US Logistics Update [May 16, 2026]-English

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on the 13th that the U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) for April rose 6% year-over-year. The core PPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also surged 5.2% compared to April 2025. Since the PPI reflects changes in raw material and intermediate goods prices first, it serves as a barometer for predicting future changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). A rise in the PPI indicates increased cost burdens for businesses, which can lead to reduced corporate profits or higher consumer prices. The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April, released the previous day, rose 3.8% compared to the same month last year, while the core CPI rose 2.8%, marking a three-year high. Although the sharp rise in oil prices due to the war in Iran is the main cause of inflation, as seen in the surge in the core PPI, inflation appears to be spreading across the board, not just in food and energy.

Such examples of rising prices are easily found in various places. According to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of gasoline in the U.S. stood at $4.52 per gallon as of the 12th, an increase of $1.38 from $3.14 a year ago. The average price of raw beef for steaks was also recorded at $13.02 per pound (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), setting a new all-time high—a 70% increase compared to January 2020. Ahead of the November midterm elections, the Trump administration is rolling out various measures to stabilize prices. To stabilize beef prices, it has temporarily suspended the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) system applied to imported beef and is pushing to suspend the collection of federal gasoline taxes; however, Americans’ concerns about long-term inflation are deepening. Consequently, expectations for an interest rate cut have all but faded, and a sentiment is spreading that an interest rate hike may actually be necessary.

Kevin Warsh Confirmed as Fed Chair… A Narrowest-Ever Confirmation in 47 Years

Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on the 13th as the 17th Chair of the Federal Reserve (Fed), often referred to as the “economic president” of the world. The Senate vote was 54 to 45, the narrowest margin since 1977. Warsh is expected to face conflict with the Federal Reserve Board, which has taken a cautious stance amid pressure from President Trump to cut interest rates.

North American Vessel Dwell Times  

Port of Los Angeles Sees 5.7% Increase in April Cargo Volume… Sets “Second-Highest Ever” Record Driven by Imports

The Port of Los Angeles has drawn industry attention by recording its second-highest monthly volume on record in April 2026, with cargo volume increasing by more than 5% year-over-year. According to an announcement by the Port of Los Angeles on the 13th, the port handled a total of 890,861 TEUs in April, marking a 5.7% increase compared to the same period last year. In detail, imports totaled 459,285 TEU, up 5% year-over-year and surging 21% month-over-month. In contrast, exports totaled 127,726 TEU, down 0.5% year-over-year and continuing to show weakness, while empty containers totaled 303,310 TEU, up 10%. Cumulative cargo volume from January to April this year was 3,279,704 TEU, a 2% decrease from the previous year, but it remains 2% higher than the average for the past five years.

U.S. Retail Imports Expected to Slow in Second Half Despite Short-Term Rebound… Year-Over-Year Weakness to Persist Through Fall

While retail container imports into major U.S. ports are showing a short-term rebound, the overall trend is expected to remain weaker year-over-year through the fall of 2026. According to the Global Port Tracker report released in early May by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and shipping consultancy Hackett Associates, container import volumes to the U.S. in May and June are expected to increase year-over-year to 2.17 million TEU (+11.1%) and 2.13 million TEU (+8.2%), respectively. However, this is largely due to a base effect resulting from the sharp decline in imports following the introduction of “Liberation Day” tariffs in April of last year, and actual trends are showing signs of slowing. Reflecting this, the report forecasts a return to a downward trend after the summer, with 2.2 million TEU (-7.8%) in July, 2.19 million TEU (-5.5%) in August, and 2.08 million TEU (-1.3%) in September. The report analyzes that the primary causes of this are rising inflation and declining consumer confidence, which are weakening consumer spending power, while external uncertainties, such as geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran, are putting pressure on the trade environment. In addition, the ongoing volatility of tariff policies is also seen as a burden on companies’ import planning. In particular, changes in tariff policies trigger front-loading demand among companies each time they occur, making this a key factor in the continuous emergence of peak seasons of varying sizes throughout the year.

