Stay on top of port closures, security incidents, congestion events and freight rate movements impacting global shipping. Updated continuously from verified industry sources.
Bulk carriers carrying elemental sulphur cargoes have been stranded at anchorage in the Strait of Hormuz for over 60 days, far exceeding the 20-day cargo protection period and exposing vessels to severe accelerated structural corrosion. Marine consultancy Brookes Bell warns of significant structural damage risks and urges shipowners and insurers to assess affected vessels immediately.
A fatal accident at the Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT) within India's JNPA port caused operations to be suspended after empty containers fell from a vessel during heavy rain and strong winds, killing one worker and seriously injuring another. The temporary shutdown is expected to disrupt container-handling operations while an investigation and root-cause analysis are conducted.
El Niño conditions are returning, threatening to reduce water levels at the Panama Canal and force draught restrictions, with analysts estimating each 10cm draught reduction could cost Asia–US East Coast carriers around 100 containers per sailing. This is expected to squeeze canal capacity, leading to cargo rerouting, reduced loads, and potential congestion for vessels transiting between Asia and the US East Coast.
A tanker attack near Oman's coast in the Strait of Hormuz area has raised security concerns, potentially slowing the recovery of safe transit through the Strait. The incident may cause slowdowns or rerouting of vessel traffic through this critical chokepoint.
Two tankers have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman, both sustaining structural damage, as reported by UKMTO. This raises serious security concerns for commercial shipping transiting one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, potentially causing rerouting and slowdowns in the area.
Seven OPEC+ countries agreed to expand oil production by 188,000 barrels per day in August, following a US-Iran interim deal that reopened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, though vessel traffic remains below pre-war levels and Iran has warned tankers to use approved routes or face a 'forceful response.' Tensions over the strait persist, with full Gulf oil production recovery not expected until at least Q1 2027.
A tanker was struck by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, causing a fire but no casualties, heightening security concerns in the region. While the Strait has reopened to commercial traffic, shipping volumes remain below pre-conflict levels and isolated incidents continue to pose risks to the normalization of Gulf maritime exports.
China's state-owned Cofco has booked at least six cargoes of US soybeans for September-October shipment, part of a broader agreement for China to purchase a minimum of 25 million tons of US soybeans annually through 2028. This surge in agricultural trade is expected to increase bulk carrier demand and cargo volumes on US-China shipping routes.
India's coal imports fell nearly 13% year-on-year in April 2026 to 21.13 million tonnes, with power sector imports dropping 25%, driven by increased domestic coal production and reduced blending needs. This sustained decline in import volumes signals reduced bulk carrier demand and lower traffic at Indian coal import terminals, particularly for thermal coal shipments.
Qatar has extended its force majeure suspension of LNG shipments from Ras Laffan until mid-August, with liquefaction units expected to resume only in early September, causing ongoing disruption to LNG exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The first Qatari LNG tanker has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz with AIS activated amid easing tensions, but full recovery of damaged facilities will take significantly longer.
At least eight Mitsui OSK Lines vessels, including five supertankers, two chemical tankers, and a car carrier, are departing the Strait of Hormuz via a route near Iran after being trapped in the Persian Gulf since early March. Iran has asserted control over Hormuz, requiring vessels to obtain its authorization for transit, with the number of trapped large oil tankers expected to drop to just a few once these ships complete their crossing.
Russian tanker operators have increased crude shipments from home ports amid flag clampdowns on shadow fleet vessels, with Russian-operated tankers lifting 18.7 million barrels in June 2026 — the highest since October 2023. Flag state removals of shadow fleet tankers and naval interceptions by UK, EU, and French forces are disrupting Russia's oil logistics and reshaping tanker traffic flows through Russian export ports.
A tanker was struck by a projectile and set ablaze near Limah, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, amid ongoing Iranian threats to restrict vessel routes through the strait. The incident highlights severe disruption risks to maritime traffic through the strait, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade passes, as Iran enforces its own approved routes and tensions with the U.S. remain high.
Coaster shipping markets across the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Azov Sea, and North Europe are experiencing a deep summer lull, with weak cargo demand, tonnage oversupply, and falling freight rates. Traffic in the Black Sea is expected to remain slack over the next few weeks, with sluggish demand for new-crop wheat and limited exports of steel products and fertilizers.
Super Typhoon Bavi (Category 5) is forecast to strike Taiwan and mainland China on July 10, 2026, with wind gusts up to 100 knots and 12-metre waves, threatening to disrupt navigation and port operations across all vessel segments. Chinese ports may close or scale back operations, causing congestion and tightening vessel supply across the Pacific, with dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, coal, and soybeans most at risk.
A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile east of the Strait of Hormuz near Limah, Oman, sparking an onboard fire and undermining the fragile recovery of commercial shipping through the waterway. The Joint Maritime Information Center maintains a 'substantial' threat level in the strait, and traffic remains well below pre-crisis levels despite a partial recovery following a US-Iran ceasefire last month.
A Qatari LNG tanker (Al Rekayyat, owned by Nakilat) was struck by a projectile near the Omani coast while exiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and heightening security concerns for vessels transiting the Persian Gulf chokepoint. The attack has prompted shipowner unease, route fragmentation, and at least one other LNG tanker to abort its transit, while European gas prices surged up to 6%.
Multiple Japanese-linked supertankers previously stranded in the Persian Gulf are now exiting the Strait of Hormuz, with 16 million barrels of Middle East crude aboard Japan-bound vessels departing this week, signaling a partial resumption of oil flows through the strait. Japan's crude imports had slumped to a 60-year low after Gulf supplies fell 68% year-on-year following the outbreak of conflict with Iran in February 2026, but supply is now expected to rebound in July as stranded vessels clear the strait and Saudi Arabia resumes loadings at Ras Tanura.
Iranian missile/drone attacks struck a Qatari LNG tanker (Al Rekayyat) and a Saudi supertanker (Wedyan) near the Strait of Hormuz, with a third LPG vessel (Al Maryah) diverted by Iranian forces, causing ship traffic through the strait to drop from 25 to 7 vessels and driving crude tanker rates to nearly $300,000/day. The incidents highlight persistent and severe disruption risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with daily transits still well below the pre-conflict average of 125 ships.
Three commercial tankers have been struck by drones/projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours, with preliminary indications pointing to Iran as responsible; an LPG tanker was also diverted from its route by Iranian forces. Transit volumes through this critical energy chokepoint remain well below pre-conflict levels, and UKMTO has advised all vessels in the region to exercise heightened caution.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing significant damage to at least two vessels including an LNG tanker (Al Rekayyat), with a separate tanker also struck and catching fire east of Oman's Limah. These attacks represent a major escalation of risk to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint handling approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption, likely causing widespread rerouting and slowdowns for commercial traffic in the region.
Ongoing US-Iran tensions have severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian Revolutionary Guards firing missiles at commercial vessels and tanker transits remaining in single digits with no sustained recovery. Oil flows are recovering more slowly than expected, and Saudi Arabia is considering expanding its Red Sea pipeline capacity to bypass the strait.
Heavy swell and rough sea conditions at Paradip, India have led to the suspension of inward and outward vessel movements as of July 6, 2026. Cargo operations for vessels already alongside berths continue normally.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will resume some sailings through the Suez Canal under their Gemini joint network, specifically the AE15 service connecting Asia, the Mediterranean, and Europe, reducing transit time by four weeks compared to the Cape of Good Hope route. This marks a gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor after most shippers had rerouted around Africa due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, with the move expected to put downward pressure on freight rates.