From tariffs to weather to labor shortages, the breakbulk industry has been forced to navigate a series of hurdles of late.

A prolonged war would ultimately result in a shift from supply constraint to demand destruction for oil and natural gas coming from the Middle East, according to S&P Global Energy expert Amy Groeschel.

Tariff refunds might be available for many breakbulk companies, but they still need to prepare for the possibility of new levies, conference attendees were told.

An endless string of post-COVID disruptions has caused breakbulk and project cargo carriers to become more agile while breaking down old barriers with shippers.

The varied strategies employed by ocean carriers to manage war-driven volatility in bunker fuel prices are delaying the completion of some 2026–27 service contract negotiations as the key May 1 date looms.

The varied strategies employed by ocean carriers to manage war-driven volatility in bunker fuel prices are delaying the completion of some 2026-27 service contract negotiations as the key May 1 date looms.

Forwarders are juggling a steady stream of distractions while balancing a workforce to meet ever-evolving hot-button topics, conference attendees were told.

The terminal operator and port authority will enter a one-year exclusivity period to explore jointly developing and operating the proposed mega terminal that would increase Vancouver’s capacity by 50%.

The new surcharges will be introduced immediately on cargo to and from specific locations in the Caribbean and South America before being progressively rolled out in other regions globally.

The war in the Middle East is the latest example of geopolitical conflicts that will mark the shipping landscape for at least the rest of the decade, attendees at Breakbulk26 were told.

Assessing maritime choke points and leveraging partnerships in regions around the globe will serve as important strategies for EPC companies and forwarders in developing contingency plans for their projects.

But the conflict in the Middle East and resultant increase in fuel prices could weigh on nearer-term prospects, participants heard Tuesday at the Journal of Commerce’s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2026.

Unveiled at Breakbulk26 in New Orleans this week, the Journal of Commerce’s new Breakbulk Shipper Index tracks a range of indicators including changes in volumes carried by different vessel types, lead time for chartering vessels, and load and discharge regions.

Hapag-Lloyd said the changes “reflect the consolidation of capacity into alternative services to ensure continued reliable coverage in the region."

The possibility can’t be ruled out that carrier-controlled port operations will commence in the next few years at Charleston and Savannah, where the state-operated model has prevailed for decades.

Some 320 gigawatts of new wind capacity are expected to be added worldwide between 2026 and 2030, comprising about 200 GW of onshore capacity and 123 GW offshore, according to a new report.

Higher tariffs prompted importers to shift some manufacturing out of China last year, but other markets simply don’t have the expertise and capacity to wrest much more volume away from the still-dominant source for toys.

The ocean carrier said switching up Asia and US East Coast rotations on three trans-Pacific services will provide more reliability and consistency.

The Port of Khor Fakkan “offers a relatively stable operating environment and will serve as the primary discharge hub operations,” Premier Alliance member Yang Ming said in an advisory.

The Port of Khor Fakkan “offers a relatively stable operating environment and will serve as the primary discharge hub operations,” Premier Alliance member Yang Ming said in an advisory.