Stay on top of port closures, security incidents, congestion events and freight rate movements impacting global shipping. Updated continuously from verified industry sources.
The Panama Canal Authority is tightening draft restrictions for Neopanamax lock transits due to El Niño-driven drought forecasts, reducing the maximum authorized draft in stages from 49.5 ft (July 3) to 49.0 ft (July 24) and then 48.5 ft (August 15). While traffic volumes remain near capacity at ~38 daily transits, the progressive draft reductions may force vessel load adjustments and create scheduling constraints for larger ships.
DP World has launched the first phase of its 30-year, $800 million concession at the Port of Tartous, Syria, with three new cranes delivered to boost cargo capacity and improve vessel turnaround times. This development signals a significant long-term enhancement of port operations at Tartous.
The ultra-large bulk carrier Zhonghai Ronghua set a new draft record of 22.18 meters at Tianjin Port, China, successfully docking with 311,000 metric tons of cargo. This milestone demonstrates Tianjin Port's enhanced capacity to handle ultra-large deep-draft vessels, signaling potential increased traffic of mega bulk carriers at the port.
The Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted due to ongoing US-Iran tensions, with transit volumes still well below pre-war levels despite a fragile 60-day ceasefire agreement. Traffic is slowly recovering after recent exchanges of strikes, but uncertainty over safe passage continues to affect chemical tanker operations in the region.
Gibraltar Port Authority warns that the EU's Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III) could divert bunker volumes away from West Mediterranean EU-regulated hubs like Gibraltar and Algeciras toward non-EU locations such as Morocco's Tanger Med, mirroring the Rotterdam-to-Antwerp shift already observed in Northern Europe. Additionally, ongoing Strait of Hormuz tensions continue to affect shipping patterns, though Gibraltar reports no significant negative impact on its bunker volumes due to its strategic location.
CMA CGM has inaugurated the CMA CGM Notre Dame, the world's largest LNG-powered container ship (24,000 TEU), which will operate on the Asia-Europe route calling at Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Tanger Med, Port Klang, Singapore, Yantian, Shanghai, and Ningbo. The deployment of this ultra-large vessel and nine upcoming sister ships (delivered through January 2028) will significantly increase capacity on one of the world's busiest trade lanes, potentially affecting port operations and scheduling at all listed call ports.
Maritime trade between Iran and Qatar has resumed after a roughly five-month suspension, with shipping restarting between Iran's Dayyer port and Qatar's Al Ruwais port following a US-Iran peace deal. Transit in and out of the Gulf remains contested, though Iranian goods are also being cleared again at UAE's Jebel Ali Port, signaling a gradual normalization of Gulf maritime trade.
A Norwegian Cruise Line vessel docked at the Port of Kerkyra (Corfu, Greece) was forced away from the quay by strong winds on June 30, causing a passenger to fall from the gangway into the harbour. The ship was allowed to continue its voyage after the incident, but the captain faced questioning by Greek authorities and the ship experienced minor changes to its scheduled port call times.
Goldman Sachs forecasts the global oil market will return to a supply surplus as the Iran-Iraq conflict diminishes and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz normalizes. The bank expects flows through the Strait of Hormuz to be fully restored, projecting a global supply surplus of slightly over 3 million barrels per day next year.
Suez Canal transits by containerships reached a weekly high of 35 in the week ended 28 June 2026, the highest since January, though the Cape of Good Hope remains the dominant Asia-Europe route with 198 vessels. A US-Iran agreement may further accelerate the return of vessels to the Suez/Red Sea route, but significant uncertainty and disruption persist as most carriers continue to avoid the southern Red Sea.
U.S. House Republican leaders are urging President Trump to let Jones Act waivers expire on August 16, 2026, as scheduled, rather than extending them further following the Iran conflict. The expiration of these waivers would end foreign-flagged vessel access to U.S. coastal trade routes, potentially affecting fuel and cargo movements between domestic ports.
