Stay on top of port closures, security incidents, congestion events and freight rate movements impacting global shipping. Updated continuously from verified industry sources.
Global coal shipments surged 14% y/y in June 2026, driven by a 41% spike in exports to China following a major mining accident in Shanxi that temporarily shut down 109 mines, while LNG transit disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz pushed Korea, Japan, and the EU to seek alternative coal supplies. The dry bulk (panamax) segment has seen significant freight rate increases, with ongoing uncertainty around Strait of Hormuz transit conditions shaping the outlook for global coal trade routes.
Boskalis and Van Oord have been awarded a $570M dredging contract to expand the Port of Luleå in Sweden, deepening its fairway and harbor basin to accommodate vessels up to 14.7m draft and 85,000 tons capacity. Work will commence in spring 2027 and continue through ice-free seasons until mid-August 2030, involving the dredging of approximately 14 million cubic meters of material.
The 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis (Operation Epic Fury, launched February 28, 2026) has severely disrupted maritime traffic through the strait, with Iran deploying A2/AD systems including drone swarms, mines, and electronic warfare to render transit economically unsustainable, stranding hundreds of vessels and spiking global oil prices. The crisis, affecting roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and one-quarter of LNG flows, represents a systemic shock to global maritime supply chains.
Africa Ports & Ships' daily bulletin covers multiple maritime developments including the recovery of Port Sudan's transshipment operations, new container services (ONE's MAX service for West Africa, PIL/Evergreen's Indo-Pacific corridor to South Africa, Folk Maritime's Red Sea Express), new port construction in Gabon (Kobé-Kobé deepwater port), a crane fire at Durban Harbour's D Berth, and Cape Town Container Terminal receiving new hybrid straddle carriers. These developments collectively signal evolving trade routes, infrastructure investments, and minor operational disruptions across African and Red Sea ports.
The Port of Beira (Mozambique) is experiencing significant anchorage congestion as of July 2, 2026, with over 35 vessels waiting at anchorage compared to only 8 ships in port. Container ship schedule information is currently unavailable, indicating potential delays and disruptions for vessels calling at Beira.
The Durban Multi-Purpose Terminals (Maydon Wharf and Point MPT) are reporting daily ship movements as of 2 July 2026, with multiple vessels in port, a busy berthing schedule extending through August 2026, and a significant number of ships at the outer anchorage. The anchorage count and dense berth lineup suggest potential congestion and waiting times at Durban port.
The Durban port terminals (RoRo, Tanker/Island View, Cruise, Coal, and New Pier) published their daily berthing and schedule update for 2 July 2026, listing multiple vessels in port and expected arrivals across all terminals. No major disruptions are reported, but several tankers are waiting at anchorage, potentially indicating some congestion at the Island View Tanker Terminal.
Ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have caused widespread fuel shortages across Russia, with ~90% of regions reporting rationing or supply disruptions as of late June 2026. This reduction in Russian crude-processing capacity and domestic fuel supply may affect bunker fuel availability at Russian ports and disrupt the export of petroleum products via maritime routes.
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.
Following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire signed on June 17, 2026, the naval blockade of Iranian ports has been lifted, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and triggering a surge in crude oil shipments through the waterway, with over 40–50 million barrels exported since. Iran has agreed to allow toll-free transit through the Strait for 60 days, though future governance of the strategic chokepoint remains uncertain after that window expires.
Indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Doha concluded without a breakthrough, but both sides agreed to continue negotiations, easing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Crude shipments through the Strait have climbed above 10 million barrels per day, though any disruption to this critical chokepoint remains a key risk to global energy supplies.
Following the US-Iran MOU, vessel flows through the Strait of Hormuz are rebounding, with grain and fertiliser shipments resuming normal routing and approximately 50 fertiliser-laden vessels exiting the Middle East Gulf. South American agricultural cargoes are flowing steadily toward Iran, while GCC countries reduce their dependency on Red Sea routing for grain imports.
