Shenzhen cargo curbs for APEC summit hit peak season airfreight

China–US airfreight rates have already hit last December's peak — more than $8/kg, three weeks early — just as Shenzhen's airport heads into a five-day cargo squeeze for the APEC summit.

Freightos data published today shows China–US prices up 3% last week, matching a high last year's market only reached in mid-December. China–Europe rates climbed 11% to $4.87/kg, up 23% year on year. Into that tight market comes a security-driven clampdown at mainland China's third-largest cargo airport.

The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting runs in Shenzhen on 18–19 November, with the main cargo restrictions covering 16–20 November. Operators have announced embargoes, longer handling times and changes to collection and delivery.

What are carriers refusing?

ANA Cargo, in a notice issued yesterday, bars dangerous goods through 20 November — including excepted quantities and goods normally unrestricted under special provisions. Already-booked dangerous goods travelling 9–15 November can still fly; new bookings cannot.

From 16–20 November, ANA will also refuse:

• perishables and PRIO products
• time-sensitive shipments
• cargo exceeding AKE container-door dimensions
• shipper-built units, except those in AKE containers

The rules cover arrivals, departures and air-to-air connections through Shenzhen. Air-to-road connections escape the transit provision. Accepted exports must be tendered at least 12 hours before departure; imports become available for collection at least eight hours after arrival. ANA blames instructions from local authorities.

Teleport goes further. It says international passenger flights arriving at or departing Shenzhen cannot carry cargo between midnight on 16 November and 6pm on 20 November, local time, and has told agents and terminal operators not to accept or handle freight on affected services. The notices differ in scope, and no airport-wide embargo covering all operators has been independently established.

UPS is adjusting import, export, collection and delivery services in selected areas from 12–21 November, citing traffic controls and enhanced screening. On the ground, Shenzhen police have banned dangerous-goods vehicles from all city roads, including expressways, on 16–20 November. Other freight vehicles face restrictions on specified roads and in selected districts at different times. The city's Ports Office wants cross-border freight companies to bring stock movements forward, postpone non-urgent orders and stagger journeys during summit week.

Dimerco warned in its 3 November freight report that APEC "may halt Shenzhen terminal acceptance on 16–20 November", and advised customers to plan South China exports around the restrictions. It also flagged APEC and winter schedule changes as constraints on freighter and belly capacity through the year-end peak.

What does this change for shippers?

Rerouting, mostly — and at a price. Hong Kong and Guangzhou are the obvious alternatives, and Geodis recommends considering both. But Zencargo cautions that Shenzhen flight cancellations will push cargo into Guangzhou, leaving "very tight space" on services to Europe and the US. Shippers who wait will bid for scraps.

The exposure is broad. Shenzhen handled roughly 2.05m tonnes of cargo and mail in 2025, including 1.06m tonnes of international and regional traffic. The airport has built specialist handling for lithium batteries, battery-containing electronics and vaping products — established export flows now sitting squarely inside the dangerous goods restrictions. Its first-half report records the launch of bonded e-cigarette export operations this year.

Perishables are exposed too. Shenzhen processed 25,000 tonnes of fresh and cold-chain imports in the first half of 2026, up 37.1% year on year. The total tonnage affected by the restrictions has not been established.

Taiwan's backlog drags into Q4

The region's problems don't stop at Shenzhen. Congestion at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport is expected to delay freighter operations throughout Q4, extending disruption previously reported by The Loadstar.

In an update yesterday, Expeditors said ground handlers were serving 80–90 additional freighters a month above regular commercial flights. Exports of AI servers and semiconductor equipment, plus imports of equipment, raw materials and server parts, have stretched resources. Imports awaiting breakdown had occupied cargo dollies needed to move exports to the ramp. Dolly availability has improved, but staffing constraints and the residual backlog mean recovery stays gradual.

China Airlines' freighter services have taken the worst of it. "Freighter delays are expected throughout Q4," Expeditors said, though it does not expect large-scale cancellations to continue. Further cancellations remain possible as handlers clear the backlog, with longer handling times, delayed import availability and onward connections the lingering concerns.

With the summit window landing dead centre in peak season, and rates already at December levels, shippers moving lithium products, perishables or time-critical freight out of South China face a simple choice: book around the 16–20 November window now, or pay for the diversion later.