Deliveries of promotional products may be delayed this holiday season due to a variety of factors, including the grounding of more than 100 planes.

On November 8, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all 109 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft to be grounded pending further inspection. Both UPS (26 out of its more than 500 aircraft are MD-11s) and FedEx (28 out of about 700 aircraft are MD-11s) had previously decided to ground the MD-11 planes in their cargo fleet.


Although the MD-11s represent a small percentage of UPS and FedEx’s cargo fleet, aviation experts told NPR that depending on how long the planes are grounded, it could delay holiday deliveries.

  • Each MD-11 aircraft used by UPS can carry 20,000 packages, the company said.


“As that peak volume increases and you need every bit of transportation capacity, not having 26 planes could be a real big factor for them,” said Jeremy Tancredi, a partner who specializes in supply chain issues at consulting firm West Monroe and who previously worked for UPS as an industrial engineer.

  • The FAA directive to airports to reduce flights during the government shutdown shouldn’t impact deliveries, a partner at AeroDynamic Advisory told NPR.


Holiday Rush Slowdown

The Q4 holiday rush, traditionally the busy season for the promotional products industry, is already looking drastically different this year.

According to the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker, the flow of goods at major U.S. ports is expected to steadily decline throughout the rest of 2025 due to the toll that tariffs have taken on imports.

The decline for November is projected to be 1.74 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, down 19.7% year-over-year. The decline for December is forecast to be 1.7 million TEU, down 20.1% year-over-year for the slowest month since 1.62 million TEU in March 2023.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market right now, and the ocean freight industry doesn’t do well with uncertainty,” John Janson, vice president of global logistics at SanMar – PPAI 100’s No. 1 supplier – told PPAI Media in September.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market right now, and the ocean freight industry doesn’t do well with uncertainty.”

John Janson

VP of Global Logistics, SanMar

In some positive news for the promo industry, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently suspended proposed vessel fees on maritime transport services as well as tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes and cargo-handling equipment as part of its Section 301 investigation of China shipbuilding.

What the suspension means for the promotional products industry is:

  • Immediate relief from cost escalation tied to freight, port and handling fees
  • Improved supply-chain predictability for 2026 production and imports
  • Continued diversification and affordability in the import pipeline that most suppliers depend on.


“The suspension delivers a one-year tariff pause, strengthens supply-chain stability and highlights PPAI’s active voice in trade policy outcomes that directly affect members,” says Alok Bhat, market economist, research and public affairs lead at PPAI.

ICYMI: USTR Suspends Maritime Trade Actions Against China

Nevertheless, the uncertainty of U.S. trade policy is “making it impossible” for companies across all industries to make the long-term plans critical to future business success, according to Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

“These tariffs and disruptions to the supply chain are adding costs that will ultimately lead to higher prices for American consumers,” Gold said.