Did You Know That…

…Global box volumes hold firm despite North American slump

·Asia remains the primary engine of growth, with exports rising across most regions and intra-Asia volumes up 8.5% year on year

·North American trades continue to drag, with imports down 8.1% annually and transatlantic volumes falling sharply amid tariff uncertainty

·Rate indices stagnate across key lanes, signalling persistent overcapacity

Global container volumes opened 2026 with solid year-on-year growth driven by Asia, even as North American weakness, softening rate indices and escalating Middle East disruption cast an early shadow over the sector’s fragile momentum.

…Middle East port operational update: Wednesday, March 11

Operations at Salalah suspended after drone strikes on fuel tanks.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be severely disrupted, and many shipping companies are still avoiding transits due to elevated security risks. OPERATIONS at the Omani port of Salalah are suspended following drone strikes earlier today. 

 

Airspace across most Middle East Gulf countries is reopening on a restricted basis. While some countries remain closed, the majority have resumed limited operations with a reduced number of flights. As a result, crew changes may be possible in certain locations but remain constrained and subject to local conditions.

 

Status of key Middle East ports.

 

United Arab Emirates

·Jebel Ali, Hamriyah and Sharjah port, all terminal port operations are normal.

·Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, Fujairah Oil Tanker Terminal — Has resumed operations. (updated)
ADNOC SPM Terminal — Currently, there are no vessels at ADNOC SPMs; however, vessels are at anchorage awaiting cargo operations, possibly tonight or tomorrow. (updated)
Deslopping, bunkering operations, and husbandry services are proceeding smoothly without any major delays or interruptions. 
Local port authorities have not issued any alerts at this time. However, navigational warning No. 01/2026 has been disseminated, addressing reported incidents of intermittent GPS signal spoofing and jamming in offshore areas of Fujairah. These disruptions may lead to a loss of positional accuracy, erratic vessel movements on Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), and potentially misleading positional information. Mariners are advised to consider this area as high risk.

·Ras al Khaimah ports remain open and are operating normally.

·Ruwais and Abu Dhabi petroleum ports are operational. Ruwais PPA (ISPS level 2) & Abu Dhabi Ports ( ISPS Level 1). Abu Dhabi Ports confirmed that all UAE ports managed and operated by AD ports remain fully open and are operating as usual.

· 

Kuwait

·No alerts / notifications / circulars from the Kuwait Port authorities.

·Presently, no stoppage of operations has been reported, and no official information from the port authorities.

·All ports controlled by KOTC MINA TANK, Mina al Ahmadi, Mina Abdulla and Mina Al Zour are operational.

·All vessels currently bound for Shuaiba port must redirect to Shuwaikh port to discharge their cargo. This instruction applies provided that the vessel’s draft does not exceed 9.6 metres. Please note that all manifests will be automatically transferred to Shuwaikh port. Please note that this applies exclusively to container vessels.

 

Oman

·Operations at Salalah suspended following drone strikes earlier today. (updated)

·Ports working normally: Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, Mina al Fahal, Port of Sohar , Qalhat LNG Terminal — Sur, OMIFCO Terminal — Port of Duqm, Asyad Drydock — Duqm

· 

Saudi Arabia

·There are presently no alerts or warnings issued by the local port authorities. All operational activities are functioning at full capacity.

·Saudi Arabia’s national carrier confirmed flights suspended for Bahrain, Kuwait, Amman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Russia and Peshawar.

 

Bahrain

·Currently, vessel movements in Bahrain have gradually resumed; however, operations remain limited due to the restricted availability of pilots.

·Operations at Bahrain’s national energy company Bapco Energies have been disrupted after an attack struck its refinery complex, prompting the group to issue a formal force majeure notice.

·At present, crew changes are not feasible as the airspace remains closed.

·ISPS security level remains at Level 1.

 

Qatar

·Hamad Port, Doha port, Al Ruwais port — Normal port operations and vessel movement. Al Ruwais port is restricted to small craft only, including dhows and barges. 

·Mesaieed port and Ras Laffan port — port operations ongoing. QatarEnergy has ceased production of LNG and associated products. 

·Al Shaheen Terminal and Halul Island Terminal — Operations suspended until further notice. Al Shaheen Terminal: Suspension confirmed via email from North Oil. Halul Island Terminal: Suspension confirmed via email from Qatar Energy Halul. 

·The official security status remains at Security Level 1. However, as a proactive measure, all vessels are requested to exercise heightened caution and vigilance.

