Fashion
Asia Pacific logistics slows in Feb as post-holiday demand hits rates
Ocean freight conditions softened across major trade lanes as muted cargo demand and expanding fleet capacity pushed spot rates downward. Transpacific routes from Asia to the US experienced notable declines, with some carriers reportedly offering prices near or below breakeven levels. Rates on Asia–Europe corridors, including the Shanghai–Rotterdam route, also trended lower, reinforcing the cooling market environment.
Shipping lines intensified capacity management strategies to counter the downturn, increasing the frequency of blank sailings. Meanwhile, operational challenges persisted, with congestion reported at key transhipment hubs such as Singapore, Shanghai, and Ningbo, resulting in delays of two to four days. Structural changes within global carrier alliances continued to reshape service networks, including the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd and the reconfigured Premier Alliance comprising ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM.
Asia Pacific logistics softened in February 2026 amid a post-Lunar New Year slowdown, with intra-Asia container rates down 3 per cent and ocean freight weakening across major lanes.
Air cargo eased but stayed resilient.
Meanwhile, road disruptions, policy initiatives, and sustained investment in logistics infrastructure underscored ongoing regional supply chain transformation.
Industry developments during the month included Hapag-Lloyd’s agreement to acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services for $4.2 billion, signalling consolidation momentum within container shipping. The Red Sea security situation continued to influence routing decisions, with some carriers cautiously evaluating partial returns to the Suez Canal while many services remained diverted around the Cape of Good Hope. In India, the government reviewed progress on Chennai Port projects and advanced the Bharat Container Line initiative to enhance domestic shipping capacity.
Air cargo markets displayed a parallel seasonal moderation after a pre-holiday surge in volumes. Spot rates eased but remained above year-earlier levels, reflecting persistent structural capacity tightness. Shipment volumes from Asia Pacific to the US edged up slightly, while flows to Europe remained broadly stable. Notably, chargeable weight from Vietnam to Europe increased 10 per cent week on week in week six, driven by resilient high-tech and e-commerce demand.
Regional pricing trends varied, with Shanghai outbound rates softening yet maintaining year-on-year gains, while Hong Kong remained comparatively firm. Southeast Asian origins such as Vietnam and Thailand recorded rate improvements on Europe routes, highlighting ongoing supply chain diversification under the China+1 strategy. Airlines continued reallocating freighter capacity towards Asia–Europe lanes, which have experienced sustained growth.
Long-term supply constraints persisted due to aircraft delivery backlogs extending into the next decade, although global capacity rose around 4–5 per cent in early 2026 through expanded passenger bellyhold availability. Infrastructure developments supported specialised cargo handling, including Shanghai Pudong’s attainment of multi-category IATA CEIV certification. Network connectivity also expanded through new interline agreements and freighter route launches linking Europe and Asia.
Road freight and intermodal transport reflected a complex mix of seasonal disruption and structural expansion. Trucking availability in China dropped sharply during the holiday week beginning February 17, with inland logistics expected to take several weeks to normalise. Policy initiatives such as China’s expanded Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) transit coverage for bonded and e-commerce goods enabled new cross-border routes from Kashgar to Uzbekistan and Pakistan, reducing transit times and costs.
Multimodal momentum continued as the Alataw Pass hub dispatched its 1,000th China–Europe freight train of the year ahead of the previous schedule, underscoring strengthening Eurasian rail connectivity. Holiday-related congestion affected trucking corridors in Vietnam, while Malaysia imposed temporary heavy-vehicle restrictions to manage traffic flows. Border facilitation measures, including China’s fast-track lane for foreign truck drivers at the Vietnam frontier, aimed to improve cross-border efficiency.
Across Asia, governments and industry players advanced logistics infrastructure and policy frameworks. India announced plans for a new East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor linking Dankuni and Surat, while South Korea reinstated the Safe Rates system to stabilise trucking conditions. Japan progressed collaborative relay transport models, expanded foreign workforce recruitment to address driver shortages, and continued autonomous truck testing on the Shin-Tomei Expressway.
Warehousing and logistics real estate investment remained robust throughout the region. Transactions included Nippon Express acquiring a stake in Pakistan’s TCS Logistics, institutional investment in Yokohama’s Sachiura Distribution Centre, and Cabot Properties’ entry into the Japanese logistics market. Additional projects spanned Australia and Japan, while China witnessed ongoing logistics Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) activity led by CapitaLand Investment and Prologis.
