Shipping Weekly

A weekly roundup of the top 10 container carriers and ocean freight rate movements, written for exporters and forwarders shipping out of Japan.

2026.10.01 Shipping Weekly – 1 Oct 2026 | The Westbound Suez Switch Finally Has a Date
The week of 24 September to 1 October 2026 gave a date to the one thing we said last week would really matter: the westbound switch. COSCO and OOCL have finished moving ten eastbound sailings through Suez since mid-September, and…
2026.09.24 Shipping Weekly – 24 Sep 2026 | The Suez Return Splits by Direction
In the week of 17 to 24 September 2026, the Ocean Alliance finally moved. On 16 September the 24,188 teu OOCL Portugal transited the Suez Canal southbound, the first southbound passage by COSCO Shipping Lines since the Red Sea crisis…
2026.09.17 Shipping Weekly – 17 Sep 2026 | Alliances Split on Suez
The week of 10 to 17 September 2026 was the week the alliances split on the Red Sea. On 14 September the Gemini Cooperation (Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd) said it would move four more services off the Cape of Good Hope…
2026.09.10 Shipping Weekly – 10 Sep 2026 | Suez Recovery Hits 30%
The week of 3 to 10 September 2026 was when the Red Sea and Suez recovery moved from announcements to measurable numbers. Maersk disclosed that it has already shifted more than 30% of its Cape-routed volumes back through Suez, making…
2026.09.03 Shipping Weekly – 3 Sep 2026 | Container Rates & Carrier Moves
The week of 27 August to 3 September 2026 combined three things: container spot rates falling for a third straight week, West Africa surcharges widening beyond reefer cargo, and Hapag-Lloyd's bid for ZIM running into regulatory resistance. Drewry's World Container…
2026.08.27 Shipping Weekly – 27 Aug 2026 | Suez Return & Carrier Moves
The week of 20 to 27 August 2026 was when the return to Suez moved from talk to operations. MSC formally shifted four Asia-Europe services back through the canal, and two of Maersk's largest ships transited on 22 August. As…