China trade talks with rolling deadlines has one big beneficiary: air freight

The uncertainty of the Trump Administration's ongoing trade talks with China, which have spurred multiple "deadlines," has fueled airfreight traffic. Global air cargo volumes jumped 5% year-on-year in July, according to Xeneta, as a result of global shippers trying to get their goods into the U.S. before the latest deadline of Aug. 12. This need for speed has also expanded air freight volumes on other trade routes. The China trade deadline was extended in May to next Tuesday. "While this state of tariff flux exists, air cargo gives shippers the opportunity to respond quicker and 'that's what they're playing with," said Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer of Xeneta. "My best assessment is that the confusion is encouraging more companies to use airfreight than would like to, but air