Stay on top of port closures, security incidents, congestion events and freight rate movements impacting global shipping. Updated continuously from verified industry sources.
Three vessels — MT HONOUR 25, SWARD, and MV EUREKA — remain hijacked in the Western Indian Ocean/Gulf of Aden region, with crews held hostage by pirates for over two months, creating a grave humanitarian crisis. The Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment Chair is calling for urgent international intervention to secure the release of all seafarers, highlighting a resurgence of piracy threatening maritime security in the area.
Three vessels — Honour 25, Sward, and Eureka — remain under pirate control off Somalia, with crew conditions deteriorating and armed clashes between rival pirate factions reported, signaling a resurgence of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. Regional maritime security authorities are urging international action, highlighting significant security risks for shipping traffic in these waters.
PSA Vietnam has signed an agreement to develop four deepsea container berths at Lach Huyen Port in Haiphong, with a total annual capacity of 4.5 million TEU upon full completion. The first two berths are set to begin development in late 2026 and are expected to be operational by 2028, with full project completion targeted by 2035, significantly expanding northern Vietnam's deepsea shipping gateway capacity.
Canada has announced a new Pacific Coast pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta, to southern British Columbia, potentially adding over 1 million barrels per day of tanker-loading capacity and significantly expanding Aframax and Suezmax crude tanker trade routes to Asia. This builds on the existing Trans Mountain Expansion corridor, which already generates an average of 23 vessel departures per month from the Westridge marine terminal.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has resumed but remains abnormal, with operators facing continued uncertainty over routing, approvals, and passage control as Iran and the US dispute authority over traffic management. This ongoing geopolitical tension poses a risk of disruption, rerouting, or delays for vessels transiting the strait.
China has called for unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid growing acceptance among European and Gulf Arab nations that vessels may be required to pay transit fees to Iran and Oman following the US-Israel war with Iran. The potential imposition of such fees raises concerns over disruptions to one of the world's most critical oil and gas shipping chokepoints.
Sweden's largest dredging project, Malmporten, is set to begin full-scale construction at the Port of Luleå in 2027, with works running through August 2030, involving the dredging of approximately 40 kilometres of fairway and the harbour basin. This major infrastructure project aims to enable larger vessels and more efficient maritime transport, but may cause temporary disruptions to port operations and vessel traffic during the dredging period.
Navigistics Consulting's 'Jones Act 2026 Waiver After Action Report' reveals that the Trump Administration's 150-day blanket Jones Act waiver has allowed foreign-flagged vessels, including Chinese-built and Chinese-controlled ships, to carry domestic U.S. cargo on routes where American vessels were available, with the waiver set to expire on August 17, 2026. The report finds no military necessity for the waiver and no consumer price relief, prompting maritime advocates to urge Congress to let the waiver expire and restore U.S.-flagged vessel priority on domestic shipping lanes.
NORDEN reports that several months of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have now resolved, with all chartered vessels previously stuck in the Persian Gulf having safely passed through the strait. The reduced cost impact from this disruption, combined with stronger dry cargo performance, has prompted NORDEN to raise its 2026 full-year net profit guidance to USD 120–190 million.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is gradually recovering after a US-Iran standdown agreement, with 40 vessels transiting on Monday, though volumes remain 70% below pre-war levels. Shipping costs, freight rates, and risk premiums are beginning to ease, while Gulf and Red Sea port operations are expected to progressively reintegrate into mainstream trade routes.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is rebounding following a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, normalizing oil flows that previously carried a fifth of global oil supply. The resumption of traffic has eased prior disruption concerns and is pushing crude prices back to pre-conflict levels, signaling a return to near-normal maritime operations in the strait.
A 14% jump in global coal shipments in June 2026, driven by Chinese import demand following a Shanxi mining accident and reduced domestic production, has boosted dry bulk (panamax) freight rates and trade flows. Ongoing transit disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to redirect energy demand toward coal in Korea, Japan, and the EU, while a partial US-Iran ceasefire has increased ship transits through the strait, though security challenges persist.
The easing of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela has significantly expanded Venezuelan crude exports in 2026, with volumes rising from 1.90 million mt in June 2025 to 6.25 million mt in June 2026, reshaping tanker demand across VLCCs, Suezmaxes, and Aframaxes. This reintegration of Venezuelan crude into the mainstream tanker market is supporting vessel utilization and freight rates in the Atlantic basin.
Global container spot rates surged 9% driven by blank sailings, peak season surcharges, and tightening capacity on Transpacific and Asia-Europe routes. Security risks near the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman persist following a recent attack on a containership, with ship escort operations suspended, keeping upward pressure on freight markets.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has surged to over 10 million barrels per day with US military support, following an interim peace agreement between the US and Iran, though the corridor remains volatile amid drone attacks on vessels and ongoing negotiations over Iran's potential imposition of transit fees. The situation poses continued risks of disruption to one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, which historically handles about a fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.
Europe is intensifying action against shadow fleet tankers falsely flying Cameroon's flag to transport Russian oil, including boarding and detaining vessels in the Mediterranean under the expanded mandate of Operation IRINI, with nine ships seized since early 2026. Additional EU sanctions targeting ~30 more shadow fleet vessels are expected in mid-July 2026, further disrupting routes used by these tankers across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Iran-U.S. peace talks have made 'positive progress,' easing concerns over supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, which had been shut for four months due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Oil tanker traffic through the Strait is resuming, with at least five supertankers carrying 10 million barrels of Saudi oil already exiting the waterway, signaling a gradual return to normal shipping operations.
Viking Marine is preparing to conduct dredging operations at St. Joseph Harbor, which may cause temporary disruptions to vessel traffic and port operations in the area. Dredging activities typically result in navigation restrictions or slowdowns within the affected harbor zone.
Jan De Nul has secured a dredging contract for the Martín García channel, a key waterway on the Argentina-Uruguay border used for river navigation. Dredging operations may cause temporary slowdowns or traffic management measures for vessels transiting the area.
The Strait of Hormuz has reopened following a crisis, but UNCTAD warns that shipping operations, logistics, and supply chains will require months to normalize, keeping transportation costs elevated. Vulnerable economies dependent on fuel, food, and fertilizer imports face prolonged economic hardship as shipping routes and energy supplies gradually stabilize.
Armed pirates boarded a tanker and attempted to intercept a second commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden on July 1, 2026, approximately 76–85 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen. UKMTO has warned all vessels transiting the area to remain vigilant as the pirate group remains active and may target additional ships.
The US and Iran have agreed to a one-week de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing indirect negotiations in Qatar, offering temporary relief for one of the world's most critical shipping lanes. However, underlying tensions remain severe, with Iran asserting authority to regulate and charge transit fees through the strait, a foreign container ship recently running aground after using an unapproved route, and Iranian officials warning they would enforce their demands by force if necessary.
Russia is importing at least 60,000 metric tons of gasoline from India by sea, with two tankers already dispatched, as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have caused significant domestic fuel shortages. This new seaborne trade route signals increased tanker traffic between Indian ports and Russian ports, with plans to scale up to 400,000 metric tons per month from multiple countries.
A foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after using an unapproved route, as Iran's IRGC tightens control over shipping through the strategically critical waterway. Iran has warned all vessels to use its designated 'Route of Authority,' threatening the safety of ships using alternative corridors, while ship traffic through the strait has already fallen following recent attacks.