Legitimate Carriers Are More at Risk… Cargo Theft Methods Becoming More Sophisticated

According to a Q1 2026 report released by logistics risk management firm Highway, approximately 50% of all cargo theft incidents occurred via carriers with valid license numbers and clean records. This indicates a shift away from crimes centered on “fake carriers,” with crimes exploiting legitimate carriers now accounting for more than half of all incidents. This demonstrates that crime is rapidly evolving from simply establishing fake companies to cleverly exploiting existing systems and trust structures. Experts point to the spread of social engineering attacks as the key driver of this shift, explaining that criminals pose as actual company employees to make contact via phone or email, steal authentication codes, or intercept legitimately dispatched cargo. In particular, analysis indicates a rise in cases where cargo is diverted through fake rerouting instructions after pickup. The scale of fraud is also on a sharp upward trend; according to the report, over 520,000 fraudulent emails were blocked during the first quarter of 2026—a roughly 50% increase year-over-year—and fraud exploiting changes in carrier ownership surged by 169.6%. These changes are also affecting verification methods in the logistics industry. Whereas verification used to be limited to checking a carrier’s registration information and insurance status, it is now necessary to additionally verify the authenticity of the entity actually performing the transport and the associated account. An industry official emphasized, “License numbers and documents alone cannot guarantee safety,” adding, “Verifying the actual operating entity is essential.” Meanwhile, some fraud appears to be linked to changes in the external regulatory environment. It has been reported that some carriers facing the threat of being forced out of the market due to stricter enforcement against non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) are attempting fraudulent transportation as a last-ditch effort to secure revenue. Experts point out that the focus of freight fraud is shifting from fake companies to “crimes disguised as trust,” and that the industry’s overall response system urgently needs to be overhauled to address this.

Self-Driving Trucks Begin Full-Scale Operations at Texas Logistics Site

Self-driving technology company Aurora and food distributor McLane recently announced that they have begun operating driverless trucks on a route connecting Dallas and Houston, marking the full-scale introduction of self-driving trucks into actual logistics operations in the United States. This operation utilizes Aurora’s Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving system, “Aurora Driver.” This technology enables driving without driver intervention under specific conditions and is currently being commercialized primarily in the long-haul transportation sector. The current operational model involves autonomous trucks handling the long-distance “middle mile” segment, while human drivers manage the “last mile” delivery to customers. The strategy is to gradually expand this model in the future. The industry views this development as a sign that autonomous trucks have moved beyond the testing phase and are now fully entering commercial logistics operations, and is closely watching them as a potential solution to structural challenges such as the driver shortage and rising logistics costs.

Amazon Enters the 3PL Market… “Is It a Marketing Move or a Structural Threat?”

As Amazon recently opened its logistics network to external companies and began its full-scale entry into the third-party logistics (3PL) market, industry assessments of this move are mixed. Some logistics and transportation industry insiders view this announcement as a simple reorganization of existing services, pointing out that Amazon has merely bundled the fulfillment and logistics services it has already provided to sellers into a single package and expanded it externally—arguing that it is not, in essence, a new business model. On the other hand, other experts interpret this move as a signal that could bring structural changes to the 3PL market in the long term, analyzing that Amazon is highly likely to gradually expand its market influence based on its massive logistics infrastructure, data, and automation capabilities. Currently, Amazon’s logistics capabilities show strengths in warehouse operations and last-mile delivery networks within the U.S., but they still have regional limitations; particularly in the international sea and air freight sectors, its competitiveness remains limited compared to existing global freight forwarders. However, the industry is focusing on Amazon’s “potential for expansion” rather than its “current level.” Since Amazon has already secured infrastructure—including aircraft, logistics centers, and delivery networks—and opened its services to external partners, the outlook is that it can rapidly strengthen its price and service competitiveness through economies of scale in the future. In any case, the impact on traditional 3PL providers is expected to be limited in the short term, and immediate competitive pressure is not anticipated to be significant, particularly in global forwarding or high-value-added specialty logistics. However, in the medium to long term, the competitive landscape is likely to be reshaped, centered on e-commerce fulfillment and the small-to-medium-sized shipper market. Ultimately, while Amazon’s entry into the 3PL market may appear to be exaggerated marketing in the short term, it is viewed as a strategic move with the potential to transform the industry structure in the long run.

Top 25 World’s Largest Air Freight Forwarder (Armstrong & Associates)

    * based on 2025 air freight volumes