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.

The alcoholic beverage industry is going through changes that are roiling demand forecasts, with a growing number of people drinking less than they were during the pandemic and different tastes apparent among young drinkers.

The agency said it will begin a non-adjudicatory probe into ocean carrier practices around shipping hazardous and radioactive goods out of the US, with a focus on packaging such shipments.

The “K-shaped” US economy has split the outlook for apparel demand, with premium brands performing well while those targeting more cost-conscious consumers struggle.

CMA CGM and MSC have repurposed some of their vessels for feeder and shuttle activity while they await the opportunity for safe passage out of the war zone, sources say.

Decisions that before the conflict would have taken months are now being decided in days, speeding up road transits, freeing urgently needed capacity and easing customs procedures, industry executives told a webinar.

Ocean carriers say there is still enough bunker fuel availability in general, but the different fuel types are unevenly distributed and affecting key refueling hubs in Asia, notably Singapore.

The move comes amid softer volumes this year at the gateway, but NSWA’s chief operating officer says now is not the time to “pull back” on service levels.

The deal is the latest in a growing trend by cash-rich carriers to develop terminals, particularly in Asia and especially in Vietnam, as they move to secure access at key regional ports to gain preferential berthing rights and minimize delays.

The three liners saw their first-quarter revenues come in between 9% and 21% lower than last year amid sharply softer rates on the key Asia-US and Asia-Europe trades.