Container Shipping Faces Blank Sailings, Falling Demand From Prolonged Iran War
Maritime consultancy Drewry has lowered its forecast for global container‑port throughput growth to 1.8% from 2.2% in February, citing the ongoing US‑Israel war with Iran. Shipping lines anticipate a wave of blank sailings, service cancellations and routing adjustments as the conflict disrupts the Strait of Hormuz and other key corridors. Analysts warn that prolonged oil shortages could further suppress manufacturing output, shrinking container volumes. Meanwhile, investors are expected to increase spending on Middle‑East ports and landside infrastructure to create alternative trade routes.
Rerouted Middle East Hazmat Containers Spark Safety Concerns at Indian Ports
A leading European liner is holding roughly 600 TEUs of hazardous cargo at India’s Nhava Sheva port after trade routes to the Middle East were diverted. The containers were rerouted because carriers cannot discharge them quickly at UAE ports Khor Fakkan,...
Antwerp-Bruges Q1 Container Volumes Dip on Poor Weather, Labor Unrest
Antwerp‑Bruges handled 3.4 million TEUs in Q1 2026, edging out Rotterdam despite a 2.6% year‑on‑year decline. The drop stemmed from severe weather and a four‑day labor strike that shaved roughly 100,000 TEUs, or 1.1 million tons, from throughput. Container tonnage fell 5.5%...
NY-NJ Updating Port Tariff to Combat Rising Backlog of Empty Boxes
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a revision to its marine tariff, extending fees for long‑dwelling empty containers to off‑dock depots outside the harbor. The change aims to curb the growing backlog of empty boxes that...
Breakbulk26: Trade Lane Shifts, Policy Changes Among Evolving Challenges for Breakbulk Cargo
Breakbulk cargo volumes are rapidly shifting, with Asian shipments flooding North America as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East reshape trade lanes. Logistics firms like GE Power and COLI Group report capacity constraints and cargo shortages in Europe, forcing more...
Breakbulk26: Loss of Persian Gulf Oil Supplies Difficult to Replace Quickly
At the Breakbulk26 conference, S&P Global Energy’s Amy Groeschel warned that the war in the Middle East could trap roughly 16 million barrels of crude and refined product in the Strait of Hormuz each day, a volume that cannot be replaced quickly....
Breakbulk26: Shippers Urged to Pivot From Typical View of Tariffs, Trade Compliance
At the Journal of Commerce Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2026, industry leaders urged shippers to treat tariffs and trade compliance as strategic, not peripheral, tools. Mance Adams of SLB highlighted that many firms only assess tariffs after contracts are...
Breakbulk26: Repeated Global Crises Force Carriers to Adopt Strategies for Uncertainty
Breakbulk and project cargo carriers at the Journal of Commerce conference warned that global crises have turned uncertainty into a permanent condition. Executives cited COVID‑19, the Suez Canal blockage, Red Sea attacks, the Baltimore bridge collapse and Panama Canal drought...
Carriers’ Handling of Fuel Surcharges Agitates Small, Midsize Trans-Pac Shippers
Small and midsize trans‑Pacific shippers are raising concerns over ocean carriers’ handling of bunker‑fuel surcharges. Many carriers are insisting on open‑ended emergency surcharge clauses that lack clear exit triggers, making it hard for shippers to compare pricing across lines. The...
Breakbulk26: Risk ‘Buckets’ Disrupting Project Cargo Logistics Priorities
At the Breakbulk26 conference, GEODIS senior VP Luke Mace outlined three "risk buckets" that dominate project cargo logistics: people, long‑standing operational risks, and newer disruptions such as geopolitical conflict and infrastructure failures. He warned that these newer disruptions—ranging from the...
GCT, Vancouver Port to Jointly Study Roberts Bank Terminal Project
Global Container Terminals (GCT) and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly study the development of a proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2. The one‑year exclusive study will let the parties share data and negotiate...
