Register Free Trial The Iran war has not triggered a stagflationary shock but has instead driven a fresh container cargo boom that has sent freight rates to a new 18 month high. Demand for AI-related technology and renewable energy products have driven an early peak season cargo surge with a new round of rate hikes still planned on 15 June after carriers pushed through the 1 June rate hike and Peak Season Surcharge implementation. The positive momentum is driven by both a shortage of vessel spa

MSC has launched a new Zephyr service connecting Singapore, Colombo, Djibouti, Singapore from 7 June 2026. The service will turn in 28 days and deploy 4 ships of 4,700 teu to 5,000 teu starting with the 4,738 teu MSC SHRINIKA V at Singapore on 7 June.

MSC will withdraw the Indus Express service that currently connects Port Qasim, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Caucedo, Freeport (Bahamas), Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York via the Cape of Good Hope. The last sailing will be on the 4,992 teu MSC PRATITI that departed from Mundra on 3 June 2026. The service has omitted calls at Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali since March 2026 due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and is currently operated with 11 ships of 4,200 teu to 7,800 teu that will al

Maersk has announced the launch of a new Far East-West Coast South America AC1 service connecting Ningbo, Busan, Lazaro Cardenas, Buenaventura, Guayaquil, Ningbo from 4 July 2026. The service will turn in 56 days deploying 8 ships of 3,400 to 4,600 teu starting with the first sailing at Ningbo on 4 July 2026 with the 4,298 teu REN JIAN 8, followed in successive weeks by the 4,253 teu KOTA LUKIS, 4,578 teu DYROS, 4,250 teu NAVIOS DORADO and 3,316 teu HUA XIN 758.

MSC has launched a new Southern Loop service connecting Melbourne, Bluff, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Wellington, Nelson, Napier, Wellington, Bell Bay, Melbourne from 9 May 2026. The service turns in 21 days and deploys 3 ships - the 2,556 teu MSC HANISHA III and MSC LUCIA III with the 2,664 teu MSC RINI III. The new service will provide connections to New Zealand and Tasmania via Melbourne. MSC has also revised its existing Noumea Express service with the removal of its previous New Zealand and

X-Press Feeders will launch a new China-East Mediterranean X-Press (CEX) service by joining as a new vessel operator on the CUL/GFS Asia Med I (AEM) / Far East Med Service (FMS). X-Press Feeders will replace SeaLead's former participation on this service that was previously branded by SeaLead as the Five Seas Express (5CX). The service turns in 11 weeks using up to 11 ships of 2,400 to 5,000 teu calling at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jeddah, Alexandria, Aliaga, Ambarli, Mersin, Jeddah, P

Maersk will relaunch the Intra-Asia PH1 service in a revised rotation calling at Busan, Xingang, Qingdao, Xiamen, Manila, Nansha, Hong Kong, Busan from 6 June 2026. The service will turn in 28 days using 4 ships of 2,100 to 3,500 teu starting with the 2,174 teu PHOENIX D at Manila on 6 June.

MSC will reintroduce the FE-USWC Pearl Service connecting Yantian, Xiamen, Long Beach, Yantian from 13 June 2026 to cater to the Transpacific peak season. The service was previously operated from February 2025 to August 2025 before it was withdrawn by MSC due to weak demand. The revised Pearl service will turn in 42 days deploying up to 6 ships of 4,800 teu to 8,200 teu starting with the 4,872 teu MSC LYSE V. The initial cycle is currently scheduled with 5 ships with 1 blank sailing, with the f

CMA CGM will combine its current Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) and Mexico Express (M2X) service from June 2026. The revised Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) will be extended to call at Busan, Xingang, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, Buenaventura, San Antonio, Chancay, Callao, Posorja, Yokohama, Busan using 13 ships of 13,000 teu to 15,000 teu on a 91 days rotation. The M2X will be withdrawn and the Mexico calls on the service are transferred to the revised ACS

Register Free Trial The SCFI index rose sharply by 15.9% to reach 2,572 points, and has risen by 92.9% since the Iran-US conflict started 3 months ago. The prolonged Hormuz blockade and high oil prices have not dampened cargo demand, but have instead spurred further growth of clean energy goods while US imports have been boosted by the removal of the IEEPA tariffs. The strong container freight rate momentum looks set to last at least until the end of July as carriers continue to cash in on the

COSCO Shipping and OOCL will launch a new Southeast Asia India Service 2 (SEI2/SIS2) connecting Qinzhou, Yangpu, Haiphong, Singapore, Mundra, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qinzhou from 4 June 2026. The service will turn in 35 days and will deploy 5 ships of 3,300 teu to 4,400 teu starting with the 4,250 teu XIN TAI CANG at Qinzhou on 4 June 2026. The service will offer the first direct connection between Haiphong and India.

COSCO's intra-European arm Diamond Line will launch a new Germany Gdynia Shuttle (GGS) service connecting Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Gdynia, Bremerhaven from 30 May 2026. The service will turn in 7 days starting with the 868 teu DINA TRADER at Bremerhaven on 30 May.