Seafreight Insights

Read our Seafreight Insights to find out about the latest developments in the global sea cargo industry. Get an update on trade and rate developments as well as flexible solutions offered by cargo-partner to deal with the current challenges.

The escalating military conflict in the Middle East is causing serious disruptions to global sea freight operations. With the Strait of Hormuz now blocked by Iran and heightened security threats against commercial shipping, vessels are being forced to reroute extensively. Furthermore, recent attacks on critical infrastructure in the UAE, including the vital port of Jebel Ali – a key hub for trade between Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and India – will result in further challenges and delays. In response to these regional developments, carriers have already begun avoiding the Suez Canal, as Houthis have threatened to attack in the Red Sea.

Overall, the global sea freight market experienced a post-Chinese New Year (CNY) slump in March, characterized by a surge in blank sailings, falling rates and excess capacity, particularly on Transpacific routes. A 12% reduction in Transpacific Eastbound capacity was noted in the second half of February and early March. Carriers will continue to implement an aggressive blank sailing policy in order to manage excess capacity and prevent rates from collapsing.

Global port congestion has reached a two-year high, tying up almost 10% of the global fleet.

Key market dynamics and trends include:

Military escalation and political tension will continue to reshape global trade.
Carriers have already started to announce “War Risk Surcharges” that will be implemented with immediate effect.
The war in the Middle East will affect the global economy due to increased oil prices (closing of the Strait of Hormuz).
The continued rerouting of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope due to security risks in the Red Sea remains a crucial factor. While some container ships were set to gradually return to the Red Sea (e.g. CMA-CGM’s INDAMEX and Maersk’s MECL services), a full-scale resumption of transit remains uncertain for the time being.
Port congestion at major transshipment hubs in North Asia and at key European ports is persisting due to weather disruptions and vessel bunching from re-routed services. This is slowing vessel turnaround times and affecting schedule reliability.
Due to the underlying overcapacity issues in global fleets and softening post-holiday demand, carriers will continue to increase the number of blank sailings to manage capacity and prevent a complete rate collapse.
Demand growth in 2026 is expected to be modest at around 3%. However, with the fleet expected to grow by around 3.6%, capacity growth will once again outpace demand.
The Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) introduced at the beginning of 2026 will lead to additional costs on routes to Europe.