Shipping rates between South and North America have risen, especially on the Brazil–USA route, where the cost of transporting a 40-foot container increased by 50% over the past month, reaching $3,000.

This rate hike is not linked to higher trade volumes. The main factors cited are rising fuel prices, accelerated shipments in anticipation of new US tariffs, and limited vessel capacity following service reductions by carriers due to decreased market activity.

According to CTS, northbound shipping volumes in April dropped by 9.6% compared to the previous month, totaling 225,400 TEU, after a 13.4% decline in March. For the first four months of the year, northbound volumes continued to decrease.

Southbound routes showed more stability: after growing by 4.9% in February and 1.4% in March, April saw a 4.1% decline—the first drop this year.

Bilateral trade between the US and South America's largest economy fell by 14.3% in the first five months of the year. Brazilian exports to the US decreased by 14%, while flows in the opposite direction dropped by 12.6%. May marked the 14th consecutive month of declining Brazilian exports to the US.

Brazilian exporters are taking steps to diversify their business. Overall, Brazil's exports in May grew by 8.7% year-on-year. The trade agreement between MERCOSUR and the EU could further boost Brazil's transatlantic exports.

Meanwhile, trade prospects with the US have worsened. Washington concluded a Section 301 investigation into trade practices and proposed a 25% tariff on imports from Brazil. The proposal includes exemptions for certain goods, such as coffee, tropical fruits, aircraft parts, and fossil fuels. Estimates suggest the tariff will affect less than 30% of Brazil's exports, mainly industrial equipment and machinery.

This move increases tensions between the two countries and creates additional challenges for Brazilian exporters, who are already facing a 10% tariff under Section 122 on all shipments from Brazil, set to expire on July 23.

Despite the slowdown in trade flows, shipping efficiency on this route has improved. According to the Sea-Intelligence Global Liner Performance report for June 2026, schedule reliability rose by 4.4% in April–May compared to the previous month, reaching 75.3%, which is 12.8% higher than a year ago. Southbound reliability dropped by 0.5% month-on-month but increased by 11% year-on-year.

The average delay for late northbound vessels decreased by 0.71 days compared to March–April, reaching 3.29 days—3.01 days less than a year ago. The average delay for all northbound container ships fell by 0.61 days to 0.53 days.

Sea-Intelligence data shows that over the past six months, three carriers saw a decline in schedule reliability, while five improved: one line achieved 100% on-time performance, two exceeded 90%, and another two surpassed 80%.

According to WorldACD, air cargo volumes from Latin America between June 1 and 21 were 4.3% higher than a year earlier. Exports to North America rose by 2.3%, and to Europe by 6.6%. Shipping costs to North America increased by 6.9% year-on-year, which is below the regional average price growth of 10.4%.

Capacity on routes to North America increased thanks to the FIFA World Cup, prompting Latin American and US carriers to add flights. American Airlines boosted passenger capacity from Argentina by 30% through additional flights and larger aircraft between Buenos Aires, Miami, and New York.