Q2 2026: China→India air freight rates softened 14% — what to do
Air freight rates on the China–India lane have eased. Here's how to lock the savings without over-committing inventory.
After a tight Q1, air freight rates on the major China→India lanes have come down roughly 14% quarter-on-quarter as belly capacity recovered and peak-season front-loading eased.
For importers, the play is not to celebrate and over-order. It's to renegotiate your forwarder rate cards now, lock a 60–90 day rate where you can, and shift any time-sensitive SKUs back to air while the gap to sea is narrow.
If your margins were squeezed in Q1, this is the window to rebuild buffer stock on your fastest-moving lines. Talk to our ops team before you commit a PO — we'll model air vs sea landed cost for your exact basket.
Get a landed-price quote from our import desk.