Do you manage your company’s procurement, imports or logistics? Then you know – perhaps better than anyone – that the rules of the game have changed dramatically. We at PAL Logistics, having spent years watching containers come and go through our ports, can say that the era of ‘as cheaply and quickly as possible’ (the famous Just-in-Time approach) is now a thing of the past. In 2026, if we may be so bold, the real victory isn’t saving the last penny on freight, but ensuring your goods reach their destination.
Today, moving cargo doesn’t just depend on a good price; it depends on understanding how the pulse of the global economy and maritime bottlenecks directly impact your operations.
A fragmented economy that hits your pocketbook
Global economic growth is progressing at a moderate rate, estimated at 2.6 per cent. This average masks two very different realities that have an impact on your international negotiations:
- United States: Its economy is slowing to 1.5 per cent amid strict fiscal policies and higher tariff barriers, which means you need to pay close attention to every tariff classification if your destination is the US.
- China: It is maintaining growth of around 4.6 per cent through measures to boost its industrial and technological exports, sustaining a steady flow of trade to our region.
- New South-South routes: If you source goods from abroad, you will notice that trade corridors between India, South-East Asia and South America are gaining momentum as European growth slows. These are viable alternatives for circumventing protectionist barriers.
- Rising operational costs: Fixed costs for energy, road transport and food continue to put pressure on your margins. Although strategic minerals such as lithium and copper are trading below their 2021–2022 record highs, leading to a slowdown in certain mining investments, demand for logistics services remains strong.
Geopolitics in Your Daily Life: More Than 18,000 Trade Barriers
Geopolitics is no longer just a distant news item in the newspaper; it has become the factor that determines whether or not your product arrives on time. Since 2020, nearly 18,000 restrictive measures have accumulated, including local subsidies, tariffs, and export controls.
The balance between Washington and Beijing remains under a fragile truce: The United States closely monitors the transfer of advanced processors and semiconductors, while China manages the supply of rare earth elements. Faced with this uncertainty, even predictive platforms are crunching numbers totaling nearly $240 billion to calculate risks in real time.
For you—who import or export from Chile and the South American Pacific coast—this means one thing: relying on a single supplier in a single country is a critical risk. Regionalization (nearshoring and friendshoring) isn’t just a trend; it’s the way to protect your inventory.
Ports and Routes: The Logistical Challenge at Sea
More than 80% of the world’s goods are transported by sea. That’s why any blockage in the straits disrupts your delivery times:
- The route around Africa is now the norm: Diverting ships around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the risks of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is no longer a temporary measure. This route adds between 10 and 14 days of sailing time to intercontinental itineraries and has led to higher war risk insurance premiums. You should factor these extra weeks directly into your sales contracts.
- Dispute over strategic corridors: While projects such as the IMEC corridor through the Port of Haifa are being planned, closed waterways like the Caspian Sea are experiencing droughts that reduce the usable draft of vessels.
- Technology at the Docks: At events like TOC Americas, we see terminals incorporating digital twins, 5G networks, and yard automation to speed up container retrieval and reduce truck lines.
- The Cost of Carbon (IMO Regulations): The International Maritime Organization requires a reduction in polluting emissions. Shipping companies are already applying direct environmental surcharges, which make transportation on older vessels more expensive and reward modern fleets.
Specific Steps to Secure Your Operations
In light of longer transit times and more rigorous customs inspections, we suggest implementing three operational measures:
- Calculate realistic safety stock levels: Operating with zero inventory today brings your business to a standstill. You need inventory buffers and should rely on off-port warehousing to store cargo near your consumption centers without paying port demurrage fees.
- Combine LCL and FCL modes: If demand is variable, don’t wait to fill an entire container (FCL). Less-than-container load (LCL) shipping allows you to maintain continuous restocking flows, freeing up working capital.
- Plan your documentation in advance: A discrepancy on the original invoice or an error in customs processing can hold your cargo up at the terminal, generating daily costs that erode your profitability.
In a demanding environment, the strength of your business depends on anticipating delays, coordinating port pickups with precision, and having a team on the ground that responds when unforeseen events arise.
How are you adapting your inventory and shipment planning to these new transit times? Learn how we manage your port operations, warehousing, and consolidation in our Logistics Services section.
Sources consulted:
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) – Emissions measures and regulations for maritime transport: imo.org
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) – World Economic Outlook: imf.org
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – Report on Maritime Transport: unctad.org