Produce freight rates out of South Texas moved sharply higher over the past week, with rates to Boston climbing 14% to $7,600–$7,900 and Miami up 9% to $5,200–$5,500. The increases reflect continued heavy volume of Mexican imports crossing through the Rio Grande Valley, including peppers, tomatoes, limes, cucumbers, melons, and cilantro. Year-over-year comparisons are even more striking, with some lanes running 54% above 2025 levels.
California told a different story. Rates for coastal vegetables, carrots, and some desert shipments fell flat to lower week-over-week, with Kern County carrot routes to New York dropping 12% and Chicago down 10%. Citrus freight out of South and Central California held steady but remains 45–60% above year-ago levels on several key lanes. Washington's Yakima Valley and Wenatchee continued to carry the highest freight premiums of any major origin in the country.
The split between a hot South Texas market and a softening California market is worth watching for buyers planning shipments this week. Transportation costs remain substantially elevated across the board compared to a year ago, even where weekly rates are easing.