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GeoTrends Team

Weathered wooden rowboat resting on calm reflective water at dusk, soft ripples and muted sky mirrored on the surface

Decks and Deals Weekly #31

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

Black-and-white photograph of a stormy sea with waves breaking against a line of wooden groynes extending into the water

Decks and Deals Weekly #30

From 31 January to 7 February 2026, global shipping markets confronted structural distortions: collapsing shadow fleets, resilient mid-size tankers, aggressive Chinese-led newbuilding orders, and a widening gap between macro narratives and physical trade reality

Aerial view of large container ships under construction at a major Asian shipyard, with cranes, dry docks, and multiple vessels visible

The 2026 global shipping outlook: A perfectly engineered glut

The global shipping outlook for 2026 is a masterclass in self-sabotage. After years of record profits, the industry has enthusiastically ordered enough new ships to guarantee a spectacular collapse in freight rates, creating chaos

Rocky shoreline with strong waves under a dramatic, cloud-filled sky at sunset, conveying a dynamic and unsettled seascape

Decks and Deals Weekly #29

Between 25–31 January 2026, global shipping trends revealed an industry under pressure, as freight rates softened, carrier earnings deteriorated, fleet expansion accelerated, and geopolitical uncertainty reshaped routing, risk pricing, and strategic decision-making across liner markets

Dramatic low-angle view of massive container port cranes at night with illuminated map of Africa showing 78 Chinese-operated ports marked by colored lights across West, East, South and North African coastlines, representing China’s strategic port infrastructure network across the continent

A look inside China’s African ports

Beijing isn’t just building infrastructure; it’s engineering a new world order, one dock at a time. This is the story of China’s African ports, a multi-billion-dollar venture reshaping global trade, sovereignty, and power

Chinese general Zhang Youxia aiming and firing a Russian PKP machine gun at a snowy training site in Russia, photographed before 2017, now contextualized by ongoing PLA leadership purges

Xi’s military purge: Absolute control at the cost of command competence

General Zhang Youxia’s removal marks the most significant military purge of the PLA since Mao’s era. The effective decapitation of the Central Military Commission (CMC) raises urgent questions about military readiness, succession politics, and Xi Jinping’s grip on power

Abandoned ship under the Northern Lights, symbolizing transformation and change in maritime markets

Decks and Deals Weekly #28

Global shipping shook itself awake 18–24 January 2026: Maersk dared Suez, CMA CGM blinked, container rates crumbled, and Greek tankers skirted sanctions—capital and tanker deals whispered audacious confidence

Advanced energy control room displaying global energy flows, grid performance data, and real-time system analytics on large digital screens

The energy transition and the new logic of power

Washington’s playbook for global dominance, built on controlling oil, is becoming obsolete. As China masters the new energy transition, America’s ability to exert pressure is diminishing, forcing a fundamental rethink of its power