India’s logistics sector also attracted significant investment and policy support, including Bertelsmann’s majority acquisition of Lets Transport, Logistics Plus’ purchase of EVO Supply Chain Solutions, new warehouse development approvals in Nagpur, and Kuehne+Nagel’s container freight station near JNPA. South Korea reported strong logistics property investment momentum driven by foreign capital inflows.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
At the conclave organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in association with the Quality Council of India (QCI), Goyal emphasised that quality must become the defining mantra of India’s manufacturing and export ecosystem, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘zero defect, zero effect’ will serve as the cornerstone of India’s growth story in the Amrit Kaal.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India’s $30–35 trillion economy goal by 2047 hinges on zero defect, zero effect and inclusive growth, making quality central to manufacturing and exports.
Addressing the National Quality Conclave, he stressed uniform global standards, skilling, better testing infrastructure and leveraging FTAs to achieve the $2 trillion export target.
Goyal underscored that no country can progress merely as a consumer; it must establish itself as a globally recognised producer of high-quality goods and services. He emphasised that brand India must stand for quality, reliability and trust. Noting that India has been the world’s fastest-growing large economy for the past four years and is poised to become the third-largest GDP in the next two to two-and-a-half years, he said the country’s $2 trillion export target—comprising $1 trillion in merchandise and $1 trillion in services within the next six to seven years—can only be achieved through uncompromising quality standards, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a press release.
Highlighting India’s expanding trade outreach, Goyal said that nine Free Trade Agreements finalised in the past three to three-and-a-half years with 38 developed countries now cover nearly two-thirds of global GDP and trade. These agreements, he noted, open new opportunities in sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear and pharmaceuticals, provided Indian products consistently meet the highest global benchmarks. He reiterated that India’s current share in global trade remains modest, even in competitive and labour-intensive sectors, and urged industry to leverage new market access opportunities created through these agreements.
Recalling earlier challenges, Goyal remarked that Indian consumers were once compelled to seek ‘export quality’ products, reflecting a dual-quality ecosystem. He stressed that such a culture must be decisively replaced with uniform, high standards for both domestic and international markets. He lauded the QCI and DPIIT for taking the message of quality to the grassroots through extensive consultations across clusters and sectors.
Outlining a five-pillar action agenda to institutionalise quality, the minister emphasised the need for clearly defined standard operating processes with strict compliance and continuous inspection from raw material to finished product stage; skilling and re-skilling of the workforce to reduce wastage and enhance productivity, particularly in sectors such as textiles; undertaking gap analysis and benchmarking with global best practices to improve competitiveness and environmental outcomes; streamlining testing and certification protocols to reduce delays and costs; and strengthening shared infrastructure through modern, automated testing facilities across manufacturing clusters.
Goyal assured that funds would not be a constraint for establishing high-quality testing infrastructure. He encouraged industry to seek support under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) for international approvals and compliance requirements, including REACH regulations, CBAM verification, SPS and TBT measures, and other non-tariff barriers. He stated that government support would particularly benefit micro and small enterprises in accessing global markets and meeting international standards, the release added.
The conclave represents a first-of-its-kind national initiative structured around extensive on-ground consultations with industry and MSMEs to directly capture shop-floor and supply-chain insights and integrate them into policy deliberations and the development of sector-specific quality roadmaps. Series 1 of the conclave brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, regulators and key stakeholders from four priority manufacturing sectors — textiles, leather, footwear and pharmaceuticals — identified for their strong export potential, extensive MSME participation and contribution to employment generation.
The conclave adopted a sector-differentiated, evidence-driven three-stage engagement process over two months across more than twenty cities to ensure actionable outcomes. In the leather sector, 25+ nationwide consultations and 15+ Gunvatta Manthan dialogues were conducted with participation from 65+ industry stakeholders and MSMEs. The textiles sector engagement comprised 30+ nationwide consultations and 10+ Gunvatta Manthan dialogues engaging 10+ stakeholders and MSMEs, while the pharmaceuticals sector saw focused discussions through 7+ nationwide consultations involving 55+ stakeholders and MSMEs. The programme covered 14 manufacturing clusters and engaged over 50 government and regulatory bodies through a twin-track approach involving both private sector stakeholders and government agencies.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
The stock exchange release was issued in response to speculation around a planned fundraise for the business.
UK-based Debenhams Group has confirmed that it is planning a fundraise of around £35 million (~$47.58 million) to ‘create additional liquidity’ and deliver the ‘optimal capital structure’ for the group.
This followed speculation around a planned fundraise for the business.
It expects to speak to its institutional shareholders over the next few days, after which the fundraise will be launched.
The firm’s chief executive officer Dan Finley, its co-founder and executive chairman Mahmud Kamani and non-executive director Iain McDonald all intend to participate in the fundraise.
The company expects to speak to its institutional shareholders over the next few days, after which the fundraise will be launched.
It said it is confident of delivering £50 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in this fiscal (FY26), which closes on February 28. It also remains confident of double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth in FY27.
The company said its ‘turnaround plan is going apace’ and the decision to move to an increasingly asset-light model driven by the Debenhams brand seems to have been a good one.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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