Australian port terminal operators increased landside and terminal handling charges

From 1 January 2026, these annual fee adjustments affect container receival, delivery, storage, and ancillary services across major ports including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Fremantle. While these increases are driven by infrastructure investment, labour costs, and compliance requirements, they do add to overall landed costs for importers and exporters.

A Senate Select Committee on Productivity is expected to hear from ports and supply chain groups, with terminal access charges and landside competition flagged as “big ticket” issues. The committee was announced late last year and is expected to hand down its report in September.

Fremantle bridge closure is now a hard deadline for WA planning

With the Fremantle Traffic Bridge scheduled to close from 1 February, industry bodies have warned that without immediate congestion-mitigation measures, government intervention such as truck curfews or access restrictions could follow. The closure will divert a significant volume of freight traffic onto already constrained routes, increasing the risk of delays between Fremantle Port, depots, and metro receivers. Authorities and port users are being urged to accelerate off-peak truck movements, expand night and weekend receival, and maximise rail utilisation to keep freight flowing. For WA importers and exporters, this is a critical moment to review delivery windows, labour availability, and contingency routings, as even minor disruptions could quickly escalate into widespread backlog once the bridge is offline.

North Queensland weather disruptions reminded everyone how fast access can change

Townsville moved to “condition yellow” ahead of possible cyclonic conditions, with vessel schedules postponed and the port closed to shipping during the alert period. Even when the port reopens quickly, upstream road access, driver availability, and equipment positioning can lag, so don’t assume “green” instantly equals business-as-usual.

Ports and industry bodies are pushing “digital productivity” reforms

Growing pressure from port operators, freight councils, and border stakeholders to modernise how data is shared across the supply chain. The focus is on earlier and more accurate cargo reporting, better integration between shipping lines, terminals, depots, customs, and biosecurity systems, and reducing reliance on manual interventions that slow cargo release. For Australian importers and exporters, this means a higher expectation that commercial invoices, packing lists, HS classifications, VGM details, and biosecurity information are correct and lodged earlier in the cycle. While this may feel like added upfront discipline, the upside is fewer customs or DAFF holds, faster terminal releases, and lower exposure to storage, demurrage, and detention costs over time.

GLOBAL

EU carbon border tax started on 1 January

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) began on 1 January 2026, initially covering carbon-intensive goods like steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers. Australian exporters into Europe should expect customers to ask for more detailed emissions data and documentation, with any admin gaps potentially delaying customs clearance or affecting landed cost negotiations.

US trade policy: new tariffs on some advanced chips

The 25% tariff targets high-end computing chips used in data centres, AI applications, and advanced manufacturing, with the aim of protecting US national security and domestic production. While Australia is not the direct target, the knock-on effect is likely to be tighter global availability and higher prices for certain semiconductors and finished electronics, as suppliers redirect stock away from the US or reprice contracts to absorb the tariff.

Red Sea return remains a “watch this space” variable

Over the past two weeks, a small number of container and bulk vessels have resumed transits through the Suez Canal and Red Sea corridor, signalling that some carriers are quietly testing the route again rather than committing full service strings. Major carriers are still splitting networks, keeping most Asia–Europe services on Cape of Good Hope routings while selectively trialling Red Sea passages to assess real-world risk, crew safety, and cost trade-offs. If confidence improves, it could rebalance vessel supply and equipment positioning globally, but in the near term, it also means continued schedule variability as carriers hedge between two very different routing strategies.

Carriers adding capacity, but not necessarily improving reliability

While shipping lines are reintroducing vessels and upsizing loops on Asia–Europe services to capture rising voWhile shipping lines are reintroducing vessels and upsizing loops on Asia–Europe services to calumes and support higher rates, much of this capacity is being absorbed by longer transit times and network inefficiencies. Ongoing Red Sea diversions, port congestion in parts of Europe, and tighter berth windows mean vessels are still arriving off-schedule, so added ships often act as a buffer rather than delivering faster or more reliable services. The practical takeaway is that even with “more space” advertised, rolled cargo, late arrivals, and last-minute schedule changes remain a risk, making early bookings and flexible delivery planning essential.

Major container shipping lines have confirmed updated BAF (New Bunker Adjustment Factor) surcharges

Taking effect from 1 February, this largely affects Pacific regional trades and services linked to the US West Coast. While the surcharge structure varies by trade lane and container type, the change reinforces continued fuel-related cost pressure across Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific services. Importers and exporters should expect updated surcharge lines on freight invoices and factor this into landed cost planning for February sailings onward.

South Korea is pushing ahead with plans for a trial Arctic voyage

Using a container vessel, signalling renewed interest in northern sea routes as climate conditions and ice-navigation capability evolve. While this is still experimental, a viable Arctic route could eventually shorten Asia–Europe transit times and reduce fuel consumption, but it also brings higher insurance, environmental, and operational risks. Any long-term shift in Asia–Europe routing can reshape vessel deployment, transhipment patterns, and capacity availability into Oceania.

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