U.S. Congressional leaders are urging the Trump Administration to let the current Jones Act waiver expire on August 16, 2026, which would restrict foreign-flagged vessels from operating in domestic U.S. waterborne commerce. If the waiver expires as requested, foreign maritime operators currently conducting approximately 95% of waiver voyages would lose access to U.S. coastal trade routes, potentially disrupting domestic cargo flows and vessel scheduling.
Alcoa's $4.1bn acquisition of South32's bauxite, alumina, and aluminium assets across Australia, Brazil, and South Africa could reshape dry bulk shipping demand by consolidating major bauxite and alumina supply chains. Changes in sourcing, export controls, or refining locations — particularly involving Guinea's growing role as a key bauxite supplier — may significantly alter tonne-mile demand for bulk carriers on long-haul routes such as Guinea-China.
Iran reports a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz while using an 'unauthorized' transit route, as the Islamic Republic continues to enforce control over shipping through the waterway, demanding fees and imposing designated routes. Despite a provisional US-Iran peace deal, Iran signals it will maintain oversight of Strait of Hormuz traffic, posing ongoing disruption risks to vessels transiting the Persian Gulf.
Repair work is ongoing on the Dunkirk breakwater, which may affect vessel access and port operations at the Port of Dunkirk, France. The duration and exact scope of the disruption remain unclear based on available content.
Kuwait has issued an updated AIS protocol requiring vessels to keep their AIS continuously operational while navigating Kuwaiti waters. Additionally, marine works are ongoing between Chek Lap Kok and Tung Chung, potentially affecting vessel movements in that area of Hong Kong.
Ongoing Middle East geopolitical disruptions continue to affect ocean and air freight routing in the Gulf region, with booking restrictions in place for Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and parts of Saudi Arabia. Maersk is rerouting cargo previously planned via Jeddah through alternative gateways such as Salalah and Khor Fakkan, leading to longer transit times and additional surcharges.
Bunker fuel availability is under significant strain across multiple East of Suez ports, with VLSFO and LSMGO supply tightness reported in Singapore, Japan, China, India, and the Middle East, compounded by weather-related disruptions forecast at South Korean, Indian, Sri Lankan, Omani, and Saudi Arabian ports between late June and early July 2026. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following a US-Iran MOU has begun to ease supply conditions in Fujairah, though shipping activity remains in gradual recovery with some operators still cautious.
Golden Pass LNG in Texas has exported its third commissioning cargo aboard the QatarEnergy-chartered vessel Al Na'amah, which departed on June 25, 2026, bound for Italy, as Train 1 commissioning advances and Train 2 receives FERC approval to begin commissioning. The facility is ramping up LNG exports with all three trains expected to be fully operational by 2028, adding significant new LNG shipping volumes to global maritime trade routes.
A Chinese-flagged asphalt tanker, JIN ZHOU WAN (operated by COSCO Shipping Asphalt Hainan), has completed at least two U.S. coastwise voyages under the Trump administration's emergency Jones Act waiver, transporting asphalt between domestic ports including New Jersey to Baltimore and Louisiana to Connecticut. The continued use of the waiver — originally justified by Strait of Hormuz disruptions — is generating significant controversy, with 138 completed waiver voyages recorded since March 2026.
The Panama Canal is introducing modifications to its Transit Reservation (Booking) System, allowing HML D Neopanamax vessels to request 1A booking slots for transit dates starting July 1, 2026. This change may affect vessel scheduling and transit planning for Neopanamax traffic through the canal.
The MV Hondius, an expedition cruise ship, was detained in Rotterdam following a hantavirus outbreak that killed 3 passengers, undergoing quarantine and extensive cleaning since May 18, 2026. The vessel has now been cleared by Dutch health authorities and is expected to resume scheduled cruises departing Rotterdam from June 13, 2026.
The heavy-lift semi-submersible MV Black Marlin is scheduled to arrive in Hobart (River Derwent, Australia) by mid-July 2026 to load the world's largest battery-powered vessel, China Zorrilla, for delivery to South America. The loading operation, which involves partial submersion drawing 23 m of water and tugboat assistance, is expected to temporarily affect vessel traffic in the River Derwent, particularly near Taroona.