Trendwatch: Trump threatens 5% tariff on Mexico goods; China’s exports top expectations on strong sales to non-US markets; Retailers see container import hangover for 2026

Trump threatens 5% tariff on Mexico goods

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to install a 5% tariff on imports from Mexico due to the country’s alleged failure to comply with a treaty governing the flow of water between the two nations.

Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday that Mexico has fallen short of its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty by 800,000 acre-feet of water and demanded the country release at least 200,000 acre-feet of water by the end of the year and the remaining “soon after.”

China’s exports top expectations on strong sales to non-US markets

China's exports topped forecasts in November, driven by a surge in shipments to non-U.S. markets as manufacturers deepen trade ties with the rest of the world in light of President Donald Trump's prohibitively high tariffs.

The world's second-largest economy has ramped up efforts to diversify its export markets since Trump won last November's presidential election, pursuing closer trade ties with Southeast Asia and the European Union, and leveraging Chinese firms' global footprint to establish new production hubs for low-tariff access.

Retailers see container import hangover for 2026

Meet the New Year, same as the Old Year. 

The effects of rising tariffs are expected to tamp down import demand, the leading retail industry trade group predicts, as policy-driven uncertainty rolls on into 2026.

The recent months of year-over-year declines in import cargo volume through the busiest U.S. container ports is expected to continue in the New Year, according to data from the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker.

CMA CGM service to return to Suez Canal transits

CMA CGM’s INDAMEX service is set to return to transiting the Suez Canal on both the fronthaul and backhaul voyages, shaving two weeks from the service’s current full rotation time.

2008-built, 6,000 teu CMA CGM Verdi will be the first ship to complete a full loop of the new service when it reaches New York on 15 January 2026, a lap that will take 77 days.

COSCO supercharges expansion with $7bn order for 87 ships

China’s state-run shipping COSCO, the world’s largest shipowner, has placed a massive order for 87 newbuildings with yards under China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), sealing the largest single domestic shipbuilding contract ever awarded in the country.

The deal, worth more than RMB50bn (about $7.07bn), includes containerships, tankers, bulk carriers and multipurpose vessels, and will be distributed across several of CSSC’s leading facilities, including Jiangnan Shipyard, Guangzhou Shipyard International, Wuchang Shipbuilding, Dalian Shipbuilding, Beihai Shipbuilding and Chengxi Shipyard.

IATA: Cargo volumes to rise 2.4% in 2026

Air cargo volumes in 2026 are expected to increase 2.4% year on year, according to IATA’s latest analysis.

The trade body said air cargo volumes are expected to reach 71.6m tonnes in 2026, noting that the "resilience in air cargo has been particularly impressive" within the context of the challenges the market has faced.

Morocco expanding deepwater ports network with new Mediterranean and Atlantic hubs

Morocco will open a new deepwater Mediterranean port next year and another on the Atlantic in 2028, Equipment and Water minister Nizar Baraka said, as the North African country aims to replicate the success of Africa’s largest port, Tanger Med. 

Nador West Med, under construction on the Mediterranean, is scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2026, Baraka told Reuters in an interview.

EASA approves TAM's Saab 2000 freighter conversion programme

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved Täby Air Maintenance’s (TAM) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its Saab 2000 freighter conversion.

The Sweden-based MRO and aircraft conversion specialist announced the EASA’s approval of its Saab 2000 conversion STC in a press release.

Maritime health experts welcome STCW amendments - but urge against checkbox compliance

As the maritime industry gears up to welcome the IMO’s STCW bullying and harassment training amendments, health experts are urging shipowners to treat this as more than just a box-ticking exercise.

From January 2026, crews will receive additional training on the effects of bullying and harassment onboard, incorporating a trauma-informed approach that recognizes how these experiences can affect individuals differently.