Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders president Datuk Tony Chia said as global fleets expand, this will likely raise the risk of volatile freight rates and tighter booking windows for importers. ALSO READ: Rising costs pressure local food industry, say stakeholders“We expect freight rates to remain volatile going into early 2026. “Our concern really is for small importers who may lack the resources to plan that far in advance,” he said when contacted. “Given the uncertainty of domestic demand, this means we will see higher warehousing and spoilage costs, which will translate to compressed margins for importers and higher costs for consumers,” he added. Smaller importers are undoubtedly the most vulnerable to the current fragile shipping landscape, Ng said.

Source: The Star January 11, 2026 00:37 UTC