Every briefing, newest first. 47 in total, published daily since we started.
If you are looking for a specific topic rather than a specific day, the
topic hubs are the faster route.
CMA CGM signed a joint development project at SMM 2026 to build decision-support systems for container vessels that keep human oversight but reduce crew workload. The project is technology-neutral and does not aim to remove crews, but it will assess which onboard functions can be automated or assisted. If you run a small catalogue and rely on predictable ocean transit, watch this: the carriers are building the tools to cut operating costs without cutting capacity, and that changes the economics of blank sailings and schedule reliability.
Vessel waiting time at Shanghai and Ningbo hit 10 days this week, with ships facing two weeks of departure delays. The congestion stems from seven typhoons hitting China since July plus rerouting from the Strait of Hormuz closure, and it will worsen through October as peak exports stack up. If your container is booked for a September sailing from these ports, assume it leaves in October.
Ocean rates split hard this week. Shanghai to Genoa dropped 10% to $4,368 per 40ft while Shanghai to Los Angeles rose 5% to $7,185. If you have Europe stock on the water, your carrier may have extra space to sell next week and blank sailings are dropping to one. US-bound cargo faces tighter capacity with double the blanks.
Trans-Pacific spot rates rose to $9,791 per FEU on the China to US East Coast lane last week, up 2% week-on-week, with typhoons closing Shanghai and Ningbo adding to congestion that carriers cannot unwind. If you have cargo moving in September, expect omitted port calls and shifted transshipment routing that will add days to your transit.
Typhoon Saudel reformed yesterday over the South China Sea after hitting Zhejiang on Friday, and now threatens airports from Guangzhou to Hong Kong with three days of heavy rain. No mass cancellations yet, but VariFlight lists eight airports at risk including Shenzhen Baoan and Guangzhou Baiyun. If you have air freight moving this week, check with your forwarder this morning.
Ships wait 10 days to berth at Shanghai and Ningbo after Typhoon Saudel added to weeks of congestion, holding up 3.92 million TEU globally. Carriers are shifting 19% of Asia-Europe capacity back through Suez, and if the full fleet follows, global container demand could contract 8.7% in the first half of 2027 even as underlying cargo volumes grow.
Typhoon Saudel has put rolled cargo and skipped port calls back into the China trades, and yard density in north and east Asia is tightening behind it. Cosco has committed about $3bn to 18 new container ships, which does nothing for your Q4 but plenty for 2028 rates. Brussels is briefing that the four-track talks with Beijing could move by the end of the year.