Featured Headlines:

• Yes, it IS unkind to make you dust off your Greek mythology binders right before the holidays! For this, we are as sorry, Prometheus, for showing man fire (no, really!).
• To make this story make any sense, let’s quickly review some biggie Greek myths: King Sisyphus pushes that boulder up a mountain; Atlas holds up the heavens; Tantalus must remain eternally thirsty and hungry; and for showing us fire…gulp…Prometheus must have an eagle eat his regenerating liver daily. And you thought the Greeks were a joyous happy people drinking white wine and eating olives while playing lyres!
• With that refresher complete, welcome to the Trans-Pacific, where carriers wander the marketplace like dazed philosophers arguing over rates instead of the meaning of life. As the slow season drags on and contract talks loom, this trade lane has become a full-blown Dionysian festival—lots of movement, very little discipline, and absolutely no ringmaster in sight.
• On the West Coast, rates slipped 6% to $1,963/FEU after a brief GRI pop that vanished faster than Icarus’s wings. The East Coast, meanwhile, managed an 8% climb to $3,150/FEU—only to remain 15% below last month. One lane rises, one lane falls, and Zeus himself couldn’t explain why. Shippers are left watching the action like a tragic chorus muttering, “Didn’t this happen last week?”
• Carriers can at least claim they’ve kept rates above October’s rock-bottom depths—$1,400/FEU westbound and $3,000/FEU eastbound—by repeatedly nudging GRIs uphill. But every time the boulder nears the summit, gravity kicks in. Sisyphus would like a word with your pricing team.
• GRIs, for their part, have become an elegant but perilous Greek dance. Step too lightly and nothing changes. Step too hard and shippers flee to the spot market like villagers escaping a Cyclops. Timing, balance, and restraint are everything—and rarely achieved.
• Meanwhile, capacity keeps flooding in like the Trojan Horse nobody bothered to inspect. New vessels are entering a market already soft from weak Q4 demand, and analysts warn that mid-month GRIs won’t survive until the annual pre–Lunar New Year scramble awakens buyers from their winter slumber.
• As if the gods hadn’t complicated matters enough, forecasting is clouded by mortal politics. Some U.S. manufacturers are pausing imports altogether, wagering that Trump’s emergency tariffs may be struck down by the Supreme Court—a move that feels less like strategy and more like consulting the Oracle of Delphi and hoping she’s in a good mood.
• Cross the Mediterranean, however, and the mood changes entirely. On Asia–Europe lanes, rates are holding steady and resolute, like Athena with her shield firmly planted. Asia–Med remained at $3,342/FEU after multiple successful GRIs, while Asia–North Europe stood its ground at $2,449/FEU.
• Demand there is inching higher as shippers start pre–Lunar New Year orders early, still haunted by memories of the 2023–24 Red Sea disruptions. Once burned by Poseidon’s wrath, Europe now plans its voyages carefully—and, for once, the gods appear satisfied.

• Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are givin’ Bawlmer the old “we’ll call you later” on several North Europe–North America services, reshufflin’ their Gemini cooperation just to keep the clock from goin’ up. Starting January 4, 2026, Philly steps in for Baltimore on Maersk’s TA3 loop. It’s not you, hon—it’s your transit time.
• The refreshed Maersk TA3 run goes Southampton → Rotterdam → Hamburg → Wilhelmshaven → Newark → Norfolk → Philadelphia → St. John → Southampton, which is a long way of sayin’ the box is walkin’ past Bawlmer on the pavement and pretendin’ it didn’t see ya.
• Hapag-Lloyd is doin’ the same two-step, omittin’ Baltimore on its AL1 and USW services “for schedule recovery.” Translation: yo, schedule went up, and even ocean carriers need a spa day and a Natty Boh before they’re ready to face the world again.
• None of this is happenin’ in a vacuum, dummy. Bawlmer’s still crawlin’ out from under the 2024 Key Bridge collapse—a mess that’s takin’ longer and costin’ more than anyone ordered off the menu. That said, the port was startin’ to feel like itself again when CSX finally reopened the Howard Street Tunnel, lettin’ double-stack trains roll like they’re headed down the ocean.
• And don’t get it twisted, hon—this port still wears the ro-ro crown. In 2024, Baltimore moved about 750,000 cars and light trucks and 850,000 tons of heavy equipment, haulin’ more steel than a bushel of jimmies at Lexington Market. Containers, though? They took a hard hit. Volumes slid 41%, from 1.26 million TEUs in 2023 down to an estimated 741,215 TEUs, thanks to the bridge disaster.
• And if all this feels a little chaotic, a little offbeat, and unapologetically Bawlmer—well, that’s on brand. This whole episode plays like a John Waters production: schedules skipping town, containers taking detours, and the port itself standing there in leopard print daring everyone to look away. Call it Hairspray with a hard hat, or Pink Flamingos with gantry cranes—messy, loud, slightly uncomfortable, and unmistakably Baltimore.
• So yeah, some carriers are steppin’ back off the pavement for now, takin’ a fug, checkin’ their watches, and pretendin’ Philly’s close enough. But Bawlmer’s been written off before. Ask any hon at the bar with a Natty Boh—this port’s stubborn, scrappy, and still very much in the game.
• Need a translation on the above from a Baltimore native?! Contact [email protected] to get started today!

