Stay on top of port closures, security incidents, congestion events and freight rate movements impacting global shipping. Updated continuously from verified industry sources.
Anticipation of US tariffs on copper imports is prompting a surge in pre-emptive shipments into US ports, which could generate congestion or increased traffic volumes. Additionally, the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to prolonged Middle East conflict poses a significant rerouting risk for vessels transiting that critical chokepoint.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained disrupted for a third consecutive month following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, severely curtailing crude oil shipments through this critical chokepoint and forcing major rerouting via the Fujairah and Yanbu bypass pipelines. India has lost roughly 50% of its usual energy supply route through Hormuz (~2.5–2.7 million bpd), triggering significant shifts in tanker traffic patterns toward alternative ports and diversified supplier origins.
Bunker fuel availability is significantly constrained across multiple European and African ports, driven by tightened blending component supplies linked to Hormuz disruptions and historically low ARA fuel oil stocks (44% below February levels). Extended lead times of 5–14 days are required across key bunkering hubs, with additional weather-related operational closures at Las Palmas and Walvis Bay.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz (SoH) is causing major disruptions to offshore vessel operations in the Middle East Gulf, with up to 15 OSVs having contracts terminated in the UAE, widespread suspensions in Qatar, and newbuild vessels stranded in the Gulf of Oman awaiting access. Insurance costs have surged up to 10x, EPC construction projects are stalling due to inability to import equipment from Asia, and no OSVs are currently able to transit in or out of the Middle East Gulf.
Shipping executives at the Posidonia/Capital Link conference in Athens are urging that any US-Iran peace deal include clear rules for commercial vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that ongoing geopolitical uncertainty is disrupting normal shipping operations in the Gulf. At least one vessel has been stranded inside the Gulf for approximately three months, with high-risk insurance conditions and no clear operational framework for safe transit currently in place.