Asia–Europe and transpacific market conditions have shifted sharply in recent weeks, as strong demand tightens available space and enables carriers to push through higher spot rates and surcharges, even on shipments moving under long-term contracts. Recent index data shows steady…

Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled, constraining one of the world’s most important energy corridors and prolonging the biggest disruption to global oil supply in decades.  Public statements from Tehran suggest Hormuz will only fully reopen…

Container shipping normally follows a traditional demand curve, with rates climbing into Chinese New Year, softening through spring, and then building towards a Q3 peak. But not this year. The crisis around the Strait of Hormuz is introducing an extra…

Heading into the second half of 2026 shippers face, a politically charged USMCA review, an early tightening on the trans‑Pacific, and war‑driven fuel costs pushing up inland transport prices across North America.  Together, they are rewriting the assumptions many companies…

China is rewiring the legal framework around its ports and supply chains and that matters for every UK shipper moving goods to, from or via China.  Two new sets of rules in 2026 change who controls disputes, how far you…

Although some shipping lines have begun selectively routing vessels back through the Suez Canal to reduce transit times and improve vessel utilisation, the industry remains far from a full-scale return to pre-crisis operating patterns. Diversions around the Cape of Good…

Container shipping markets appear to be entering an earlier and increasingly fragmented peak season, as geopolitical disruption, rising fuel costs and tighter carrier capacity management reshape freight demand across major trade lanes. Bookings on several east-west corridors strengthened earlier than…

The extension of the US–Iran ceasefire has done little to stabilise operating conditions in the region, with last week’s seizure of two MSC-managed container vessels by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz.  The incident highlight the…

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, crude oil can still exist within the region, but refined products, which includes marine fuel, jet fuel and diesel, can no longer move freely to key consumption markets, which has triggered a sharp…

A significant shift in the legal framework governing global shipping comes into force on 1 May 2026, as China implements revisions to its Maritime Code.  While the changes are designed to align with international standards, their practical effect is to…

Global supply chains are operating in a more stable position than at the peak of the Iran war, but conditions remain far from normal.  President Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire, tied to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, has…

Ocean freight markets are entering a more complex phase, as carriers respond to sustained pressure from fuel markets and network disruption, with pricing increasingly driven by cost recovery rather than volume growth. Across April, carriers have implemented a series of…

The effective closure of key Gulf shipping routes has halted vessel access to major regional hubs, leaving ships anchored or diverted and forcing carriers to discharge cargo at alternative ports across Oman and the UAE. These ports are now acting…

Overland transport across the Middle East has moved from a contingency option to a critical component of regional supply chains, as disruption to ocean and air networks forces cargo onto road-based alternatives. The result is a rapidly tightening environment, where…

Middle East linked disruption extends well beyond the region, with growing implications for global supply chains.  As capacity tightens, routes are reconfigured and costs come under pressure, supply chains are entering a more complex and less predictable phase. Air freight…

Ocean freight spot rates are entering a more volatile phase, as Middle East disruption, port congestion and carrier pricing strategies combine to reshape conditions across the main east–west trade lanes. Recent market data shows a widening gap between how different…

As disruption across the Middle East continues to restrict traditional air and ocean routes, shippers are increasingly turning to road and road–air solutions to maintain cargo flow.  What began as a contingency response is now becoming a core part of…

Security incidents on 11 March have added further pressure to global freight networks already affected by disruption across the Middle East. A drone strike at the Port of Salalah in Oman hit fuel storage tanks, forcing the suspension of port…

The continuing disruption in the Middle East is beginning to affect container shipping costs globally, with carriers introducing emergency fuel surcharges and rate increases across several major trade lanes. Global bunker prices have surged in recent weeks, with very low…

The ongoing disruption across the Middle East is now sending shockwaves far beyond the region itself, with upstream impacts emerging across air cargo networks, ocean shipping services and global freight pricing. What began as a regional security crisis affecting Gulf…

The simultaneous disruption in the Persian Gulf and continued Red Sea avoidance is creating a supply chain shock without modern precedent. Metro’s latest application release is giving you unprecedented visibility. With vessels held or diverting, Gulf-bound cargo potentially discharging at…