The European logistics market is losing momentum, and the latest decline in road freight transport rates confirms it. According to IRU / Upply data, the spot index fell 3.8 points in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024, followed by another drop to 132.2 points in Q2. Weak internal demand, lower exports and global uncertainty are reshaping the logistics landscape.
Cheaper transport should, in theory, help import-export-heavy industries such as the textile industry. Yet falling freight rates usually signal something deeper: shrinking volumes, slower economic activity and pressure on international trade flows.
For Spanish textile companies, reduced freight rates lower costs, but they don’t compensate for weaker end-market demand or deteriorating transit reliability. Efficiency, speed and visibility in European logistics become decisive advantages when price alone stops being the main differentiator.
This environment creates opportunities for agile operators capable of offering resilience and proximity. Renegotiating contracts, refining supply chains and investing in digitalisation may offer competitive gains while the logistics market resets.
Lower prices are not the whole story. They are a symptom of a sector under pressure, urging textile exporters to balance cost savings with long-term competitiveness.
Yorklay S.L. — Textile, leather goods and technical canvas manufacturing in Spain for European brands. Specialists in prototypes, flexible production, warehousing and direct B2B shipping with total confidentiality.
