52% of those cancellations sit on the transpacific eastbound. Eight transpacific blank sailings are announced for next week, up from seven this week. Congestion at Shanghai eased from 94 hours in week 35 to 64 hours in week 36 on the same Drewry reading. What this means for an importer: roughly one planned sailing in nine on the main East-West trades will not run, and more than half of the cuts fall eastbound out of Asia. Take the vessel and voyage number on the confirmation and check the string again a week before cut off. For India origins, CMA CGM has announced peak season surcharges on South Asia to US lanes while most carriers are not planning an October increase, per the Freightos update of 15 September.

August 2026 import volumes, Descartes Global Shipping Report and port authority statistics

August was up 3.8% on July and 21.5% above August 2019, the third highest month on record per Descartes. China origin volume was 884,318 TEU, up 1.3% on July, though China's share of US imports slipped from 34.8% in July to 34.0% in August. Los Angeles ran 7% above its five year August average. The NRF and Hackett Associates Global Port Tracker expects September to be the busiest import month of the year at 2.31 million TEU. What this means for an importer: nothing in the volume data says the system is short of cargo, which is why the blanked sailings above bite, so book October space now instead of waiting for a quiet week.

From 18 September, CBP can immediately void an importer of record number if the CBP Form 5106 information on file is inaccurate or incomplete, under the Federal Register notice published 19 August, doc 2026-16911. A voided number is invalid for any purpose, including making entry. What this means for an importer: pull your own 5106 this week and check the legal name, physical address and tax identification against what is current. Every entry files under that number, and a void stops entries, not just paperwork.

The Section 338 measures on Canada changed twice this month. Proclamations issued 8 September added 122 HTSUS classifications to the 50% duty list and removed 10, effective for goods entered for consumption on or after 15 September, per CBP CSMS #69851916. Three further proclamations replace the duty with an outright import ban on specified Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles with engines over 800cc from 29 September, and USMCA gives no relief from either the duty or the ban. Goods already imported but not entered for consumption before 29 September stay on the 50% duty rather than the ban. What this means for an importer: for those three categories, classification is now a yes or no question rather than a cost question. Check your HTSUS lines against the 15 September list, and if a shipment is on the water, get it entered before 29 September.

Merchandise Processing Fee limits change for fiscal year 2027 on 1 October: the minimum goes to $34.58 and the maximum to $670.86, with the ad valorem rate unchanged at 0.3464%, per Federal Register doc 2026-15530. What this means for an importer: only the smallest and largest entries move, so if you file many low value entries, re-run the minimum fee into your landed cost.

The Section 301 forced labor tariffs remain in force and unresolved, with the Court of International Trade proceeding on a representative case that covers the 25 state complaint and the small business plaintiffs, and oral argument set for 30 September. What this means for an importer: there is no refund path yet, so keep entry summaries and duty payments documented shipment by shipment while the case runs. Current exposure by list is in our Section 301 guide.