Maersk North America Market Update November 2026

November brings a shift in focus for North American supply chains as the heightened import peak season starts to ease. However, transportation networks still struggle with localized capacity constraints, rising operating expenses, and weather-induced disruptions.

According to Drewry's October evaluation, the global container market appears more balanced, although conditions remain uneven across individual lanes. Capacity limitations, seasonal cargo movements, and weather-related disruptions continue to impact the flow of goods through inland networks.

The North American trade and regulatory landscape is evolving, necessitating specific priorities for shippers. These include accurate importer records in the United States, examination of potential surtax relief in Canada, and readiness for Mexico's Customs Law changes. Further details on these matters are provided below.

The ocean freight market remains diverse across North America's main trade lanes. Strong demand fuels volumes on several routes, while capacity limitations, seasonal cargo flows, and weather-related disruptions influence booking availability and transit planning. Transatlantic updates indicate strong demand from North Europe, with capacity available into Miami and TA3 service opportunities for extra volume into Newark.

However, the U.S. West Coast remains constrained due to constraints across connecting Pacific services. For cargo headed to Canada, demand from North Europe remains robust, but low water levels are reducing capacity on CAE. Montreal-to-Port-Meethes routing offers an alternative for suitable shipments. Shippers are urged to schedule bookings three to four weeks in advance for improved schedule reliability.

In terms of transpacific updates, the Asia-North America market continues to face strong demand despite higher terminal wait times due to recent typhoon-related disruptions in Asia. Although conditions have improved across the wider network, intermittent delays may still impact certain trade lanes. Maersk's East Asia advisory offers further updates.

Shippers moving perishable commodities are advised to coordinate seasonal requirements in advance and review available service options. In the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region, despite seasonal easing, demand remains relatively strong. Congestion at Colombo is expected to persist, potentially affecting cargo transit times and connection planning, and customers are advised to confirm transshipment timing and allow sufficient flexibility for shipments moving through affected hubs.

Africa--North America corridor updates show seasonal commodity movements supporting demand. In West Africa, cut-flower volumes are straining available space, while East Africa continues to experience solid apparel and textile volumes leading up to the holidays. South Africa is shifting from citrus exports towards grape season. Shippers are advised to share shipment forecasts and book early to enable teams to assess available space and routing options.

The air freight update reveals that AI-related goods now account for approximately 30% of all U.S. air import volumes by weight, up from 29.7% in Q2 2026 and from 27.4% in Q1 2026. AI-related cargo has driven the increase in global air freight demand, excluding low-value goods, which grew by 9% to 11% year over year. While AI is a significant driver of air freight growth, fuel costs, trade policy changes, and geopolitical developments continue to impact capacity, routing, and transit times.

Shippers moving time-sensitive or high-value inventory should plan ahead by securing capacity commitments early, diversifying routing options, sharing forecasts with logistics partners, and incorporating flexibility into inventory strategies to manage capacity constraints and transit-time variability throughout the holiday period.