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Posted by Amanda Bradfield
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19 March, 2026
THIS week has flown by, and between keeping an eye on fuel prices and doing a double take at the Easter egg aisle, it’s been one of those weeks where costs have really hit home.
All eyes this week have been on the Middle East and surrounding waterways, with the International Maritime Organisation convening an extraordinary council session in London.
The focus was on the growing risks to shipping and seafarers operating through the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region.
In his opening remarks, Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez didn’t hold back, drawing attention to recent attacks on merchant vessels, the reported loss of seafarers’ lives, and the reality that around 20,000 crew remain stranded in the Gulf under significant risk and pressure. He was noted as saying "I continue to monitor the situation closely, and I reiterate my call for all shipping companies to exercise the utmost caution when operating in the affected region, and to the extent possible, to avoid passing through it. I will never get tired of repeating myself when I say that any attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is totally unacceptable. They must not become victims of broader geopolitical tensions."
Against this backdrop, we’re also seeing carriers respond in real time, with shipping lines rolling out creative emergency multimodal solutions to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, while new surcharges, including emergency inland fuel premiums, are starting to emerge.
It’s not just operators adjusting, importers and exporters are showing signs of caution too, with some holding off on bookings amid the uncertainty.
What else is happening out there?
💠OOCL profits, revenue fall in 2025
💠Yang Ming posts 2025 results
💠TasPorts appoints interim CEO
💠ICTSI opens South Luzon terminal
💠Vancouver throughput hits record high
💠HD Hyundai wins $550m boxship deal
💠APM Terminals expands into Danang
💠NYK buys 50% stake in Avenir LNG
💠HD Hyundai unveils $4bn India yard
💠Pilbara Ports sets Feb throughput record
💠Bolloré posts €348m 2025 net profit
💠COSCO Ports reports record throughput
💠CK Hutchison still in talks over port sale
💠Port of Melbourne signs electric tug MOU
💠MSC linked to Sinokor VLCC spree
💠US challenges ‘flawed’ net-zero framework
Check out the MSC Shristi arriving in Fremantle earlier this week. At 294m LOA and 32m beam, she’s operating on the MSC Koala service. Currently running under revised scheduling, the southbound Jakarta call has been replaced with Singapore.
With so much happening in the world, it’s easy to feel the weight of it all. Let’s be kind to one another, and have a great weekend!
