Total 221 Posts
Register Free Trial The lack of progress in the re-opening of the Straight of Hormuz and persistently high fuel prices have not dampened container cargo demand as volumes globally are rebounding strongly in May, fueling a fresh round of freight rate increases. The number of containerships idled in the Persian Gulf remains high due to the continued blockade of the Hormuz and the low number of new ship deliveries in the last 2 months have kept the market severely short of ships as charter rates c
Register Free Trial Carriers’ have reversed the earnings slump in the 1st quarter with early financial results from COSCO and ONE showing EBIT margin improvements of some 4% compared to 4Q 2025. Freight rates have held up in the 2nd quarter, with carriers able to recover most of the fuel cost increases since March and persisting with regular bi-monthly rate hike announcements as they continue to test the resilience of cargo demand. Charter rates have also strengthened with vessel demand undimin
Register Free Trial Container freight rates have stabilized since the initial Iran war rate surge, with current gains largely coming higher bunker surcharges. Vessel capacity has adjusted rapidly with no space shortages reported and port congestion have been largely limited to Indian subcontinent and Arabian Sea ports. MSC only managed to evacuate 4 ships from the Gulf on 18 April with 2 more ships detained by Iran. Although the Hormuz remains effectively shut, 3 non-Iranian containerships made
Register Free Trial 8 containerships were able to break out of the Hormuz on 18 April, but the exit path has been shut once again aas Iran turned back 4 CMA CGM ships and vowed to retaliate after the US seized the IRISL operated 5,125 teu TOUSKA on 20 April that was making an inbound voyage from Port Klang to Iran. The US blockade on Iranian ports have made little difference thus far, with at least 7 Iranian linked ships able to bypass the blockade in the last week alone. Apart from the rising
Register Free Trial MSC has become the first container carrier to operate 1,000 ships as it extended its lead at the top of the carrier rankings amidst continued market uncertainty driven by the Middle East crisis. The US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting from 13 April will further escalate the current tensions but the impact on the container shipping market is negligible as vessel traffic has been largely limited to Iranian linked ships over the past 6 weeks with just 4 outbound
Register Free Trial The Middle East tensions have claimed its first casualties, with the first containership sunk in the Persian Gulf 4 weeks after it was struck by Iranian missiles while SeaLead was forced to scale back its operations after its main Middle East service was incapacitated by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic remain mostly closed in the Hormuz, with the 5,466 teu CMA CGM KRIBI the only non-Iranian linked ship to make it out last week. There are still 45 ships for 275,0
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
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
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
Register Free Trial The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut as the Iran crisis enters its second week, with more than 140 containerships still trapped in the Persian Gulf. Apart from 6 IRISL ships that continue to make Hormuz transits last week, only a single feeder ship operated by GFS made it out on 3rd March before a second ship was hit by a missile on 4th March. Carriers have suspended bookings in and out of the Persian Gulf, while cargo in transit are being discharged at contingency