Hapag-Lloyd Imposes Emergency Fuel Surcharges on Third-Party Feeder Cargo
Hapag-Lloyd announced an emergency bunker‑fuel surcharge of $50 to $150 per TEU, targeting cargo handled by third‑party feeder and barge operators. The surcharge is being applied immediately to shipments to and from the Caribbean and South America, with a phased...
Breakbulk26: Maritime Partnerships Transcend Uncertainty Amid Middle East War
The ongoing Middle East war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, forcing cargoes to detour to ports in Sri Lanka and India. At the Breakbulk26 conference, logistics leaders stressed that strong vendor‑client relationships are essential to navigate such disruptions. Experts highlighted...
Breakbulk26: Data Center, Electricity Demand Buoy Project Cargo Industry
Project cargo and breakbulk markets are buoyed by sustained demand for data‑center construction and electricity projects, driven by the AI boom. However, the Middle‑East conflict and rising fuel costs are expected to suppress demand in the short term, especially through...
Slight Uptick in Breakbulk Shipper Index Signals Increase in Capacity
The Journal of Commerce introduced the Breakbulk Shipper Index, a new benchmark focused on shipper‑driven data for the breakbulk and project cargo market. Unveiled at its 2026 Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference, the index aggregates cargo‑owner inputs on vessel volumes,...
Gemini to Suspend Two More Middle East Shuttles in May Due to War
Gemini Cooperation announced it will suspend two Mediterranean‑Saudi shuttle services, JED2/JD2 and JED3/JD3, starting mid‑May as the war in the Middle East continues to disrupt shipping lanes. The loops, which connect Tangier, Port Said East, Aqaba and Jeddah, are being...
More Carrier-Controlled Terminal Operations Could Be Coming to the East Coast
Cargo moving through East Coast ports is increasingly shifting toward carrier‑controlled terminal operations, a trend accelerated by recent successes at the Port of New York and New Jersey. Industry analysts say the model could soon appear at historically state‑run hubs...
Surge in Global Wind Energy Capacity Growth to Propel MPV Volumes
Analysts project a surge in global wind energy capacity, adding roughly 320 GW between 2026 and 2030—about 200 GW onshore and 123 GW offshore, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. This rapid expansion will keep multipurpose and specialist installation vessels (MPVs) busy,...
US Toymakers Absorbing Tariff Costs, Importing Less to Preserve Sales
U.S. toy manufacturers boosted 2025 retail sales by 6% while deliberately cutting import volumes, choosing to absorb higher tariff costs instead of raising consumer prices. Analysts say the shift reflects a strategic response to steep duties on Chinese‑origin toys, with...
MSC Revamps Asia-USEC Network
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is overhauling its trans‑Pacific network to launch a direct service from Xiamen to the U.S. East Coast and to streamline calls on its three main East Coast routes. The Empire Service will drop Qingdao, focusing on...
Premier Alliance Taps UAE’s Khor Fakkan for War-Diverted Cargoes
The Premier Alliance has designated the UAE port of Khor Fakkan as an interim transshipment hub for its Middle East‑Asia‑US West Coast GS2 service. The move follows a March suspension of calls at Arabian Gulf ports after missile and drone attacks...
US Alcohol Importers Managing Shifting Consumption Habits
U.S. alcohol importers are grappling with a volatile market as containerized shipments of wine, beer and distilled spirits fell 4.9% in 2025 and plunged another 16.1% in the first quarter of 2026. Shifting consumer tastes toward alternative products and purchasing...
Rising Costs, Uneven Demand Crimping US Clothing Imports
US apparel and footwear imports dropped 7.2% year‑over‑year in the first two months of 2026, following a 2.4% decline in 2025. Rising production costs, higher freight rates, and uneven consumer demand tied to a K‑shaped recovery are pressuring retailers. Inventory...
Carriers Redeploy Hormuz-Stranded Ships for Intra-Gulf Shuttle Operations
Container carriers are repurposing vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz for short‑haul shuttle services within the Gulf. CMA CGM has moved five of its 13 trapped ships into feeder routes between northern ports, while MSC, with 15 immobilized vessels, is...
