United States Sea Freight Forwarding Market Size and Forecast 2026–2034

United States Sea Freight Forwarding Market Overview

The United States sea freight forwarding market plays a vital role in facilitating global trade by enabling the movement of goods across international waters efficiently and cost-effectively. Sea freight forwarding services act as intermediaries between shippers and multiple logistics stakeholders, including shipping lines, customs authorities, port operators, and inland transportation providers. These services encompass cargo booking, documentation, customs coordination, warehousing, consolidation, deconsolidation, and real-time shipment tracking.

According to Renub Research, the United States sea freight forwarding market is anticipated to witness sluggish yet steady growth, expanding from US$ 22.68 billion in 2025 to US$ 34.85 billion by 2034, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.89% during 2026–2034. Despite economic uncertainty and infrastructure challenges, the market remains supported by expanding international trade, increasing containerized cargo movement, and growing reliance on third-party logistics providers.

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Sea freight continues to be the preferred mode of transportation for large-volume, heavy, and non-urgent shipments due to its cost efficiency compared to air freight. With extensive coastlines on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and access to major ports, the United States remains one of the world’s most significant maritime trading hubs.

Growth Drivers in the United States Sea Freight Forwarding Market

Rising International Trade and Import Volumes

The expansion of international trade remains the primary growth driver for the U.S. sea freight forwarding market. The country is one of the world’s largest importers and exporters, heavily dependent on ocean transport for bulk commodities, consumer goods, machinery, and manufactured products. Sea freight offers economies of scale for long-distance shipments, making it indispensable for global trade.

Freight forwarders simplify cross-border trade by coordinating shipping lines, customs clearance, port handling, and inland transportation. As U.S. businesses diversify sourcing locations and expand global trade partnerships, demand for professional sea freight forwarding services continues to rise. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, exports reached USD 278.5 billion while imports totaled USD 419.0 billion in March 2025, highlighting the scale of logistics activity dependent on ocean freight.

Growth of Retail, E-commerce, and FMCG Supply Chains

Retail, e-commerce, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors are key contributors to sea freight forwarding demand in the United States. Ocean freight remains the most economical solution for transporting high volumes of merchandise from international suppliers to domestic markets. Retailers rely on freight forwarders to manage seasonal demand fluctuations, inventory flow, and timely delivery to distribution and fulfillment centers.

The continued expansion of e-commerce platforms has increased the need for reliable and scalable sea freight services. Forwarders now play a strategic role in ensuring product availability, managing stock replenishment cycles, and reducing logistics costs. Investments in logistics infrastructure and integrated hubs further support this growth trajectory.

Increasing Demand for Integrated Logistics Solutions

Modern businesses increasingly prefer end-to-end logistics solutions rather than standalone transportation services. Sea freight forwarders are evolving into integrated logistics providers by offering bundled services such as warehousing, inland trucking, rail transport, customs brokerage, and digital shipment tracking.

Integrated logistics enhances supply chain visibility, reduces transit delays, and improves cost efficiency. Companies benefit from working with a single logistics partner capable of managing complex international shipments. Technology-driven platforms for freight booking and shipment management are also strengthening the market by improving transparency and operational efficiency.

Challenges in the United States Sea Freight Forwarding Market

Port Congestion and Infrastructure Limitations

Port congestion remains one of the most persistent challenges for sea freight forwarders in the United States. Rising cargo volumes, labor shortages, aging infrastructure, and limited port capacity often result in shipment delays and higher operational costs. Congestion disrupts delivery schedules, affects inventory planning, and reduces overall supply chain reliability.

Freight forwarders must invest additional resources in rerouting cargo, coordinating inland transport, and managing delays, which adds complexity and cost to operations. These challenges particularly affect performance during peak shipping seasons and periods of heightened trade activity.

Freight Rate Volatility and Cost Pressures

Freight rate volatility continues to pose significant risks for both freight forwarders and their customers. Ocean freight rates are influenced by fuel prices, capacity imbalances, demand fluctuations, and geopolitical events. Sudden increases in freight costs make pricing unpredictable and complicate long-term contract negotiations.

Forwarders face the challenge of balancing cost competitiveness with profitability while managing client expectations. Smaller and mid-sized forwarding companies are especially vulnerable to margin pressures arising from volatile freight rates.

United States FCL Sea Freight Forwarding Market

The Full Container Load (FCL) segment represents a substantial share of the U.S. sea freight forwarding market. FCL shipping allows a single shipper to utilize an entire container, offering better cargo security, faster transit times, and lower per-unit costs for large shipments. U.S. manufacturers, wholesalers, and exporters favor FCL for bulk commodities, industrial equipment, electronics, and consumer goods.

