Did You Know That…

 

…Middle East port update of Wednesday April 22 you can read in the attached document.

…Hormuz traffic halts again as shots fired and Iran claims ‘strict control’.

·Multiple ships damaged, including India-flagged tankers hit by gunfire

·Containership struck by an unidentified projectile off Oman, as owners pulled vessels back to holding positions

·US-Iran standoff escalates, with Iran accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire

·Wall Street Journal reports preparations to seize Iran-linked ships to increase economic pressure.

Strait of Hormuz reclosed after Iranian gunboats fired on merchant vessels, halting traffic only hours after a brief reopening and amid Tehran’s claim of ‘strict control’ over the waterway.

…Non‑Iranian traffic through Hormuz hits post‑war high as dark transits surge.

·Non‑Iranian traffic rose to its highest post‑war level, with dark transits and Omani‑side routing used

·Two MSC boxships and a Safesea tanker exited the MEG in dark transits

·Despite the increase, at least 16 non‑Iranian affiliated ships were unable to transit amid renewed Iranian restrictions and attacks.

Non‑Iranian‑linked vessels cleared the Strait of Hormuz last week in their highest numbers since the war began, as boxships and tankers relied on dark transits and alternative routing to escape the Middle East Gulf during a brief reopening of the chokepoint.

 

…Iran claims seizure of two MSC-operated boxships while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

·Two large MSC-operated containerships were seized or fired upon after Iran claimed they lacked transit permits, despite crew reports of no prior warnings

·Greek Ministry of Shipping however denies that Technomar Shipping-owned Epaminondas has been seized, stating the containership sustained ‘extensive damage’ after being attacked

·A third vessel, the Silmar‑operated Euphoria, was also targeted hours later, though it escaped damage and continued toward the Gulf of Oman

·The incidents follow the US Navy’s seizure of the Iranian‑flagged Touska, intensifying an already volatile security environment in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy says its has seized two MSC‑affiliated containerships and fired on a third vessel in a series of escalating confrontations in the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising tensions following the US Navy’s interception of an Iranian‑flagged boxship earlier this week.

 

…Our friend Steven Yuan of FS Int. China shared another report on the China to Europe trade. The recovery of export cargo volumes from China to Northwest Europe remained sluggish through mid-to-late April. While carriers demonstrated strong intentions to push rates upward following the recent outbreak of geopolitical conflict in the Middle East—which accelerated the spot market’s turning point to mid-March—insufficient cargo demand has capped the extent of rate increases. This pressure has been further compounded by adjustments to THE Alliance’s FE3/FE4 port rotations in April, which reduced the number of calls in mainland China. Consequently, the competition for spot cargo at individual ports has intensified significantly, making it difficult for spot freight rates to achieve the optimistic gains initially anticipated.

Maersk has issued a written GRI announcement for May, proposing to raise rates to USD 2,275 per 20GP and USD 3,500 per 40HQ, effective 4 May. Meanwhile, online spot rates from CMA CGM and OOCL for May have already increased noticeably. Whether the proposed May rate increases materialize will largely depend on carriers’ cargo booking volumes by the end of April. From a capacity perspective, Week 19 is expected to see a relatively high number of blank sailings, resulting in lower effective vessel capacity. Given favourable pre-holiday cargo build-up, freight rates are likely to see some upward movement by Week 20.

 

…Ligentia, our valued member in Poland shared news that Ligentia has joined Asyad Group, a global leader in logistics and supply chain solutions headquartered in Oman. This transaction represents an exciting step forward, enhancing their global reach, capabilities, and ability to serve our customers and partners. For Ligentia’s agents and partners, all existing agreements, points of contact, and operational arrangements remain unchanged. You will continue to work with your current contacts at Ligentia, and they will provide guidance on any future updates as appropriate. Ligentia added that they value your ongoing support and partnership and that they are confident that this next chapter will create new opportunities for collaboration, growth, and enhanced service delivery.For any questions, you may contact ms. Magdalena Kuźmicz at:  magdalena.kuzmicz@ligentia.global.

