Register Free Trial The vessel evacuations from the Persian Gulf continue despite Iranian threats as 26 containerships with a total capacity of 195,000 teu or more than half of the stranded ships have already withdrawn from the Gulf. Activity within the Gulf has also picked up with over 60 ships now employed on intra-Gulf services as the idle fleet dropped by more than 40 units over the past 2 weeks. Strong cargo demand across all tradelanes have pushed global TEU-mile demand growth to 7.3%, w

AD Ports Group has exercised a call option to increase its stake in Global Feeder Shipping (GFS) from 51% to 81% on 24 June 2026. The move marks the end of a prolonged 4 year courtship that was first announced on 3 November 2022 when AD Ports signed an agreement to acquire a 80% stake in GFS for total consideration of AED 2.9 Bn (US$800m), with the Maghami family retaining a 20% stake in GFS. The transaction was expected to close in the first quarter of 2023 but the final completion was delayed

MSC has launched a new Orca service connecting Busan, Vladivostok, Busan from 29 June 2026 using the 1,840 teu MSC PRETORIA II. The service will operate in conjunction with the MSC Golden Horn service that serves the same route using the 1,496 teu MSC RICCARDA II.

TVL Marine has launched a new Hong Kong-Taiwan service connecting Hong Kong, Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong from 25 June 2026 using the 1,103 teu TVL KEELUNG. TVL Marine owns 5 containerships of 1,100-1,800 teu built between 2015 and 2021 that are chartered to KMTC including the TVL KEELUNG that was chartered out as the SUNNY CALLA to KMTC until the end of May 2026.

ANL (part of the CMA CGM Group), COSCO and OOCL will launch a new China Australia Express (A3X/ACX) as the 4th service of the Asia Australia Consortium (A3) that complements their existing A3N, A3C and A3S joint services. The A3X/ACX will call at Qingdao, Shanghai, Shekou, Melbourne, Sydney, Qingdao, turning in 42 days and deploy 6 ships of 3,000-4,000 teu starting with the 3,314 teu COLOMBO at Qingdao on 27 July 2026. With the launch of the new A2X/ACX, the A3 Consortium will offer weekly dou

Register Free Trial The positive momentum in the container market continues with the mid-June rate hikes sticking without rollbacks in the strongest rate ascent since the Red Sea diversions started at the end of 2023. Carriers are gearing for another major rate hike in July with increases as high as $5,000/feu on certain routes. Cargo demand is now clearly outpacing the availability of vessel slots with the peak season in full swing coupled with the strong growth of cleantech exports out of Chi

SM Lines will launch a new Shenzhen Busan Express (SBX) service connecting Yantian, Busan, Yantian from 6 July 2026 using the newly chartered 1,103 teu ULTIMA. The SBX service will replace the direct call at Yantian on the SM Line PNW service that will be shortened to call at Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Vancouver, Seattle, Busan, Ningbo with the last direct call at Yantian on 29 June 2026. The revised PNW service will turn in 35 days using 5 ships of 4,250 to 4,380 teu compared to 42 days previousl

Register Free Trial The re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Iran peace deal due to be signed this Friday will release some 51 containerships with a total capacity of 300,000 teu presently stranded in the Persian Gulf (full list of ships in page 2). The capacity set to be evacuated from the Gulf could provide some short-term relief to an over-stretched container market but uncertainty remains over when regular services to the Persian Gulf can be restarted which would add to additiona

The 7,154 teu SANTA CATARINA MAERSK and 8,648 teu CLEMENTINE MAERSK have made the first passages through the Bab el-Mandeb by Maersk vessels since 1 March 2026. SANTA CATARINA MAERSK was on a positioning trip from China to the Med and made its Suez passage on 4 June 2026 while CLEMENTINE MAERSK made the westbound Suez Canal passage on 13 June 2026 on its way from Salalah to New York on Maersk's Middle East-India to East Coast US (MECL) service, marking the first trans-Suez voyages by Maersk sinc

COSCO has launched a new Spain Morocco Service (SMS) connecting Valencia, Casablanca, Valencia from 10 June 2026 using the 925 teu CONTSHIP IVY on a weekly rotation.

MSC will launch a new Sierra service calling at Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, Shanghai from 24 June 2026. The service will turn in 49 days using up to 7 ships of 4,000 to 9,000 teu starting with the 9,411 teu MSC DOMITILLE at Shanghai on 24 June 2026.

MSC has enhanced its North Europe-Russia connections with the launch of a new Baltic Loop 12 service connecting Antwerp, St Petersburg, Klaipeda, Antwerp from 9 June 2026. The service will turn in 14 days and will deploy the 3,005 teu MSC SHANNON III and MSC NEDERLAND III on a weekly frequency. MSC remains the only main carrier to retain services to Russia since European sanctions against Russia were rolled out in February 2022.