2026.01.0611:13:23UTC+00US Logistics Sector Slows Again in December

In December 2025, the Logistics Manager’s Index in the United States experienced a decline for the second month in a row, reaching 54.2 from 55.7 as recorded in the previous two months. This figure represents the most sluggish growth in the logistics sector since April 2024. The primary factors contributing to this deceleration were the inventory and warehousing markets. Inventory levels saw a significant contraction, decreasing by 17.4 points to 35.1, likely caused by a rapid reduction of inventory during the holiday season, which subsequently led to a decrease in inventory costs, down 8.1 points to 62.9. Concurrently, there was an increase in warehousing capacity, rising by 6.4 points to 61.2, while warehousing utilization reached a record low for the second consecutive time, dropping 4.7 points to 42.9. These trends are a result of companies continuing to shift inventories downstream towards consumers. This downstream movement also affected transportation metrics, as transportation capacity contracted, dropping by 13.1 points to 36.9, while transportation prices saw an increase, rising 1.8 points to 66.7.