IA Insights: January 26, 2026

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Winter Storm Fern

• Winter Storm Fern disrupts freight and transportation across the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast, with heavy snow, ice, and lingering cold expected to prolong network impacts.
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• Air, port, and inland freight operations face widespread delays, as airport closures, port shutdowns in New York–New Jersey, and disruptions at key hubs like Louisville and Memphis ripple through supply chains.
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• Power outages and limited cleanup capacity in the Southeast raise recovery risks, particularly as sub-freezing temperatures persist after snowfall ends.

Global Trade & Tariffs

• Trump threatens a 100% tariff on Canadian imports tied to a Canada–China trade pact, escalating trade uncertainty for energy, automotive, and agricultural supply chains.
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• Trump reverses planned tariffs on eight European countries, citing a framework agreement with NATO related to Greenland and Arctic security.
  
  
• Geopolitical instability forces renewed scrutiny of global shipping routes, as Red Sea security risks and Panama Canal politics complicate long-term network planning.
  

Freight Markets & Operations

Truckload & LTL

• Truckload shippers should expect contract rates to rise modestly in 2026, with Knight-Swift warning that capacity is fragile after December’s spot market surge.
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• Federal enforcement actions could remove thousands of foreign truck drivers, with large carriers arguing the crackdown may help reverse years of overcapacity and weak rates.

Rail & Intermodal

• Norfolk Southern reopens a second intermodal terminal in Louisville, adding capacity to ease congestion and reduce long truck turn times.

Ocean & Ports

• Trans-Pacific ocean contract talks favor shippers but carry hidden risk, as carriers show discipline through blank sailings despite sharply lower Asia import volumes.
  
  
• Port of Los Angeles advances a long-term expansion program, including terminal upgrades, a new chassis facility, and planning for a 200-acre Pier 500 container terminal.

Air & Multimodal

• DHL launches a China–Europe Truckair service via Central Asia, offering a nine- to 11-day multimodal alternative positioned as lower-cost than pure air freight.

Parcel & Last Mile

• USPS opens bidding for last-mile delivery capacity, allowing retailers and logistics providers to reserve same-day or next-day delivery slots at local post offices nationwide.
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• USPS proposal to require dimensional data on all parcels raises compliance concerns, particularly for small businesses and e-commerce sellers without measurement technology 

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