·The Ministry of Transport has advised that, to maintain supply chain continuity, shipping lines may route raw materials and consumer goods destined for Hamad Port via designated alternative ports in Oman and the UAE, with maritime agencies required to coordinate with the relevant port authorities and notify the Ministry accordingly. First Alternative — Sohar and Duqm port. Second Alternative — Fujairah and Khorfakkan port.

·Following the temporary authorisation from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirming a partial resumption of air flight movement, Hamad International airport will operate a limited number of repatriation flights for stranded passengers. The temporary closure of Qatar’s airspace remains in effect due to the current situation in the region.

 

Egypt

·The Suez Canal and all Egyptian ports remain fully operational.

·ISPS level remains at Level 1.

·Airspace remains open, with no operational impact reported.

 

Jordan

·Jordan remains stable. Authorities continue to issue general public-awareness guidelines purely as precautionary measures. There are no security incidents inside Jordan.

·Jordan has closed its airspace from 1800 hrs to 0900 hrs local time daily, effective immediately and until further notice. This affects arriving, departing, and transit flights within the closure window.

·All operations remain normal at Aqaba port. Terminals, marine services, cargo handling, and gate operations are functioning without disruption. Maritime navigation and cargo operations are proceeding smoothly and without delay.

·Royal Jordanian and the Jordanian airspace remain open, flights to Qatar, UAE, Syria, Bahrain and Kuwait remain closed. (updated)

 

Pakistan

·All ports remain fully operational.

·ISPS level remains at Level 1.

·Airspace remains open, with no operational impact reported.

· 

Iraq

·No damage at Umm Qasr.

·Basra Oil Terminal and SPM Somo Terminal have ceased export operations.

·No port restrictions or emergency measures in place.

·Fresh water supply available

·Food purchasing/provisioning available

·Crew change is available, but there is a delay in issuing the visa.

·Shore leave (for emergency medical treatment) available.

 

Cyprus

·No official cancellations for vessel operations.

·Airspace is open; however, flights are being cancelled, impacting crew change arrangements.

 

Lebanon

·All ports remain operational, with no alerts or warnings issued by the local port authorities so far. South of Lebanon is in an unstable operational situation.

·ISPS level remains at Level 1.

·Airspace remains open and operating only Middle East Airlines flights.

·Both the private and public sectors are operating normally.

 

Israel

·Besides restrictions on DG, every port is working as normal.

·No ship has left Israel or was forced to leave outside its schedule

·Airspace is now open but restricted. Flights are coming in and out of Israel on a limited basis, with restrictions (max 50 passengers out per flight), landing every hour, operating 24 hours a day.

· 

…The Iran war puts Asia in an energy panic. Stranded Gulf supplies are choking off the region’s economies. NOW INTO its second week, the American-Israeli war with Iran has all but stopped seaborne oil exports from the Gulf’s big producers. As trading resumed after the weekend the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, leapt above $100 a barrel. It is up by around 40% since hostilities began. American motorists are already paying over $3.40 for a gallon of petrol on average, around 50 cents more than on February 27th. In Europe prices of natural gas, of which the Gulf normally ships lots in liquefied form, are 92% higher than before the war. The nastiest effects of the energy shock, however, are being felt in Asia. The Gulf supplies 40-80% of the seaborne crude imports of China, India, Japan and South Korea. It also accounts for nearly a third of China’s LNG imports, more than half of India’s and much more for some smaller Asian countries. In 2025 Asia absorbed 87% of the crude and 86% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) transiting via the Strait of Hormuz. Now the strait is blocked and Asia risks running out of fuel, fast. Many governments and firms see a grave threat—and are struggling to respond. The knock-on effects on their economies could be profound.

 

…In the meantime, Trump threatens ‘Death, Fire and Fury’ if Iran closes Strait of Hormuz.

…Qatar warns of lasting economic pain from Iran war supply shock

·Middle East war could ‘bring down the economies of the world’, Qatar energy minister tells FT

·Vortexa estimates 16m bpd of Middle East crude exports in limbo

·Asian countries highly dependent on Qatari LNG

Oil could go to $150 a barrel and gas to $40 per mmbtu if the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, Qatar’s energy minister has warned, as freight rates skyrocket on reports disruption could be prolonged.

