Decks and Deals Weekly #52
During 3–9 October 2026, shipping markets priced scarce tanker capacity, discounted container space and exposed the distance between an impressive freight assessment and a bankable return
During 3–9 October 2026, shipping markets priced scarce tanker capacity, discounted container space and exposed the distance between an impressive freight assessment and a bankable return
During 26 September–2 October 2026, shipping markets rewarded control of vessels, contracts and access. Cargo recovery brought fresh opportunities, but the gains depended on who could actually deliver
During 19–25 September 2026, shipping markets weighed Trump–Xi trade pledges against tanker bottlenecks and rising war-risk costs. Diplomatic relief mattered; dependable passage still carried a formidable price
The period of 29 June–4 July 2026 opened with Iran replacing drones with invoices, closed with France and the UK deploying warships, and delivered a $1.47 billion VLCC orderbook bet in between.
The week of 21–28 June 2026 delivered a drone strike on a trapped Evergreen vessel, a 39% VLCC rate collapse, container shipping’s third-largest spike in history, and a ceasefire that kept shooting
Between 26 April and 2 May 2026, global shipping markets confronted a hardening Hormuz blockade, MEPC 84 talks in London, the UAE’s surprise exit from OPEC+, and Hapag-Lloyd’s shareholder-cleared takeover bid for ZIM
The period 20–25 April 2026 produced the most intense maritime standoff since the tanker wars of the 1980s: the Hormuz blockade turned fully kinetic, Brent crossed $100, and six vessels were seized
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