Middle East War Accelerates Regional Cross-Border Cooperation
War in the Middle East forced a surge of ocean cargo into Gulf ports, overwhelming land transport. In response, GCC countries accelerated cross‑border cooperation, slashing customs approvals from months to days and expanding real‑time coordination among ports. The UN‑mandated TIR...
Bunker Fuel Shortages Loom After US Counter Blocks Strait of Hormuz
US naval counter‑operations have effectively blocked commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting the primary route for bunker fuel shipments to Asia. Analysts warn that within two to three months container lines could encounter a global shortage of low‑sulfur...
NWSA Knocks SSA for Gate Closures at Its Seattle Terminals
Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has publicly criticized SSA Terminals for instituting once‑a‑week gate closures at its Seattle facilities. SSA will shut gates at Terminal 5 on Mondays and Terminal 18 on Fridays throughout April, while still running vessels seven days a week....
MSC’s Terminals Arm Extends Vietnam Portfolio with New Container Port Project
Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) secured a majority stake in a consortium to develop the $5 billion Can Gio international container port south of Ho Chi Minh City. The 50‑year concession reflects a broader carrier trend of building terminals in Vietnam...
Lower Freight Rates Hit Q1 Revenues for Taiwan’s ‘Big Three’ Carriers
Taiwan’s three major container lines reported lower operating revenues in Q1 2026 as freight rates slipped year‑over‑year. Evergreen Marine, the largest carrier, saw its revenue drop 21% to $2.7 billion, down from $3.5 billion a year earlier. The decline follows the disappearance...
Middle East-Linked Market Ambiguity Clouds India-US Service Contract Plans
India‑US westbound ocean carriers have scrapped planned rate increases, pulling freight‑all‑kinds (FAK) rates down as much as $500 in the past two weeks. The ongoing Middle East conflict has injected market uncertainty, prompting both carriers and beneficial cargo owners to...
War-Driven Fuel Costs Add New Twist to Trans-Pacific Service Contract Talks
The war in Iran has caused bunker fuel prices to double across key global hubs, prompting container lines to shift refueling operations to Europe as Singapore’s supply tightens. This surge in fuel costs is being passed to shippers through higher...
Hapag-Zim Deal Could Ignite Another Merger Wave in Container Shipping
Hapag‑Lloyd announced a $4.2 billion acquisition of Israel’s Zim Integrated Shipping Services, marking the latest push for scale in container shipping. The deal follows a wave of pandemic‑driven consolidations but is driven more by strategic positioning than financial distress. MSC now...
El Niño Forecast Suggests Risk of Low Water Levels Along Panama Canal
A NOAA forecast predicts a strong El Niño developing this summer, raising the likelihood of a significant drought in the Panama Canal watershed. Reduced rainfall could lower lake levels by as much as 30 cm, forcing the Canal Authority to tighten draft...
OOCL Posts Revenue Decline in Muted First Quarter
OOCL, the Cosco subsidiary, reported a 7.6% year‑over‑year revenue decline in Q1, posting $2.13 billion. While total container volume grew 1.7% to just under 2 million TEUs, the load factor slipped 2.1% as capacity rose 4.3%. Revenue fell across all four major...
Cost-Hit Ocean Carriers Roll Out Series of Rate Increases, Fuel Surcharges
Ocean carriers are rolling out a series of general rate increases and emergency fuel surcharges as bunker fuel costs surge. On the Asia‑US East Coast lane, rates have risen 20% to $3,525 per FEU, marking a sizable premium over pre‑April...
US Imports of Consumer Electronics Face Threats to Growth Plans
U.S. consumer‑electronics imports are under pressure as 2025 saw a 2.2% drop in containerized shipments. Vietnam’s share of those imports climbed to 18.1% while China’s fell to 40.7%, reflecting a broader supply‑chain shift. At the same time, rising fuel prices...
MPV, Deck Carrier Operators Eye Cargo Demand Surge From Iran War Reconstruction
The war‑damaged energy and petrochemical infrastructure across the Middle East is set to trigger a substantial surge in cargo demand for multipurpose vessels (MPVs) and deck carriers once reconstruction begins. Industry executives estimate more than $25 billion in repair costs, with...
