D&D WORLDWIDE LOGISTICS — NEWS

5 August 2026

Where Freight In and Out of Australia Actually Stands Right Now

It's been a bit since I put out a proper update, so here's the full picture rather than another narrow chaser. Australia first; the rest of the world folds in where it actually matters on your invoice. Sourcing on all of it below, most of it straight out of this week's IFCBAA newsflashes and carrier notices, not just headlines.

Ocean rates: up, down, and being tested

Rates have been bouncing around the past few weeks, and if it feels like you get a different number every time you ask, that's the market, not us. As usual heading into peak season, carriers are testing what will stick. GRIs are landing on top of Peak Season Surcharges, Emergency Bunker Surcharges, and Low Sulphur Surcharges, and bunker fuel itself has been swinging with every twist in the Middle East story. None of that is settled yet. Expect the volatility to keep going for another month or two as carriers push and shippers push back.

Ports and terminals: what's actually happening here

Straight from the Port of Melbourne's July industry update, circulated by IFCBAA this week: the Essential Services Commission has a pricing order inquiry underway; that's the regulator that reviews what the port is allowed to charge, and the port's own Trade in Review report showed continued growth through the terminal. More import containers are being pushed out via the Port Rail Shuttle Network to Somerton to take pressure off the yard, and there's a lower speed limit now in place at Swanson Dock.

On the disruption side, Victoria International Container Terminal had a scheduled closure on 4th August, 6 am to midday. Nothing dramatic, but it's a reminder that terminal downtime is a normal part of the landscape even in a quiet week.

Customs and compliance

The Australian Border Force has indexed duty rates on excise equivalent goods again: spirits, beer and fuel products, effective 3rd August 2026, using the December 2025 CPI figure (ABF Notice 2026/30). It supersedes the rates that have applied since earlier this year.

Separately, IATA is still pushing to shift more liability onto freight forwarders. IFCBAA has now had lawyers write formally to IATA over it, their fourth update on the issue since early July, and we're waiting on a response. Worth keeping an eye on if you rely on standard air waybill terms. There were also a couple of Integrated Cargo System outages in the past week, both resolved within the day, but it's the kind of thing that can hold up an urgent clearance if it lands at the wrong time.

Biosecurity

A few things landed this week worth knowing about. The alternate clearance pathways for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) have changed for the 2026/27 season, relevant if you're bringing in anything from a target risk country over the cooler months. African Swine Fever has just been confirmed in Finland, and two offshore treatment providers, one in Singapore, one in Germany, have had their accreditation suspended over compliance issues. If you rely on offshore fumigation or treatment for any of your imports, it's worth checking your provider is still current before you book.

Air freight

Demand into and out of the region is still running ahead of capacity, keeping load factors and yields firm on the lanes we use most for time-critical cargo. It's tight, not a crisis, and it's not the cheap escape valve from ocean congestion some shippers are hoping for right now.

Fuel: the one guaranteed to hit every quote

The 16 cent a litre fuel excise relief expired 2 August. From 3 August the excise reverts to 53.7 cents a litre, the same indexation the ABF applied to spirits and beer above. ACCC had capital city diesel at 232.8 cents a litre before that step-up landed. NRMA has Sydney diesel at 243.0 cents a litre, up 11.8 cents in the past week alone. This lands on every pickup, delivery and cartage leg regardless of what's happening in the Gulf or on the water, so factor it into your budgeting now rather than getting caught by it on the next invoice.

On the supply side, the Federal and WA governments have put funding behind a feasibility study into a new WA oil refinery, the first serious look at a large-scale build in Australia since the 1960s. Worth knowing about, but it's a multi-year story, not near-term relief at the pump.

The dollar

The Aussie is sitting around 70 US cents, roughly where it's been for weeks. A softer dollar means anything priced in USD- ocean freight, air freight, most surcharges- costs more in AUD terms before the underlying rate even moves.

What's happening overseas, in brief

Iran and Oman are reportedly close to a deal on a new Hormuz transit arrangement, and markets have rallied hard on the prospect; Wall Street hit fresh records this week and oil dropped sharply. But the strait is still only running at a fraction of normal traffic, and there was another attack as recently as 1 August, so treat the headlines with some caution. This is a real part of why bunker and surcharge pricing has been so jumpy lately; carriers are pricing risk that changes by the day.

Bottom line

Budget for the fuel excise increase; it's real, and it's already on the invoices. Expect ocean rates to keep testing higher and lower as peak season plays out; that's normal for this time of year, not a sign anything's broken. Keep an eye on the IATA liability issue and make sure any offshore treatment provider you use is still accredited. And don't assume an overseas headline changes anything for your booking until we say so. Give us a call before you lock in anything for the next quarter.

Disclaimer: All freight quotes issued by D&D Worldwide Logistics are subject to change without notice. GRIs, Peak Season Surcharges, Emergency Bunker Surcharges and Low Sulphur Surcharges apply across affected carriers and trade lanes at the carrier's discretion. All rates are confirmed at time of booking only. No rate is fixed until written booking confirmation is issued by DDWL. Information in this article reflects IFCBAA member newsflashes, ABF notices, carrier advisories, industry publications and published media reports available as of 5 August 2026. The situation remains fluid and subject to change with little notice.

Previous updates in this series: View all freight and Middle East updates on ddwlogistics.com/news

Sources: IFCBAA National and Regional Newsflashes, Australian Border Force (ACN 2026/30), Port of Melbourne Industry Update July 2026, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor, Drewry Shipping Consultants, ACCC, NRMA, Seabridge Global Logistics, TradingEconomics, MarketIndex.