Q1 2026 container shipping Part II: ZIM and CMA CGM close the structural case
ZIM lost $86 million. CMA CGM lost three-quarters of its net income. The Q1 2026 container shipping season has closed, and the two final reports confirm Part I’s diagnosis
ZIM lost $86 million. CMA CGM lost three-quarters of its net income. The Q1 2026 container shipping season has closed, and the two final reports confirm Part I’s diagnosis
Shipping companies, insurers and energy traders are already changing operational behaviour as Middle East tensions disrupt routes, tighten insurance conditions and increase costs across the global maritime system, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea
The Q1 2026 container shipping season produced one verdict. Volumes returned. Pricing power did not. The Strait of Hormuz has been quietly turned into a line item
April 13–19 2026 produced the Hormuz reopening that lasted thirty hours Iran declared the strait open oil fell 9 percent tankers moved and by Saturday morning Tehran had reversed course leaving markets wrong-footed
Three Letters of Intent. One market. A signal that lands simultaneously in New Delhi, Beijing, and Brussels. Hapag-Lloyd’s engagement with India’s maritime strategy deserves a reading well beyond the press release
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
Maersk, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM pursue radically different strategies as container shipping profits plummet 56% in Q2 2025, with Red Sea disruptions and U.S. tariffs reshaping global trade dynamics
Trump’s latest tariff threats have shipping giants scrambling like seasoned strategic masterminds, but instead of moving pieces across boards, they’re repositioning entire fleets while major European ports brace for August’s looming trade apocalypse
As President Trump’s tariffs target China, Mexico, and Canada, shipping magnates like Hapag-Lloyd’s Rolf Habben Jansen remain unruffled, viewing the storm as manageable
Starting February 2025, global shipping alliances are undergoing transformative shifts, with key mergers, new partnerships, and operational shifts changing the global shipping landscape