CMA CGM Taps Jaxport as Newest Call for Asia Express Service
CMA CGM announced that its Chesapeake Bay Express (CBX) service will start calling at the Port of Jacksonville in June 2026. The addition expands the Ocean Alliance’s trans‑Pacific rotation, which already serves Vietnam, China and South Korea before heading east to...
Evergreen Adds to Order Book with Deal for Six 24,000-TEU Vessels
Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine announced a contract for six ultra‑large 24,000‑TEU container ships to be built at South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean shipyard. The LNG‑fuelled vessels are valued between $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion, bringing Evergreen’s cumulative spend on new ships since November to...
Ocean Carriers Wait for Clarity on Safe Hormuz Passage After US-Iran Ceasefire
Ocean carriers are awaiting concrete guidance from the United States and Iran on safely navigating the Strait of Hormuz after a two‑week cease‑fire was brokered between Washington and Tehran. Iran pledged to permit shipping but has yet to release the...
War-Driven Supply Squeeze Could Boost US Resins Exports in 2026
U.S. resin exporters are poised for another strong year in 2026 as the war in the Middle East tightens global feedstock supplies. Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG plant and the shutdown of Iran’s South Pars gas field have curtailed ethane and...
STB Rules for Norfolk Southern in Dispute with CSX at Port of Virginia
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) unanimously ruled in favor of Norfolk Southern Railway, rejecting CSX Transportation’s request for direct on‑dock service at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) in the Port of Virginia. The decision preserves the historic competitive rail structure...
US Household Goods Imports Flatten as Housing Weakness Weighs on Demand
U.S. household‑goods imports slipped 1.3% in 2025, reaching 5.3 million TEUs, as a faltering housing market curbed demand for furniture, appliances, and home furnishings. Builders reported fewer new‑home starts, while inflation and tighter credit squeezed consumer purchasing power. Retail earnings reveal...
MSC Consolidates USWC, Asian Calls to Boost Trans-Pacific Reliability
MSC announced it will eliminate Oakland from its Orient trans‑Pacific service, effective with the April 30 departure of the 8,827‑TEU MSC Naomi from Qingdao. The carrier says the move reduces exposure to West Coast port congestion and improves schedule reliability. By...
Hesitation From Port Authorities Slows Automation in Southern California
Port authorities in Southern California are stalling approvals for terminal automation, even though the ILWU‑PMA agreement has guaranteed automation rights since 2008. The region’s two largest gateways, handling about 40% of U.S. container traffic, face land constraints that make automation...
Montreal Port Chief Gascon Exits Abruptly After Two-Year Tenure
Montreal Port Authority chief Julie Gascon left her role abruptly after a two‑year tenure, with no public explanation. Her departure coincides with the start of a C$1.6 billion (US$1.15 billion) container terminal project that will be operated by DP World. The board announced...
Charleston Looking for Retailer Shippers to Revive Port’s Growth
The Port of Charleston is launching an aggressive campaign to attract retail goods shippers and is open to co‑investing with them to revive stagnant container volumes. For the first eight months of the 2026 fiscal year, the port’s throughput sits...
FMC Again Rejects Maersk Petition to Waive Notice Period for Emergency Fuel Surcharge
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has again denied Maersk’s petition to waive the statutory 30‑day notice required before imposing an emergency bunker fuel surcharge on U.S. trades. The carrier’s request, filed on March 11, was unanimously rejected, meaning Maersk cannot apply...
SeaLead Warns of Network Disruptions in Persian Gulf War Zone
Singapore‑based carrier SeaLead announced that its services to ports in the Persian Gulf war zone are facing operational challenges, prompting the company to assess contingency measures for cargo on affected vessels. The liner is also restructuring its network, cutting coverage...
Veteran PRPA, Fairview Terminal Executive to Lead Prince Rupert Port
Kurt Slocombe has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. He joined PRPA in 2019 as vice‑president of operations, planning and infrastructure, after earlier managing the Fairview Container Terminal since 2007. As head...