According to Maersk's latest analysis, North American supply chains remain functional but are facing rising pressure across ocean, gateway, and inland corridors. An early peak shipping season, frontloaded imports tied to tariff uncertainty, higher fuel costs, tightening inland capacity, and regulatory changes are all reshaping logistics conditions simultaneously.
For fresh produce, this kind of multi-front pressure on freight is particularly acute. Reefer capacity and transit timing are critical for perishables, and any squeeze on inland corridors or port throughput translates quickly into quality and availability problems at the distribution level.
This is a story worth watching closely through the summer. If inland capacity continues to tighten alongside elevated ocean rates, buyers should expect longer lead times and potentially higher landed costs across a range of import commodities.