• Think of this as a refresher course in wood-packing grammar: the temporary pause on enforcing the ISPM-15 hyphen requirement officially ends December 31, 2025, and the red pen comes back out on January 1, 2026.
• Under International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM-15), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) requires the country (ISO) code and treatment facility number to be separated by a hyphen (for example: XX-000). That punctuation mark is not optional—it’s part of the official format.
• From March through December 31, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has exercised discretion and generally not taken enforcement action solely for a missing hyphen. That flexibility ends with the calendar year.
• Beginning January 1, 2026, all Wood Packing Material (WPM) must fully comply with the ISPM-15 marking format, hyphen included, with no soft enforcement period.
• Shipments arriving with non-compliant markings may be held at the port, ordered re-exported, assessed penalties, or required to undergo reconditioning, depending on the circumstances.
• The hyphen isn’t just a style choice—it plays a role in preserving the integrity of the ISPM-15 program and helping regulators distinguish legitimate markings from fraudulent or misleading stamps.
• For shipments already in transit that will arrive after December 31, 2025, importers may need to explore diversion to another country for reconditioning if wood packing materials cannot be corrected before arrival.
• If an importer becomes aware of a marking issue ahead of arrival, proactive self-reporting to APHIS and CBP is strongly encouraged.
• Final exam takeaway: in 2026, ISPM-15 is enforcing proper punctuation—and forgetting a hyphen could turn a routine entry into a grammar lesson at the port.
• For additional information, please refer to: TIN # 67042554 – Stakeholder Reminder: Suspension of ISPM 15 Hyphen Requirement Ends December 31, 2025

• As we close out 2025, it’s a good moment to channel that Santa energy and check your compliance list—then check it twice. For importers, that means taking a fresh look at how reasonable care is being applied across your supply chain.
• Regulatory expectations haven’t slowed this year. From tariffs and forced labor enforcement to marking rules and partner vetting, reasonable care remains an active, ongoing obligation, not a once-a-year check-the-box exercise.
• Year-end is an ideal time to audit your processes: supplier documentation, tariff classifications, valuation practices, recordkeeping, and yes—your customs brokerage relationships.
• Ask yourself: are your internal controls still accurate? Are your partners communicating changes? And do you have clear visibility into who’s responsible for what when it comes to compliance?
• A proactive review now can help reduce risk, prevent surprises at the port, and set you up for a smoother start to 2026—because nobody wants enforcement actions under the tree.
• Need a place to start? Shapiro’s Reasonable Care Checklist is designed to help importers assess gaps, ask the right questions, and strengthen compliance from end to end: https://www.shapiro.com/resources/reasonable-care-a-checklist-for-compliance/
• And if you’d rather talk it through, our compliance team is always happy to help—reach out at [email protected].

Para bailar La Bamba,
Para bailar La Bamba,
Se necesita una poca de gracia…
annnnnd apparently, a whole lot of tariffs.

• Mexico just smashed open a very colorful tariff piñata, and—¡ay caramba!—the candy inside is pricey. With a swing of the bat, the government approved new duties on more than 1,400 imported products, some flying as high as 50%. Arriba, y arriba… the prices go, ¡the prices go!

Yo no soy marinero…
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitán.