Oil product stocks at Fujairah rose 17% in the week to June 29, reaching 7.999 million barrels, though they remain 61% below pre-Middle East war levels, with light distillates at an all-time low. Sluggish demand and higher prices are diverting vessels to alternative bunkering ports in India and West Africa, indicating a potential shift in maritime fuel supply patterns away from Fujairah.
Maersk's July 2026 North America Market Update reports an early, compressed peak shipping season with June import volumes forecast at 2.25 million TEUs (+14.3% YoY), causing tight space across Transpacific, Transatlantic, and IMEA trade lanes. Geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, tariff uncertainty, and tightening inland capacity are adding further pressure to North American gateway and corridor operations.
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.
The article analyzes the prolonged elevated Maritime Attention Index (MAI) — over 230 days above its long-term average — driven by ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with recurring spikes in media attention suggesting continued negative developments in the region. The situation implies sustained uncertainty for shipping routes transiting the Strait of Hormuz, keeping oil prices elevated and shipping risk perceptions high.
Indirect US-Iran talks have produced only a fragile 7-day agreement to keep the Strait of Hormuz calm, while Tehran asserts sovereign control over a designated passage corridor and warns that vessels deviating from its authorized route risk 'irreversible incidents.' Iran's push for joint sovereignty and tolling rights over the strait threatens long-term disruption to one of the world's most critical energy shipping corridors.
A Peruvian court ruled that the Chinese-operated port of Chancay, near Lima, falls under the oversight of Peru's infrastructure regulator Ositran, overturning a previous exemption — a decision that could affect port operations and governance at this key transpacific hub. The ruling, which can still be appealed, introduces regulatory uncertainty for COSCO Shipping Ports and may impact the port's operations connecting Latin America and Asia.
Saudi Aramco has resumed oil loadings from Ras Tanura after a nearly four-month halt, with at least five VLCCs carrying 10 million barrels already transiting the Strait of Hormuz toward Asia, while Pakistan urgently seeks LNG as ongoing attacks in the strait continue to disrupt supply flows. The resumption of exports, combined with a switch to spot pricing and a surge in tanker activity, signals a significant shift in Middle East maritime oil traffic dynamics.
Denmark's Fayard A/S Odense shipyard, the last European facility servicing Russia's Arc7 icebreaking LNG fleet, has received the Rudolf Samoylovich for scheduled maintenance, with up to six Arc7 carriers expected to visit before an EU ban on maritime services for Russian LNG takes effect on January 1, 2027. This final maintenance season at a Western yard will shape the operational readiness of the Yamal LNG fleet beyond 2027, with potential ripple effects on Arctic LNG shipping routes and supply chains.
A Peruvian court has ruled that the Chinese-owned COSCO Shipping Ports-operated Chancay port near Lima is subject to oversight by Peru's infrastructure regulator Ositran, overturning a previous exemption. This regulatory development may affect port operations and investor confidence at Chancay, a key hub designed to reduce shipping times between Latin America and Asia, though the ruling can still be appealed.
Boskalis and Van Oord have been awarded a $570M dredging contract to expand the Port of Luleå in Sweden, deepening its fairway and harbor basin to accommodate vessels up to 14.7m draft and 85,000 tons capacity. Work is scheduled from spring 2027 through mid-August 2030, conducted during ice-free seasons, and will involve large-scale dredging of approximately 14 million cubic meters of material.
A restricted area will be enforced off Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong, from July 2 to July 6, 2026, due to a special event. Only government launches are permitted in the zone during this period, affecting vessel movement in the area.
UKMTO reported two piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden on July 1, 2026, where four armed pirates on a skiff boarded a tanker 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen, before being repelled, and subsequently attempted to board a second vessel unsuccessfully. These incidents highlight an active piracy threat in the Gulf of Aden, posing potential risks of rerouting, delays, and heightened security measures for commercial vessels transiting the area.