Good Hope News

In the first quarter of 2026, Port of Antwerp‑Bruges handled 65.5 million tons of maritime cargo, a decrease of 3.2% compared to the same period last year.After a weak start in January and February, throughput recovered in March. General cargo (-4.4%) – in particular containers and conventional general cargo – was under pressure, while bulk cargo remained stable (-0.6%) and RoRo traffic increased.The port says the results reflect a complex combination of factors, including adverse weather conditions…

Russia's threat to halt liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Europe and divert cargoes to Asia would prove difficult to achieve because of its long-term contracts and need for more Arctic-class tankers, industry analysts said.President Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview early in March that Russia could stop gas supplies to Europe with immediate effect and seek longer-term commitments from other buyers.The impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has caused a surge in gas prices…

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…

Asian refiners are increasingly sending medium-sized crude cargoes from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia through the Panama Canal as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts trade flows, raises shipping costs and forces Asian refiners to hunt for alternative supplies.The use of medium-sized tankers that typically cost more per barrel to transport crude, coupled with Asian companies' willingness to pay additional fees to move oil through the Panama Canal, underscores their urgent need…

Windward is publishing daily intelligence reports on the crisis in the Gulf as the situation develops.The highlights of today's report are as follows:    Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains extremely limited, with only three outbound crossings recorded on March 15 and no inbound transits.Maritime security risk across the Gulf remains high, with 20 confirmed incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore infrastructure recorded since the start of the Iran war.Kharg Island remains operational despite recent strikes…

French shipping company CMA CGM expects first-quarter volumes growth of around 4.5%, despite major disruption to the global transport industry due to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran."Growth in CMA CGM's volumes in the first quarter should be around 4.5 percent.

As the conflict in the Gulf widens, maritime insurance premiums for war coverage are surging -- in some cases by more than 1000% -- dramatically driving up the cost of moving energy through a critical maritime corridor.The conflagration sparked by Saturday's Israeli-U.S. air strikes against Tehran has paralyzed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping chokepoint. Iran on Monday said it would fire on any ship trying to pass, and at least nine vessels have suffered…

Windward is publishing daily intelligence reports on the crisis in the Gulf as the situation develops.The highlights of today's report are as follows:    Operation Epic Fury triggered immediate disruption across maritime chokepoints in the Gulf.Commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed as strikes, threats, and insurance withdrawal drove operators out of the corridor.At least eight commercial vessels have been struck since the start of the conflict across the Gulf…

Windward is publishing daily intelligence reports on the crisis in the Gulf as the situation develops.The highlights of today's report are as follows:    The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, with only five vessel crossings recorded on March 4.Bab el-Mandeb traffic surged to 23 crossings, sitting above recent averages.Suez Canal activity dropped to 23 crossings, falling below trend levels.Cape of Good Hope diversions remained elevated, confirming continued rerouting of global trade.A crude tanker explosion near Kuwait damaged a cargo tanker and triggered an oil spill…

At least 25 ships from seven German maritime companies, including two cruise ships carrying about 7,000 passengers, are stranded in Gulf waters and cannot leave through the Strait of Hormuz for security reasons, Germany's shipowners' association VDR said on Monday without naming the companies. Dertour and TUI Cruises said earlier they had suspended or adjusted travel plans across the Middle East after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran spurred retaliatory action.Some details from…

Shipping companies Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are rerouting vessels around Africa, away from the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz."Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided...to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being," Danish container shipping group Maersk said in a statement on Sunday.The company last month announced a gradual return of some services to the Suez route…

At least three tankers were damaged off the Gulf coast and one seafarer was killed as Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran exposed ships to collateral damage, shipping sources and officials said on Sunday.Risks to commercial shipping have surged in the past 24 hours, with more than 200 vessels including oil and liquefied gas tankers dropping anchor around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday.Iran has said it has closed navigation through the critical waterway…

