If you've been bracing for another round of freight rate increases, here's some rare good news: the UK's transport and storage sector is slamming the brakes on price rises this September.
New data from the Office for National Statistics' Business Insights and Conditions Survey shows that only 9.7% of transport and storage businesses – including couriers, hauliers, and warehousing firms – expect to raise prices in September. That's a sharp drop from 15.8% in August and the lowest reading of any major UK sector.
Even more telling? 60.2% of transport and storage firms say they're not considering price rises at all – a significant jump from 40.6% the previous month.
What's behind the sudden restraint?
Earlier this year, the picture looked very different. In May, 41.1% of transport firms expected to raise prices, driven by a spike in one-off cost pressures. But those pressures have eased considerably. The influence of finance costs on the sector's pricing has collapsed, falling from 13.9% of businesses in August to just 3.6% in September.
David Jinks, Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, put it this way: "What's striking about this month's figures is that transport & storage – the sector that ultimately absorbs and passes on the country's haulage and fuel costs – is the one showing the least appetite to raise its own prices."
He added: "Just under one in ten transport and logistics firms expect to put prices up in September, and six in ten aren't even considering it. That's a real change of tone from earlier in the year, when energy and financing costs were squeezing margins hard."
A stark contrast with manufacturing and retail
The transport sector's caution stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the economy. In manufacturing, 16.6% of businesses expect prices to rise – driven primarily by raw material costs (36.8%) and labour costs (31.2%). In wholesale and retail, that figure jumps to 19.7%, with energy prices (25.6%) and transport costs (24.3%) leading the way.
As Jinks noted: "Manufacturing tells the opposite story. Even though headline price expectations have eased, more manufacturers are actively weighing up increases than last month, driven by the relentless climb in raw material and labour costs."
Why this matters for your supply chain
For anyone shipping goods – whether you're moving parcels, pallets, or full container loads – this is genuinely good news. As Jinks observed: "If the logistics sector itself isn't planning to pass on higher prices, that should help keep a lid on delivery and haulage charges heading into the crucial pre-Christmas peak season – even as costs elsewhere in the supply chain continue to rise."
But here's the catch: this window of pricing stability won't last forever. The factors that could reignite cost pressures – fuel price volatility, geopolitical disruption, port congestion – haven't gone away. They're just not biting as hard right now.
This is where having the right partner makes all the difference
At Xiamen AE Global, we've been helping clients navigate shipping costs since 2018. We're a government-licensed company with IATA, FIATA, FMC, and NVOCC credentials – which means we have the global network and the carrier relationships to secure competitive rates for our clients, whether the market is rising or holding steady.
With over 100 overseas agents worldwide, we don't just watch the rate indices from a distance. We work directly with our partners on the ground to understand what's really happening with pricing and capacity on each trade lane. When the broader market is holding off on price rises, we're making sure our clients benefit from that restraint – not just reading about it in the news.
Technology that gives you clarity
We've invested heavily in technology that gives our clients real visibility into their shipping costs – not just a tracking number, but actual insight into what they're paying, where they can save, and how to lock in favourable rates before the market turns.
Lock in rates while the window is open
Parcelhero's advice to businesses shipping goods is to lock in rates and compare carriers now, while transport and storage pricing remains comparatively restrained relative to the wider economy. That's exactly the kind of strategic approach we help our clients take.
Based in Xiamen – one of Asia's busiest port cities – we've moved over 12,000 TEUs in a single year with a 98.6% on-time delivery rate for our SME clients. That's not luck – it's relentless execution and a network that doesn't fall apart when the market shifts.
The bottom line
The transport and storage sector is hitting pause on price rises – but this moment of stability won't last forever. If you're shipping goods, now is the time to lock in favourable rates and build a logistics strategy that protects you when the market inevitably turns.
At Xiamen AE Global, we don't just move boxes. We help our clients make smart decisions about when to lock in rates, when to compare carriers, and how to keep shipping costs under control – no matter what the broader market is doing.
Ready to lock in competitive shipping rates before the market turns? Contact Xiamen AE Global today – and let's make sure your supply chain stays ahead of the curve.
