June was a positive month for most of the region’s busiest cargo markets, except for Brazil and Chile.
Ecuador and Argentina Lead Percentage Growth
Ecuador (+21.8%) and Argentina (+18.3%) recorded the strongest growth rates. In Ecuador, the increase was supported by higher traffic with the United States, which exceeded 9,300 tons (+32.4% YoY). Exports of roses contributed significantly, surpassing 4,000 tons in June, up more than 22% compared to last year%[1].
Colombia and Mexico with Moderate Growth
International cargo to and from Colombia grew 2.8% in June. Traffic on the Colombia–United States corridor (the region’s largest, moving more than 25,000 tons per month) declined 4.2% (Chart 3). Increased volumes with Spain (+14%), the Netherlands (+59%), and Ecuador (+63%) offset this decline and kept the overall result positive.
Mexico was one of the few markets, along with Ecuador and Peru, that increased cargo volumes with the United States. In June, flows from the U.S. to Mexico grew 15%, while shipments from Mexico to the U.S. rose 20%. This led to a 5.6% increase in Mexico’s total international cargo volumes.
Decline in U.S. Flows Weighs on Brazil and Chile
Brazil recorded a 5.8% drop in total cargo volumes. The decrease was driven mainly by lower flows on the U.S.–Brazil corridor (–10%) and Brazil–U.S. (–6.9%). On the import side, the steepest decline was in telecommunications and sound recording equipment (–20%). On the export side, leather goods showed the largest reduction (–47%)[2].
Chile posted a 9.8% decline, also explained by lower traffic with the United States: Chile–U.S. (–18.3%) and U.S.–Chile (–13.6%). International volumes to and from Chile have now fallen for seven consecutive months and were down 12.3% in the January–June period.
“In such a challenging global environment, the overall growth of air cargo in the region highlights its essential role and the potential that still exists for our countries. At the same time, the 9% drop in flows with the United States, the region’s main trading partner, underscores the need to anticipate trends, adjust capacity, and maintain the flexibility required to respond to sudden changes in demand,” said Peter Cerdá, CEO of ALTA.
Capacity: B747F Accounts for 40% of Cargo Supply; B767 Leads Year-on-Year Growth
In June, freighter capacity to and from LAC remained broadly stable, totaling just over 880 million ton-kilometers (–0.9% year-on-year). The B747F accounted for 40% of this capacity, while the B767F posted the strongest annual increase (+61%).
[1] Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE). Foreign Trade Statistics – Foreign Trade Database. Available at: https://contenido.bce.fin.ec/documentos/informacioneconomica/SectorExterno/ix_ComercioExterior.html
[2] Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services of Brazil (MDIC). Comex Stat – General Export and Import Data. Available at: https://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/pt/geral