The diplomatic route in Iran is now exhausted, as last night the United States and Israel attacked Iran, sharply escalating security risks for commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters, prompting immediate operational and insurance repercussions across the global maritime sector.According to Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer at BIMCO, the attacks “dramatically increase the security risk to ships operating in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters,” particularly for vessels with business ties to U.S.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) reported a net loss of $88 million for the third quarter of FY2025, as persistent fleet growth and slower cargo movement weighed on short-term freight rates, particularly in the Asia–North America tradeThe result marked a sharp year-on-year deterioration from the same period in FY2024, reflecting a softer supply-demand balance driven by continued newbuilding deliveries across the global container fleet.For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, ONE generated revenue of $4.07 billion…

CMA CGM has announced its FAL1, FAL3 and MEX services connecting Asia and Europe, which recently began transiting Suez Canal again on backhaul voyages, will return to sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.CMA CGM cited the "the complex and uncertain international context” in reversing its decision to return to the Red Sea.“Shippers crave predictability in supply chains. Carriers taking the decision to return to the Red Sea then reversing that decision - even if it is done for important safety reasons - still risks undermining confidence in schedule reliability and eroding trust in partnerships…

Maersk said on Thursday that one of its services will resume using the Red Sea and Suez Canal this month, marking a key step towards ending two years of global trade disruption due to attacks on ships by Yemeni Houthi rebels.The Danish shipping group's share price fell more than 5% on the news, reflecting the likelihood of lower freight rates as vessels gradually return to the shorter Suez route.Shipping companies are weighing a return to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor…

“100 days ago, on 29 September, the Minervagracht was to become the last ship to be attacked by the Houthis, at least for now. Forty-three days later, the Houthis declared an end to their attacks on ships. Despite this, traffic through the Suez Canal have not significantly increased and in the first week of 2026 remained 60% below the corresponding week in 2023, before ships started diverting around the Cape of Good Hope,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.According to Lloyd’s List, the Houthis have attacked or hijacked ships 99 times since November 2023.

Asian spot liquefied natural gas prices started the year steady, as muted regional demand and ample supply kept the market flat following a 34% slump in 2025.The average LNG price for February delivery into Northeast Asia LNG-AS was estimated at $9.60 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), unchanged from the previous week, industry sources said."Market conditions remain relatively calm and are largely dominated by bearish sentiment," said Siamak Adibi, director for gas and LNG supply analytics at consultancy FGE…

Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday that one of its vessels had successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years, as shipping companies weigh returning to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor.The company stated that while it had no firm plans to fully reopen the route, it would take a "stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation" via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Maersk declined to further elaborate on its plans.Maersk and rivals…

After several years of volatility, 2025 became the year the global shipping markets began to reset. Not collapse—but recalibrate.According to Veson Nautical’s 2025 End-of-Year Market Report, the past year was defined by persistent geopolitical disruption, tightening environmental regulation and growing uncertainty over future fuel pathways. Red Sea instability continued to distort global trade flows, FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS added cost and complexity, and owners across nearly every sector adopted a more cautious stance toward fleet expansion.As the industry enters 2026…

According to Veson Nautical’s 2025 End-of-Year Market Report, a report which breaks down prevailing trends in all major oceangoing shipping sectors globally, these are the prevailing trends shipowners should watch in 2026.1. Routing Normalization vs. Geopolitical RealityMuch of 2025’s earnings strength—especially in containers, crude tankers and dry bulk—was driven by longer voyages around the Cape of Good Hope. Any sustained return to Suez transits in 2026 would compress ton-mile demand quickly. Owners should plan for volatility rather than assume a clean reversion to pre-Red Sea norms.2.

Major carrier CMA CGM has announced its INDAMEX service will transit Suez Canal on fronthaul and backhaul voyages between India/Pakistan and US East Coast in a notable step towards a largescale return of container ships to the Red Sea region.The first vessel to complete a full service loop via Suez Canal will be CMA CGM Verdi, sailing from Karachi to New York on 15 January. eeSea by Xeneta data shows voyages via Suez Canal rather than Cape of Good Hope reduces full loop transit time on this service by two weeks…