Did You Know That…

 

…Containership owners warn of overcapacity as orderbook hits post-2009 high

• Seaspan and Wan Hai executives caution that an order binge could see supply overwhelm demand if conditions shift
• Orderbook hits 16.2m teu, or 46.5% of the fleet — the highest ratio since 2009 — after fresh orders from MSC and HMM, according to Linerlytica
• Cape diversions have halved to 180 ships as services return to Suez, while teu-mile demand growth lags supply.

Orderbook has climbed to its highest level since 2009 after a fresh round of orders, prompting senior industry figures to warn the sector risks repeating the overcapacity cycle that followed the last ordering boom.

…Largest containerships return to Red Sea in force

• Megamax transits reached a post-crisis high in October
• 63% of Asia-Europe capacity is now assigned to Red Sea loops
• Cape diversions have fallen to their lowest level since January 2024.

More than 100 ships of above 16,000 teu have passed through the Suez Canal since September as carriers progressively restore Red Sea services, although overall capacity still remains well below pre-crisis levels.

…China Merchants Port exits $392m Sri Lanka logistics hub

• China Merchants Port has terminated its US$392m Colombo logistics hub project after land and regulatory hurdles
• The project was originally envisaged as South Asia’s largest logistics complex under a 50-year build-operate-transfer arrangement
• Sri Lanka Ports Authority will return US$26m to shareholders and call for fresh proposals for the land.

Sri Lanka’s largest planned logistics complex falls through after three years of setbacks.

…A new border-crossing bridge was officially opened over the Dandong in China with Sinuijiu in North Korea.

…China’s export boom continued apace in September, as the value of goods sent abroad rose by 36%, year on year, smashing most forecasts. Exports to America were up almost 40%. China’s trade surplus for the first nine months of 2026 was $938bn, on track to pass last year’s record $1.2trn.

…Attached, please find the latest versions of the Code of Conduct (CoC) and Membership Rules.

 

…We were delighted to welcome RTW Shipping & Logistics as our new member in Tanzania following the participation of its CEO, Mr. Nauman Akram, in our annual conference in Istanbul.

 

…Speaking of the conference, please find attached a video featuring some highlights from the speakers at our AGM.

 

…Another week, another alert about rogue AI. Anthropic warned that small AI models “may be months away” from being able to infiltrate smart household-appliances.

connected to the internet, such as TV’s and ovens.

 

…A cyber-attack hit French supermarkets by tapping into their systems and increasing the temperature settings on refrigerators, melting food and damaging equipment.

 

Have a great weekend !