Register Free Trial COSCO sent 2 of its largest ships trapped in the Persian Gulf out of the Hormuz on 30 March after an earlier aborted attempt on 27 March, as tensions in the Middle East continues to escalate. The 2 ships are the first non-Iranian linked container ships to come out of the Hormuz since 3 March. Iranian ships have meanwhile halted transits through the Hormuz over the past week, with several incoming ships waiting at Chabahar Anchorage while outgoing ships are mostly idle at Ban
Yang Ming will launch a new China Singapore Malaysia (CSM) service calling at Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Port Klang Westport, Xiamen from 3 April 2026. The service will turn in 21 days using 3 ships of 1,700 to 4,250 teu starting with the 2,940 teu YM CONSTANCY at Xiamen on 3 April, followed by the 4,250 teu YM ETERNITY and 1,708 teu SMOOTH SAILING.
COSCO has sent the 18,982 teu CSCL ARCTIC OCEAN and CSCL INDIAN OCEAN through the Strait of Hormuz on 30 March 2026, becoming the first containerships not linked to Iran to leave the Persian Gulf since the 2,553 teu SSF LEO made it out on 3 March 2026. It follows an aborted attempt on 27 March 2026 when both vessels turned back just south of Qeshm and returned to shelter off Dubai. Both ships are operated by COSCO on the OCEAN Alliance Far East-Middle East 5 (MEA5 aka MEX/ME5/CMEX) service with
The 18,982 teu CSCL ARCTIC OCEAN and CSCL INDIAN OCEAN have aborted their first attempted passage of the Strait of Hormuz on 27 March 2026, which would have marked the first containerships that are not linked to Iran to leave the Persian Gulf since the 2,553 teu SSF LEO made it out on 3 March 2026. Both ships turned back just before passing the Hormuz in the morning of 27 March 2026 and are headed back to shelter at Dubai. They are operated by COSCO on the OCEAN Alliance Far East-Middle East 5
Register Free Trial While tensions in the Persian Gulf continues to ratchet upwards, container traffic is adjusting to the extended shutdown in Hormuz traffic with carriers re-establishing intra-Gulf feeders and India-Northern UAE/Oman services to maintain cargo flow to the Gulf region. These come on top of ad hoc Red Sea sailings from China and India that are capitalizing on the demand for alternative gateways to bring cargo into the Middle East Gulf states. Despite the ongoing turbulence, fre
Gulftainer's shipping arm GT Lines has launched a revised India-Sharjah Express (ISX) service that will provide alternative connections to UAE via the Gulftainer operated port of Khor Fakkan following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The revised service will operate 2 separate routes, with the ISX 1 calling at Nhava Sheva, Khor Fakkan, Nhava Sheva while the ISX 2 will call at Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Khor Fakkan, Mundra. The service will operate 3 ships of 1,000 teu on the 2 routes starting wit
CMA CGM has relaunched its Red Sea Med Express (REDEX) service with a new rotation calling at Port Said, Marsaxlokk, Alexandria, Aqaba, Jeddah, Port Said from 19 March 2026. The service will turn in 3 weeks and will deploy 3 ships of 2,500 teu starting with the 2,592 teu CMA CGM VILA DO CONDE at Malta on 19 March 2026.
Shandong Marine Corporation (SMC) will expand its Malaysia-Indonesia Express (MIX) service with a new connection to link Port Klang and Chittagong that is operated under the Feeder Express Shipping brand. The MIX was first launched in August 2025 to connect Port Klang, Belawan, Port Klang using the 712 teu SMC QINGDAO. A second ship, the 376 teu SMC KLANG will join the MIX service from 1 April 2026, with a new connection between Port Klang and Chittagong to be added.
CMA CGM will combine its existing Asia Subcontinent Express (AS1) and Pearl River Express (PEARL) into a new Pearl AS1 Pendulum Service (PEARLAS1) from 30 March 2026. The extended service will turn in 98 days using 14 ships of 8,000 teu to 11,400 teu to call at Haiphong, Xiamen, Nansha, Yantian, Los Angeles, Kwangyang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Singapore, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Karachi, Colombo, Singapore, Haiphong. Existing OCEAN Alliance partners COSCO, OOCL and Evergreen as well as ON
Register Free Trial The Strait of Hormuz remains shut to containership traffic, apart from Iranian-linked vessels who have made 6 inbound and 4 outbound sailings in the Persian Gulf since the war started. 2 Iranian-linked ships that have been idle since August following US sanctions last year have also been recently activated and are now on loaded and on their way to the Persian Gulf. CMA CGM have resumed bookings in and ouf of the Middle East Gulf states despite the Hormuz blockade by offerin