Weekly Freight Report: June 11, 2026

The fight over $166 billion in tariff refunds hit a courtroom showdown this week, just as Washington proposed a fresh round of tariffs on 60 trading partners. For importers, the next few weeks could decide both what you get back and what you pay next.

Meanwhile, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, trans-Pacific spot rates posted their sharpest one-week jump in a year, and retailers pulled an early peak season forward ahead of a forecast fall slowdown.

Dive into the full update to see what’s moving your costs, your capacity, and your trade lanes this week.

Trade Court Presses Government on the Pace of Tariff Refunds

A CBP official testified before the Court of International Trade on June 9 as Judge Richard Eaton weighed whether to order the government to speed up and expand its tariff refund system. Refund claims totaling $89.6 billion had been accepted for processing as of June 1, and CBP has directed the Treasury Department to issue $20.6 billion so far. The Justice Department has appealed Eaton’s earlier order making all importers of record eligible for refunds plus interest, putting the dispute in the hands of the Federal Circuit. How that appeal lands will shape whether refunds extend beyond companies that filed their own lawsuits. If you paid IEEPA duties, this case is the difference between a streamlined claim and a court fight.

US Proposes Tariffs of 10% or More on 60 Trading Partners

The administration proposed new import taxes on roughly 60 economies late Tuesday following a Section 301 investigation into forced labor enforcement. Sixteen trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, the EU, Taiwan, and the UK, would face 10% levies, while another 44, including China, Japan, India, and South Korea, would be hit with 12.5%. A separate 25% tariff on all Brazilian goods is also being recommended. The duties must go through a comment process first, with hearings scheduled for next month, and are designed to replace revenue lost when the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs. The temporary Section 122 duties expire next month, so the timeline is tight and intentional.

Iran Declares the Strait of Hormuz Closed as Attacks on Tankers Escalate

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Thursday it attacked two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz and declared the waterway closed to all vessels, including commercial ships. US Central Command disputes the closure claim and says commercial ships are continuing to transit. American forces also disabled a third commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, the third vessel disabled by US forces this week over alleged blockade violations. The strait normally handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply, so every escalation flows directly into fuel costs, war risk premiums, and transit times for your freight.

Trans-Pacific Rates Spike as Frontloading Kicks Off an Early Peak Season

Asia to US West Coast spot rates jumped 51% in a single week to $4,836 per FEU, while East Coast rates rose 25% to $6,336 per FEU, according to the Freightos Baltic Index. These are the sharpest one-week increases since the tariff-driven demand surge in June of last year. Analysts point to frontloading ahead of the approaching tariff deadline as a key driver of the early start to peak season. If you have trans-Pacific volume to move, the window for pre-spike rates has already closed, and capacity will tighten from here.

June Imports Forecast to Surge 14.3% Before a Second-Half Slowdown

US ports are forecast to handle 2.25 million TEU in June, up 14.3% year over year, according to the latest Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. May is estimated at 2.14 million TEU, up 9.7%. The outlook then turns negative, with July projected down 8.4%, August down 8.6%, and September down 2.2% as consumer uncertainty and inflation weigh on demand. The takeaway for shippers: this peak is early and front-loaded, so plan inventory and capacity around elevated volumes now and a softer fall.

Amazon Opens Full-Scale LTL Shipping to All Businesses

Amazon announced Wednesday it is expanding its less-than-truckload service beyond its inbound-only model to all destinations, including third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and retail stores. The move adds another piece to Amazon’s push into end-to-end logistics services for all businesses, not just sellers on its platform. Questions remain about how the network will operate at scale, since Amazon has a limited number of cross-dock terminals for heavy freight. Either way, a new competitor with massive scale just entered the LTL market, and that could reshape pricing and service options for your palletized freight.

Diesel Benchmark Falls Again, Offering Some Relief on Fuel Surcharges

The Department of Energy’s weekly diesel benchmark, the basis for most fuel surcharges, dropped 14 cents this week to $5.21 per gallon. That marks the third-lowest average since the onset of the Iran war, mirroring downward trends in ultra-low sulfur diesel futures. Prices remain well above year-ago levels, and diesel demand stays rigid since carriers have to keep delivering regardless of price. Still, after months of war-driven spikes, the easing should start showing up in your fuel surcharge line items.

Weekly Freight Report: June 11, 2026

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