Markets & rates
Freight rates are stabilising as capacity returns to the world’s busiest lanes.
Trusted by 3.5M+ trade professionals worldwide
Global trade is opening up.
Record volumes, new corridors and falling barriers — the good news from the world’s shipping lanes, ports and trade desks, every single month.
Trade is growing again
Across every ocean and border, goods are moving further, faster and cheaper than a decade ago. This desk follows the routes, terminals and deals that keep those volumes climbing — and the people making it happen.
Policy & regulation
New trade agreements are cutting tariffs on the goods people rely on most.
People & ports
Record investment is modernising the docks, terminals and crews that keep cargo flowing.
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Trade Despatch
Trade is up. So is the confidence behind it.
Monthly readers68,000+
Readers across 68+ countries every single month
Worldwide readers
Desk subscribers in trading houses, forwarders and ministries on five continents.
68+ countries covered
Correspondents reporting from the ports and corridors where trade is expanding fastest.
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Breaking market figures stay open to every reader, paid or not.
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No sponsored coverage of carriers, terminals or trade policy.
One publication for every lane of trade.
From record air-cargo volumes to new ocean corridors and reopened rail links, our desks chart the growth in each mode independently — or as one connected story of expanding commerce.
Air Cargo
Volumes keep climbing as new freighter routes open across Asia, the Gulf and the Americas.
Ocean Freight
Container throughput is at a record high as fresh services link once-isolated ports.
Road & Rail
Cross-border trucking and rail corridors are cutting transit times across whole continents.
Warehousing & Trade
Smarter storage is helping goods reach shelves faster, fresher and cheaper.
How the desk works.
STEP 01
Field report
Our correspondents file from ports, terminals and customs desks across six continents.
STEP 02
Verify
Every figure is checked against carrier data, port authorities and independent sources before it runs.
STEP 03
Analyse
We turn raw trade flows into context your team can actually plan around.
STEP 04
Publish
Long-form, data-rich journalism delivered in print and digital on the same day.
STEP 05
Follow up
Stories stay live with updates as markets, routes and policy shift.
Know where trade stands — and what happens next.
- Real-time rate updates
- Arrival & dwell visibility
- Document & customs status
- Policy watch alerts
- Dedicated desk contact
Follow the volumes, rates and policy wins shaping your market in one clear view. When momentum shifts, your team gets the numbers to seize it.
Good news from global trade.
A running digest of the deals, forecasts and records opening real markets this quarter — dated, sourced and explained.
AgreementOctober 27, 2026
Canada and the UAE sign a major trade agreement
Canada and the UAE have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that will cut or remove tariffs on more than 99% of Canada’s existing exports to the UAE — spanning agriculture, industrial machinery, aerospace, energy and environmental services.
Why it mattersLower trade costs, wider access to Middle East markets and fresh bilateral investment. The deal still needs parliamentary approval and is expected to take effect in 2027.
In forceOctober 20, 2026
India–New Zealand free trade agreement enters into force
The India–New Zealand free trade agreement took effect on October 20. 57% of New Zealand’s exports can now enter India duty-free, and tariff-free coverage for forestry products tops 95%.
Why it mattersMore trade in agricultural goods, timber, dairy and beyond — creating new international market openings for businesses in both countries.
ForecastOctober 8, 2026
WTO lifts its 2026 global merchandise trade growth forecast to 3.9%
The World Trade Organization has raised its forecast for 2026 global merchandise trade volume growth from 1.9% to 3.9%, with 4.1% expected in 2027. AI infrastructure investment is a key driver: trade in AI-related goods such as semiconductors and servers rose 67% year-on-year in the first half of 2026.
Why it mattersChip, server and data-centre supply chains look set to win more international orders.
SignatureSeptember 11, 2026
EU–India free trade agreement advances to signature and ratification
The European Commission has submitted proposals to move the EU–India free trade agreement into formal signature and ratification. The deal covers goods, services, tariff preferences and customs procedures; by trade value, over 99% of India’s exports to the EU could gain preferential market access.
Why it mattersStronger Europe–Asia supply-chain cooperation and more trade in auto parts, machinery, chemicals, textiles and services.
IntegrationSeptember 20, 2026
ASEAN accelerates economic integration as regional trade expands
The 58th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting pushed regional economic integration forward and deepened cooperation with external partners. ASEAN’s economy grew 4.9% in 2025 and is forecast to grow 4.5% in 2026 — above projected global growth.
Why it mattersSupports Southeast Asia’s manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, logistics, agriculture and regional supply chains.
RecordOctober 7, 2026
Globalisation hits an all-time high as trade shows its resilience
The DHL Global Connectedness Report, produced with NYU Stern, shows globalisation reaching a record 25.8%. Global merchandise trade was strong in the first half of 2026, with trade in East Asia and the Pacific up 24% year-on-year over the first five months and Europe up 12%.
Why it mattersCross-border supply chains, international logistics and global market connectivity all retain strong momentum.
Sectors shaping how trade operates.
Breakthroughs that move markets.
What our readers say about us?
From small forwarders to global shippers, readers brief their teams from the same pages every week.
“Before we started reading this desk, our team pieced together rates from a dozen newsletters. Now we brief the board from a single source every Monday.”
“The policy desk flagged the new duties a full week before our carriers did.”
“The port-congestion data alone reshaped how we plan every single shipment.”
Recent wins for global trade.
The numbers behind this quarter’s good news — every figure dated and sourced by our trade desk.
+3.9%
The WTO’s upgraded forecast for global merchandise trade growth in 2026, raised from 1.9%.
World Trade Organization · Oct 8, 202699%+
Share of Canada’s exports to the UAE set to become tariff-free under the new CEPA.
Reuters · Oct 27, 202657%
Share of New Zealand’s exports that can now enter India duty-free as the new FTA takes effect.
NZ Foreign Affairs & Trade · Oct 20, 202625.8%
A record globalisation score in the DHL Global Connectedness Report — the highest ever measured.
DHL · Oct 7, 2026FAQs
We understand that following global trade raises a lot of questions. Here are the ones readers ask us most.
Shipping markets, trade policy, ports and the supply chains behind them — with a full magazine every month, a searchable archive and a weekly rates and capacity briefing. All of it free to read.
A full print and digital edition ships every month, with breaking trade news and market updates published on the website daily across six continents.
Yes. Our correspondents report in 68+ countries, with dedicated desks for Asia-Pacific, the Gulf, Latin America and intra-Africa corridors alongside the established Atlantic trades.
Yes — our stories are free to read and share. Forward the weekly briefing to colleagues, or republish short summaries internally with credit.
We cross-check carrier schedules, port-authority statistics, customs records and on-the-ground reporting. Every figure is sourced, and corrections are published openly.
From the newsroom
Warehouse & inventory: the new growth engine