Freight forwarders play a crucial role in managing container availability, port handling, documentation, and inland transportation. With increasing international trade volumes and structured supply chains, the FCL segment is expected to maintain steady growth due to its efficiency and reliability.

Transportation and Warehousing Services Market

Transportation and warehousing form a critical segment within the U.S. sea freight forwarding market. Forwarders increasingly offer integrated services combining ocean transport with inland trucking, rail connectivity, and port-adjacent storage facilities. Warehousing supports cargo consolidation, deconsolidation, inventory management, and distribution.

The growth of distribution centers near coastal hubs and major ports has strengthened demand for bundled logistics services. Forwarders offering flexible storage, real-time tracking, and efficient cargo handling gain a competitive advantage in this evolving market landscape.

Retail and FMCG Sea Freight Forwarding Market

Retail and FMCG remain among the largest verticals utilizing sea freight forwarding services in the United States. Ocean freight is the primary mode for importing apparel, electronics, household goods, and packaged food products. Freight forwarders assist retailers with supplier coordination, customs clearance, and delivery to regional distribution centers.

The rise of omnichannel retailing and private-label products has further increased reliance on efficient sea freight services. Maintaining inventory availability while controlling logistics costs makes freight forwarding an essential function for retailers.

Healthcare Sea Freight Forwarding Market

The healthcare segment involves the shipment of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare supplies. While urgent items are often transported by air, sea freight is widely used for non-urgent, high-volume shipments such as medical devices, consumables, and packaging materials.

Freight forwarders ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, secure handling, and proper documentation. The use of temperature-controlled containers and specialized packaging solutions continues to grow, supporting demand for reliable healthcare sea freight forwarding services.

Textile Sea Freight Forwarding Market

The textile and apparel industry heavily relies on sea freight forwarding for global sourcing and distribution. The United States imports large volumes of raw materials, fabrics, and finished garments by ocean transport. Sea freight remains the most economical solution for low-margin, high-volume textile shipments.

Freight forwarders assist with supplier coordination, customs processes, and seasonal delivery planning. As apparel brands diversify sourcing locations, the role of experienced sea freight forwarders becomes increasingly critical.

Manufacturing Sea Freight Forwarding Market

Manufacturing is a core sector within the U.S. sea freight forwarding market, encompassing machinery, automotive parts, chemicals, and industrial equipment. Sea freight enables manufacturers to import raw materials and export finished goods at optimized costs.

Freight forwarders support manufacturers with container logistics, multimodal transport, customs documentation, and shipment scheduling. The consistency and volume of manufacturing shipments ensure sustained demand for sea freight forwarding services.

State-Level Market Insights

California Sea Freight Forwarding Market

California dominates the U.S. sea freight forwarding landscape due to its strategic Pacific coastline and major ports serving Asian trade routes. The state handles vast volumes of consumer goods, electronics, machinery, and agricultural exports. Strong demand from retail, e-commerce, technology, and agriculture drives continuous growth.

New York Sea Freight Forwarding Market

New York plays a key role in transatlantic trade, handling imports and exports of consumer goods, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. Its proximity to major consumer markets and financial centers supports steady demand for high-value sea freight forwarding services.

Washington Sea Freight Forwarding Market

Washington benefits from export-oriented industries such as agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing. Sea freight forwarders support bulk commodity exports and containerized goods, focusing on export efficiency and cost control.

New Jersey Sea Freight Forwarding Market

New Jersey serves as a major logistics and distribution hub for the northeastern United States. Integrated services including port handling, warehousing, and last-mile delivery support strong demand from retail, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing sectors.

Competitive Landscape

The United States sea freight forwarding market features a mix of global and regional logistics providers. All companies are covered across five viewpoints: overview, key personnel, recent developments, SWOT analysis, and revenue analysis.

Key players include:

Agility Logistics

Bolloré Logistics

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

CEVA Logistics

Deutsche Bahn AG

Deutsche Post AG

Expeditors International

Geodis

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG

Kerry Logistics Network Limited

Final Thoughts

The United States sea freight forwarding market is poised for steady, albeit moderate, growth through 2034. While challenges such as port congestion and freight rate volatility persist, long-term fundamentals remain strong. Expanding international trade, growing e-commerce activity, and rising demand for integrated logistics solutions continue to reinforce the market’s importance.

Freight forwarders that invest in technology, infrastructure partnerships, and end-to-end service capabilities will be best positioned to navigate market complexities and capitalize on emerging opportunities. As global supply chains evolve, sea freight forwarding will remain a cornerstone of U.S. trade and logistics operations.