…$166B U.S. Refund Started This week — Who Gets Paid First? It does NOT mean everyone is getting paid immediately.

• The government launched a claims system called CAPE (run by U.S. Customs).

• Companies must apply and prove what they paid before any money is sent.

• Refunds are expected 60–90 days after a valid claim is filed.

So: this week = start of applications, not instant payouts. Who gets paid first? The short answer: businesses (importers), not regular people.

1. First in line: Importers and companies that directly paid the tariffs and Customs brokers who paid on behalf of companies

2. Who does NOT get paid Consumers (ordinary people). Even if prices were higher because of tariffs, there’s no direct refund for shoppers.

Why it could take a long time. Even though $166B is huge, the process is messy:

• ~330,000 importers are involved

• Claims must be checked shipment-by-shipment

• Errors, missing paperwork, or disputes can delay payments

• The rollout is happening in phases, not all at once

…The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict in West Asia has significant implications for global maritime transport. According to our source, the simultaneous instability in the Red Sea has resulted in two of the most important shipping routes being blocked. This has caused container freight rates on the Asia–Europe route to rise by 70 to 160 percent, while transit times have been extended by 10 to 18 days. The reliability of transport has fallen to below 60 percent.  

Changed trade flows. The crisis has fundamentally altered the understanding of global supply chains. In 2024, about 75 percent of European clothing imports from Asia were affected, as ships were forced to take longer and more expensive routes around Africa. These developments led European buyers to increasingly seek suppliers in closer regions. As a result, demand for products from Turkey increased by more than 50 percent. Turkey has established itself as an alternative. Products can be transported by truck to distribution centers in Europe within three to five days, reducing dependence on maritime bottlenecks. Additionally, industrial products benefit from the customs union with the European Union, which allows for duty-free access. In 2025, Turkey recorded a record export of 273 billion USD.

…IATA is opening a new office in Tashkent to strengthen Uzbekistan's air transport infrastructure and promote international cooperation.

 

…Transport market in Europe faces challenges. According to an analysis by TIMOCOM, the European transport market is facing challenges in 2026 as the demand for freight offers increases while truck capacities continue to decline.

 

…Jordan and UAE sign rail investment agreement. Jordan has signed an investment agreement with the United Arab Emirates to develop the "Aqaba Port Railway Project." By the way, we expect to appoint a strong, reliable member in Jordan within short.

…eBL Adoption: 12.8% — But 87% of Trade Is Still Paper.

…Training for Beijing’s humanoid half-marathon is gruelling. China is racing towards a robotic future. THE STREETS of Yizhuang were crowded on April 19th. Humanoid robots will run alongside thousands of living, breathing humans in a half-marathon through the industrial-technology park in Beijing. More than 300 robots are expected to start—that is far more than at the first such race last year, when just 21 bots competed (only six finished; the rest tripped, overheated or otherwise ran out of puff). Last year’s robot winner was the imposing Tiangong Ultra, a tall lightweight bot painted midnight black. It crossed the line in two hours and 40 minutes (seven minutes and 35 seconds per kilometre). 

 

…The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission returned safely to Earth. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, after travelling at 25,000 miles an hour (40,200kph) before entering the atmosphere, eventually slowing to 20mph.

 

…The boss goes AI. In what will be many employess’ worst nightmare, Meta is reportedly building an animated AI version of Mark Zuckenberg that can interact with staff. The AI is being trained with Mr Zuckenberg’s image, voice and mannerisms to discuss problems workers may have, and also performance. And possibly job cuts.

 

…All the gold ever mined on Earth would fit into a cube just over 22 metres on each side.
 

…Men cause about twice as many accidents per kilometre as women. This pattern appears across different modes of transport – including both cars and bicycles.

 

…Having plants in the office helps employees concentrate better.
 

 

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.