Shipping and logistics wrapped up the year with a series of developments that signal how 2026 will unfold for shippers. From contract negotiations shifting away from pure price competition to mounting weather disruptions, customs enforcement changes, and new risks tied to automation and SaaS tools, the message is clear: reliability, resilience, and integration now matter more than ever.

We’ve pulled together the shipping stories that matter most for Operations Managers, Supply Chain Directors, and eCommerce leaders, and what they mean for your fulfillment strategy moving into the new year.

The Top 5 Shipping Stories This Week

1. Ocean Freight Contracts Shift From Lowest Rates to Reliable Service

Ocean carriers and shippers heading into 2026–27 contract negotiations are no longer focused solely on price. With vessel oversupply growing and import volumes forecast to remain soft, shippers are prioritizing service reliability, schedule integrity, and flexibility over chasing the absolute lowest rate.

Concerns that spot rates could fall below contract rates, driven by new vessel deliveries and potential geopolitical stabilization, are pushing shippers to secure guaranteed capacity, stronger service level agreements (SLAs), and more forgiving Minimum Quantity Commitment (MQC) terms.

What It Means for Shippers

For import-heavy businesses, the real cost driver is no longer freight rates, it’s disruption. Missed sailings, blank voyages, and unpredictable arrivals create downstream chaos across warehousing, fulfillment, and customer delivery.

Now is the time to review MQC clauses and carrier SLAs. Contracts should include meaningful penalties for service failures and flexibility to adjust volumes. Locking in reliable service will protect margins far more effectively than marginal rate savings.

2. Extreme Weather Continues to Disrupt U.S. Freight Networks

Severe weather is once again testing supply chain resilience across the U.S. Flooding and heavy rain in the West, especially California, have triggered road closures and power outages, while blizzards and heavy snowfall across the Northeast are impacting air, rail, and ground transportation.

These disruptions are becoming less episodic and more systemic, forcing logistics teams to treat weather risk as a permanent operational variable rather than a short-term exception.

What It Means for Shippers

Operations and Fulfillment Managers should actively monitor shipments moving through major hubs in affected regions and be prepared to reroute quickly.

Dynamic routing, switching carriers, regions, or transportation modes in real time, is now essential. Proactive communication with 3PLs and customers can help preserve service levels and trust, even when delays are unavoidable.

3. Customs Enforcement Tightens as De Minimis Shipping Ends

Following the full abolition of the Section 321 de minimis exemption and the introduction of new tariffs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the FDA have sharply increased enforcement.

The result: widespread delays, shipment disposals, and documentation reviews. CBP revenue from document inspections has reportedly surged, while shippers face higher costs tied to country-of-origin errors and incomplete filings.

What It Means for Shippers

For ecommerce and cross-border sellers, especially those shipping from Asia or Europe, the duty-free era is officially over. Compliance failures now translate directly into lost inventory, months-long delays, and poor customer experiences.

Immediate audits of international shipping documentation are critical. Moving toward Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) models, with duties and taxes calculated and paid upfront, can significantly reduce customs friction and improve delivery reliability.

4. Multi-Agent AI Emerges as the Next Fulfillment Efficiency Lever

Artificial intelligence in logistics is evolving beyond dashboards and forecasts. Multi-agent AI systems are now actively managing complex back-office workflows, rescheduling dock appointments, updating delivery timelines, managing live orders, and resolving issues using built-in SOP logic.

New integrations with platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 are accelerating adoption, allowing AI agents to communicate across WMS, TMS, ERP, and carrier systems.

What It Means for Shippers

For growing operations, automation is no longer about speed alone, it’s about scale without added headcount. Multi-agent AI offers a path toward “lights-out” operations for repetitive, error-prone administrative tasks.

The key is integration. Businesses should prioritize connecting core systems so AI agents can act across platforms, not just analyze data. This foundation will define who can scale efficiently in 2026.

5. SaaS Supply Chain Security Becomes a Critical Risk Area

A growing wave of SaaS supply chain attacks is exposing vulnerabilities across logistics technology stacks. By compromising third-party vendors, through OAuth tokens, API keys, or integrations, attackers are gaining indirect access to mission-critical systems.

Third parties are now implicated in roughly 30% of data breaches, doubling year over year. The focus of security is shifting from perimeter defenses to the connections between platforms.

What It Means for Shippers

Your security posture is only as strong as your weakest integration. For Supply Chain and ecommerce leaders, this means logistics platforms, carrier APIs, and automation tools are now prime attack vectors.

Vendor risk management must include audits of API access, least-privilege permissions, and multi-factor authentication. A single compromised SaaS tool can cascade across fulfillment, customer data, and financial systems.

The Bottom Line

As 2025 closes, the shipping industry is clearly entering a new phase, one defined less by chasing the lowest cost and more by managing risk, reliability, and complexity.

Shippers that invest in resilient contracts, flexible routing, airtight compliance, integrated automation, and secure technology stacks will be best positioned to reduce costs at scale while maintaining service levels.

Staying informed is only the first step. The real advantage comes from turning these signals into operational action as we head into 2026.