IA Insights: February 16, 2026

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Tariffs & Trade

• US agrees to cap tariffs on Taiwanese goods at 15% while expanding bilateral trade commitments with Taiwan pledging major US energy and industrial purchases and alignment on export controls in a pact pending formal implementation steps.
  
  
• The US signs a reciprocal trade agreement with Bangladesh reducing tariffs to 19% and creating textile exemptions alongside commitments for billions in US agricultural and energy purchases as part of a broader strategy to recalibrate tariff relationships across Asia.
  
  
• Freight forwarders prepare for potential IEEPA tariff refunds pending a US Supreme Court ruling with Seko Logistics investing in automated tools to identify affected entries and parse stacked duties in anticipation of complex administrative claims if tariffs are deemed unconstitutional.

Ocean Freight

• The White House’s Maritime Action Plan proposes new cargo fees on foreign-built ships and maritime investment incentives as part of a 33-page strategy to revive US shipbuilding through measures such as maritime prosperity zones and a Maritime Security Trust Fund, though most initiatives require congressional approval and funding.
  
  
• Hapag-Lloyd’s $3.5 billion bid for Zim would solidify its position among the top five global carriers by adding 704,000 TEUs to push its fleet above 3 million TEUs, further concentrating an industry where the top five lines control 64.5% of global capacity and advancing a decades-long consolidation trend that could narrow east-west service options.
  
  
• Lower freight shipments push the Drewry World Container Index down for a fifth straight week as spot rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles and New York slipped amid weak demand and a surge of blank sailings ahead of Lunar New Year, with carriers expected to trim rates further on both trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe lanes.

Truckload & LTL

• Truckload stocks swing wildly as earnings, manufacturing data and AI disruption headlines collide, with carriers citing late-quarter tightening and cost cuts but stopping short of forecasting a full recovery in 2026.
• International Roadcheck 2026 will focus on ELD tampering and cargo securement during its May 12–14 enforcement blitz as inspectors conduct 37-point inspections across North America following more than 56,000 inspections last year and elevated citations tied to record falsification and load safety.
  
  
• FMCSA finalizes stricter non-domiciled CDL rules with a five-year transition period limiting eligibility to select visa categories, mandating SAVE verification and phasing out roughly 40,000 drivers per year as credentials expire to close what regulators call a critical safety gap.
  
  
• Truckload carrier Pamt posts a fifth consecutive quarterly loss as fleet counts shrink reporting a $29.3 million headline loss driven by a large auto liability reserve adjustment and ongoing pressure in its core truckload segment despite equipment sales gains and liquidity of $144 million.
  
  
• Saia reports a fourth-quarter earnings miss amid higher insurance costs and margin pressure even as revenue edged higher year over year and the carrier continues integrating roughly 40 new service centers added during its national network expansion.

Parcel & Last-Mile

• New York City’s revived Delivery Protection Act would require last-mile warehouse operators to obtain city licenses potentially targeting Amazon’s DSP model and setting up broader litigation over joint employer status, interstate commerce authority and the scope of municipal regulation.
  
  
• FedEx targets $98 billion in revenue and 8% operating margins by fiscal 2029 through 4% compound annual revenue growth, $8 billion in adjusted operating income, tighter capital spending, and continued network integration, while excluding the planned FedEx Freight spinoff from its three-year outlook.
  
  
• FedEx will close more than 475 stations by 2027 under its Network 2.0 overhaul consolidating Ground and Express operations, shifting integration efforts toward large metro areas and aiming for $2 billion in savings while maintaining service reliability through dedicated priority routes and real-time analytics.
  
  
• FedEx narrows its e-commerce focus to higher-margin specialized B2C and premium B2B segments signaling low single-digit B2C volume growth through 2029 as it prioritizes verticals such as healthcare, automotive, aerospace and data centers over low-weight, price-sensitive residential shipments.
  
  
• FedEx’s $2.6 billion investment for a 37% stake in InPost strengthens its European out-of-home strategy giving it access to 61,000 parcel lockers and 34,000 pickup points to shift lower-density B2C volume off its network and improve utilization while InPost continues rapid, profitable expansion.
  
  
• Amazon will expand same-day pharmacy delivery to nearly 4,500 US communities by the end of 2026 adding 2,000 new cities as part of a broader push that delivered 8 billion same- or next-day Prime items in 2025 and extends faster access to prescriptions, groceries and essentials.
  
  
• USPS launches Delivered Duty Paid to let shippers prepay import duties on select international shipments initially covering Canada, Germany and the UK to reduce delivery refusals and administrative friction as tariffs and de minimis changes reshape cross-border flows.
  
  
• Teamsters sue to block UPS’s expanded driver buyout program alleging contract violations and improper direct dealing as UPS pursues additional workforce reductions to align with network downsizing and a planned $3 billion cost-cutting initiative.
  

AI & Logistics Technology

• A sharp selloff in asset-light logistics stocks prompts C.H. Robinson to defend its AI strategy and share repurchases after a 14.5% drop amid investor concerns about open-source automation tools and AI-driven brokerage disruption, with analysts reiterating confidence in large tech-enabled intermediaries’ data advantages.
  
  
• FedEx introduces AI-powered Tracking+ and Returns+ tools to answer last-mile customer questions within merchant environments embedding automated responses and anomaly detection to improve post-purchase visibility and strengthen shipper control over delivery and returns experiences.
  
  
• FedEx plans to deploy autonomous trailer unloader in 2026 moving from pilot to production units to automate one of the most physically demanding parcel hub tasks while building on prior robotics investments in sorting and trailer loading.
  
  
• Rapid AI development cycles suggest shippers can take a measured adoption approach as shrinking software build times reduce first-mover advantages, allowing logistics service providers with clearer cost-reduction mandates to shoulder heavier experimentation while shippers remain strategically patient.
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