Freight forwarders operating U.S.-inbound, seaborne routes had a tough end to the first quarter, with volumes down 4% for the top 10 companies in March. Yet, that mostly reflected the timing of the lunar new year, with overall volumes in the first quarter having improved by 7%.

Despite the improvement in volumes there was still significant push to increase market share from Orient Express (25% higher than a year earlier), DB Schenker (16%) and CH Robinson (12%) among others. UPS and DSV meanwhile appear to have sacrificed market share for profitability with a 5% and 6% drop res...