Global trade faces strain from rerouted cargo, WTO says
Industry groups said customs delays are slowing multimodal cargo flows.
Global trade is facing increasing operational and economic pressure due to route disruptions and capacity constraints across transport networks, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in a press release.
Senior executives from major global shipping companies and industry bodies told the organisation in a recent meeting that alternative maritime routes amidst disruptions have increased costs for shippers and consumers.
They added that whilst global supply chains remain operational, rerouting cargo has reduced efficiency and increased pressure on logistics systems.
Industry representatives said transport capacity constraints are intensifying, adding that land-based alternatives—including rail and road corridors—are already saturated in some cases. This limits their ability to absorb additional cargo diverted from maritime routes.
The WTO cited one executive who said around 70 freight trains would be required to match the capacity of a single container ship.
They also reported operational bottlenecks linked to customs procedures and multimodal logistics.
Senior executives said delays have increased in parts of the supply chain where cargo moves across multiple transport modes and border systems, adding that these constraints have increased costs and affected predictability in cargo movement.
Investment in port and logistics infrastructure is needed to maintain trade flows, whilst international trade depends on respect for multilateral rules, including freedom of navigation, the executives told the organisation.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said maritime transport carries more than 80% of global trade by volume.
She said supply chain resilience depends on improved cooperation between governments and the private sector.
Okonjo-Iweala said full implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and wider use of measures such as digital customs systems, improved information sharing, and reduced trade restrictions would support trade stability.
She encouraged continued engagement between industry participants and the WTO Secretariat.
The meeting included executives from MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, Evergreen Marine Corp., Yang Ming, and China Merchants Energy Shipping (Singapore).
It also included representatives from the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and the World Shipping Council.