 

…Here’s the latest Asia-Europe trade outlook received from our friend Steven Yuan of FS International China: While carriers aimed to implement significant General Rate Increases (GRIs) from March 16th in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions, the actual adjustments have been limited. This is largely due to persistently soft demand during the traditional off-peak season, which has restrained market rate momentum. Rate Outlook: At present, only Maersk has released its indicative rates for the week of March 23–29, reflecting a slight decline. Based on this, we expect current rate levels to generally hold through the end of March. Looking ahead, geopolitical developments are reshaping traditional seasonality. The off-peak period is proving more resilient than usual, with market stabilization appearing to shift forward from mid-April to mid-March. In addition, the ongoing conflict introduces near-term risks of further supply chain disruption and is expected to increase freight rate volatility and upward elasticity. In line with historical seasonal patterns, we continue to anticipate a gradual upward adjustment window beginning in April.

 

…Speaking about FS International. Our esteemed founding and board member gathered earlier this week, not just to celebrate the Year-end party with FS teams, but to share the company’s vision for the “FUTURE” . Besides being proud of their dedicated team, FS also extends sincere thanks to their partners, for the unwavering trust and support, which drive all of us to move forward.

In 2026, FS International HK and China will continue to focus on excellence and innovation , committed to providing their relations inside and outside the EAA Network with even more efficient and reliable logistics solutions .

…Amid an increasingly chaotic world, container lines crave more ships

·Liner operators want more tonnage to take advantage of disruptions, even if they suffer multi-year EBIT losses, which are manageable due to Covid cash cushion

·Newbuild orders that give liners extra capacity to exploit geopolitical disruption ultimately worsen it by adding to port congestion

·There is supply overcapacity ‘on paper’ but the real measure is effective capacity, which takes disruptions into account

The container shipping industry is thinking long term, viewing effective capacity through a geopolitical lens.

 

…This week we had to announce that the board decided to postpone our Annual Conference originally scheduled for 24-27 March, in Istanbul.

Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East and its broader implications for (aviation) travel, and participant safety and wellbeing, we believe that rescheduling the event is the most responsible course of action.  The annual conference is rescheduled to 06-09 October and all members have been notified about this unfortunate decision.

However the good news is that, with nearly seven months still to go, practically all of the attendees confirmed their presence in October as well; the count has already reached 110+ participants, with multiple pending registrations. Registration is still open !

 

…India’s economy is not as big as economists thought. But it is growing faster. INDIAN OFFICIALS have been in a boastful mood lately. A government report in December argued that judging by real-time economic indicators, India had overtaken Japan as the world’s fourth-biggest economy. This was to become economic fact once the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation updated how it calculates GDP. So in one sense, the new numbers released on February 27th are a disappointment: GDP was 3.3% smaller than previously thought. In other ways, though, they are a cause for celebration. On the bright side, India is growing even faster than previously believed. GDP expanded by 7.1% in the fiscal year 2024-25, up from an earlier figure of 6.5%. Other numbers show it has grown quickly since, despite facing high duties on exports to America from August until last month, when the Supreme Court curtailed Donald Trump’s willy-nilly tariffing. Although manufacturing’s share failed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of a quarter of GDP by 2025, high-tech production and electronics assembly are fuelling growth. Business-friendly reforms to taxes and regulations are starting to pay off, too.

…Maritime strategy in Singapore. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is developing a plan to strengthen Singapore's position in global trade through innovation and talent development.

 

…Austrian Post has acquired 70% of the Bulgarian e-commerce service provider „euShipments.com.“ The purchase price amounts to EUR 55 million, and there is an option to acquire the remaining 30% in four years. With this transaction, Austrian Post has strengthened its existing activities in cross-border online trade in Southeastern and Eastern Europe.

 

…Volatile imports in Kenya. Kenyan importers have been facing significant challenges in recent years. The rerouting of goods that were traditionally transported through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal around the Cape of Good Hope has considerably extended transit times. This has led to rising freight costs and unpredictable delivery times, which have strained both supply chains and company budgets.

 

…BYD, the world’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, reported another drop in monthly sales. The Chinese compnay sold 190,000 new-energy vehicles in February, a drop of 41% year on year, in part because it is contending with a slowing domestic market.

 

…In Norway, there is roughly 2,000 times more farmed salmon than wild salmon.

 

…Breaks are also worthwhile from an economic perspective: they reduce the risk of accidents and increase motivation and creativity. This leads to an increase in productivity that more than compensates for the loss of working time.

 

Wishing you all a very good rest of the week !

 

…This DYKT news bulletin will be published on the website as well, go to www.eaanetwork.com.