From February 22 to 28, 2026, the global shipping market absorbed three simultaneous shocks: a US-Israeli strike on Iran closed Hormuz, Panama ejected Hutchison, and container rates logged their seventh straight weekly decline
Beijing chose four cities for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala. None of the choices were accidental. Together, they map China’s industrial strategy for the decade ahead—and its structural fault lines
Türkiye’s Bayraktar now flies over 18 African countries. The “no strings” pitch is persuasive, the export numbers are real—and the fine print on sovereignty is worth reading
Washington has unveiled the Maritime Action Plan to reclaim control of global shipping. The strategy is bold, the framing is national security—and the industrial base it relies on barely exists
During the week of 15–21 February 2026, global shipping was reshaped by Hapag-Lloyd’s $4.2bn ZIM bid, Hormuz tensions, surging tanker rates, container overcapacity, Ukrainian port strikes, and bold Greek newbuilding orders
On February 20, 2026, six Supreme Court justices declared Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs illegal. He responded within hours by imposing new ones. This is what that sequence tells us
Half the containers on a Maersk ship do not belong to Maersk. They belong to financiers who rarely visit a port—and whose decisions now ripple across trade wars, capital markets, and Washington’s response to Beijing
China eliminated tariffs for 53 African nations while US Secretary of State Rubio praised imperialism. The collision reveals competing strategies for influence—and why Africa is done being anyone’s mineral mine
While bureaucrats celebrate another MoU, the new China–France green shipping corridor quietly begins rewriting the rules of global trade, creating a blueprint for a future where commerce and climate commitments aren’t mutually exclusive
Between 8–14 February 2026, the global shipping industry showcased a stark dichotomy: a record-breaking surge in newbuild orders, primarily in tankers, confronted the grim reality of looming overcapacity and falling freight rates