• Mexico isn’t sailing blindly here—it’s steering the ship. The target list is long and loud: autos and auto parts, steel, aluminum, plastics, clothes, appliances, toys, shoes, and textiles. Basically, if it can be drop-shipped desde Shenzhen o Seoul, Mexico just yelled “Bamba!” and slapped on a new price tag.
• These dance moves hit countries without free trade agreements—lo siento, amigos—including China, South Korea, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. In total, the tariffs cover about $52 billion a year, roughly 8–9% of Mexico’s total imports. That’s a muy grande slice—though Mexico, famously, knows how to slice an avocado just right.

 Se necesita una poca de gracia,

• Most tariff lines land around 35%, while some especially sensitive goods—steel, textiles, cosmetics, auto parts, and specialty vehicles—go full chorus at 50%. Bamba, bamba!
• This isn’t just music; it’s politics. For years, Mexican citizens and manufacturers have complained about cheap Chinese imports undercutting local industry. The government says this move helps protect more than 320,000 domestic jobs—pa’ mí, pa’ ti, para la fábrica down the street.
• And there’s a bridge in this song—rrr, jaja—because Washington is listening. The tariffs also read like a peace offering to the U.S., where the Trump administration has warned that Chinese firms might be using Mexico as a backdoor into the American supply chain.
• Mexico’s answer? “No soy marinero… soy capitán.” We run our own deck.

Para bailar La Bamba,
Para bailar La Bamba,

• You need rhythm, timing, and just enough pressure on the strings. Mexico has turned trade policy into a dance—graceful on the surface, forceful in the swing, and loud enough for everyone to hear when the piñata finally breaks.
• Closing Note:  Ritchie Valens, the Mexican-American pioneer who made La Bamba rock, lived fast, broke barriers, and died tragically at just 17 in the 1959 plane crash with Buddy Holly. His brief, painful biography mirrors the song’s legacy: joy, innovation, and cultural impact—compressed into a heartbreakingly short run.

• Railroads Are Suddenly Overachievers
  • US Class I railroads have logged a year of surprisingly steady, reliable intermodal service.
  • Intermodal train speeds have beaten year-over-year (YoY) levels for 30 straight weeks, with January–November averages up across all railroads, per AAR data.
  • Only 10 intermodal trains per day were held nationwide due to crews, locomotives, or miscellaneous gremlins—which is less than half the combined average of 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
  • Union Pacific’s (UP) West Coast service is the teacher’s pet of 2025, posting a positive Intermodal Service Z-Score every single week.
• TIA and FBI Tag-Team Cargo Fraud
  • The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) formed a new partnership with the FBI to aggregate cargo theft and fraud incidents across nearly 2,000 members.
  • TIA launched a hotline for brokers and intermediaries to report suspected fraud or theft with no dollar minimum.
  • The FBI’s cargo theft page lists CargoNet and TAPA as platform partners as fraud levels climb, much of it coordinated by actors outside the US.
• Truckload Rates Get a Winter Workout
  • U.S. truckload spot rates jumped as cold weather, snowstorms, and a compressed holiday shopping season squeezed capacity heading into Christmas. Mother Nature is apparently moonlighting as a pricing strategist.
  • Spot rates on the top 50 lanes rose 4% during the first week of December, according to DAT. Typical early-December increases average flat to 1% across 2020–2024.
  • They also attribute the spike to frigid temperatures and widespread Midwest/Northeast snowfall, with more storms and arctic air inbound.
  • A shorter shopping season is adding extra pressure, forcing retailers to ship quickly before shoppers remember they still need gifts.
• Immigration Rules Stir Debate in Trucking
  • The trucking industry is split on whether tougher federal restrictions on non-domiciled CDL holders will meaningfully affect pricing. Some argue it will tighten capacity; others insist only demand recovery will end the three-year freight slump.
  • The US Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates roughly 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders could lose eligibility under a proposed rule barring certain immigrants.
  • Under the proposal, only drivers with H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visas could retain valid non-domiciled CDLs, but the D.C. Circuit has put the rule on indefinite hold.
  • New York came under sharp criticism from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who threatened to withhold $73M in highway funds over improperly issued licenses. Investigators found more than half of 200 reviewed licenses were issued incorrectly.