US businesses use air freight to dodge $157bn in tariff costs

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week released a report showing air cargo’s vital role in sustaining global trade and supporting economic growth in 2025 amid severe trade policy uncertainty.

In particular, the report found that air cargo enabled the frontloading of $157 billion in US imports in the first quarter of 2025 and transported more than two thirds of global AI-related goods during the year.

These activities, according to the report, supported global trade growth of 2.4 per cent in 2025...