DisruptionOcean
Lufthansa Cargo’s handling operations across its Frankfurt and Munich hubs were brought to a shuddering halt at the weekend following an IT outage, which left forwarders scrambling for alternatives amid an escalating cargo backlog. Details of the situation were made known to The Loadstar by sources close to the carrier, with customers told in a memo that “global” disruption affecting the German flag-carrier’s IT service provider was leading to “service impairments”. A ...
MSC has joined its peers in resuming Suez Canal transits, sending seven ships through the waterway this month. Container shipping consultancy Linerlytica’s report today shows transits were as follows: the 23,782 teu MSC Amelia, deployed to MSC’s China-Mediterranean Tiger service crossed the Suez on 31 July and Bab el Mandeb Strait on 3 August; the 13,102 teu MSC Vega, on MSC’s China-Mediterranean Dragon service, crossed Suez on 31 July and Bab el Mandeb ...
DisruptionMultimodal
A 24-hour warning strike is underway at six German seaports, with operational disruptions expected during the industrial action. According to Hapag-Lloyd, the strike was called by German trade union ver.di and began on the evening of 17 August 2026. Six German ports affected The warning strike affects the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Emden […]
Saudi Aramco resumed oil loading from inside the Strait of Hormuz last week and has more tankers waiting to load as the state energy giant offers spot heavy crude cargoes, according to shipping data and trade sources.
Earnings for a supertanker procuring crude oil from within the Persian Gulf to Asia are nearing a two-month high, as exporters hunt for more vessels to deliver the fuel via the Strait of Hormuz even as the security situation remains uncertain.
Increasing draft restrictions on the Panama Canal for Neopanamax vessels has seen carriers introduce surcharges varying from $100-$500 per teu
A vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident occurred on 18 August 2026 during an outbound transit of the strait. Projectile damages engine room According to UKMTO, the vessel’s Company Security Officer reported that an unknown projectile struck […]
Iraq’s oil exports to key markets in Asia rely on the Strait of Hormuz and alternative routes face considerable logistical challenges
New UKMTO transit data for the week ending 14 August confirms what earlier Container News analysis had only inferred from narrative reporting: the split between Iran’s PGSA-administered northern corridor and the traditional Omani southern route through the Strait of Hormuz is no longer a matter of preference. It is a matter of survival statistics.
A seafarer has been killed in the latest attack on merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran is claiming to have detained a UAE-owned tanker for failing to comply with Tehran’s new transit regime. The 76,801 dwt, Liberia-flagged panamax Minoan Dignity was struck by an unknown projectile yesterday evening while transiting around five …
↑War-risk insurance premium↑Tanker earnings↑Crude oil price↑LNG price+2 more
DisruptionOcean
Somali pirates have hijacked the Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship Lutuf off the coast of Somalia, the latest incident in a renewed wave of piracy across the western Indian Ocean. Eight armed men boarded and seized control of the small 1995-built vessel yesterday. The condition of the crew remains unconfirmed. The attack adds to mounting concern …
A commercial ship suffered engine room damage and a crew casualty in the strike
↑War-risk insurance premium↑Tanker earnings↑Crude oil price↑LNG price+2 more
DisruptionMultimodal
Maersk will introduce a temporary Emergency Inland Fuel/Energy Surcharge for inland shipments across several Nordic and Baltic markets. The surcharge will take effect on 19 August 2026 and applies to Store Door (SD) shipments. Maersk linked the measure to rising fuel costs amid the ongoing disruption to fuel supplies from the Middle East. Surcharge varies […]
Tanker reportedly seized by Iranian forces for failing to follow the Northern route in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the federal permit needed to build the Louisiana International Terminal, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the planned deepwater container terminal on...
Commercial carriers crossing through Laredo’s international freight bridges now face escalating penalties and possible account suspension for insufficient toll account balances.
Abu Dhabi wealth fund L’imad Holding is offering to buy out minority shareholders in the city’s port operator valuing the firm at 31.8 billion dirhams ($8.66 billion), potentially bolstering the emirate’s efforts to build out infrastructure that could help it bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to "fully offensive" due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.
The Panama Canal marked its 112th anniversary over the weekend with vessel traffic on the rise, even as officials prepare for a strengthening El Niño that is again putting pressure...
A new study finds that the Strait of Hormuz is just one of many global shipping bottlenecks that can severely disrupt global trade.
Waterways the world over are contending with all manner of chaos, especially the Panama Canal where congestion is worsening as a consequence of the war in the Middle East and low-water restrictions loom. Sources told The Loadstar some 112 vessels were awaiting entrance to the canal, with those sending containerised freight being warned they face further delays as oil transits increase. One source said the congestion was building to a point where ...
↑Transit time↑Container spot rate↑Rail intermodal volume & dwell↑Truckload spot rate
DisruptionOcean
Russia's main Black Sea oil port of Novorossiysk resumed operations on Sunday after halting loadings on Friday following a drone attack, two trading sources said.
DisruptionOcean
Cargo airlines serving India are adapting and responding to the operational disruption at Mumbai Airport by reorganising services out of Navi Mumbai International (NMIA), Adani Group’s newest investment in the country. Because of extensive airside infrastructure improvement works, Mumbai Airport — under severe capacity strain for some time — has imposed temporary restrictions on freighter operations until next May. NMIA, which opened in late 2025, claims as many as 13 new freighter ...
Since the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in October 2023, the Suez Canal has been the missing link for containerships sailing from Asia to Europe. The arithmetic was straightforward: ships could either take the Suez route and expose themselves, their crews, and cargo to Houthi attacks, or sail thousands of additional miles around the Cape of Good Hope, which, for most became the rational choice – although opportunistic ...
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