Shipping Weekly

Shipping Weekly – 9 Oct 2026 | Westbound Suez Happens, and Premier Alliance Folds

In the week of 1–9 October 2026, the westbound Suez transit that last week’s issue flagged as “scheduled for 4 October” actually happened. COSCO/OOCL’s 24,200 TEU OOCL Spain transited the canal westbound on 4 October on the AEU1/LL1 service (FAL5 to CMA CGM customers), the first westbound Suez sailing for the group in more than two years. In the same week, the Premier Alliance (ONE, HMM and Yang Ming) — the last grouping still holding the Cape of Good Hope — announced the return of FE1 and IOX/INX to Suez, which means all three major alliances have now moved. Rates fell for a 13th consecutive week on Asia-Europe and the Drewry WCI slipped to $4,351, with Drewry itself naming “the faster-than-expected return to the Suez route” as the biggest threat to rate support. On the Africa side, CMA CGM raised its China-West Africa peak season surcharge twice in six days and Maersk rebuilt its entire Europe-West Africa network from October.

This week’s key points

  • Westbound Suez moved from “planned” to “done.” On 4 October the 24,200 TEU OOCL Spain made the first westbound Suez transit in more than two years on AEU1/LL1 (NEU1 in Ocean Alliance terms, FAL5 for CMA CGM). It follows nine to ten eastbound sailings routed via the canal since mid-September. Note, however, that FAL1 and FAL3 remain eastbound-only: their westbound legs still run via the Cape of Good Hope, so this is not a full switch.
  • The Premier Alliance folded. On 1 October, ONE, HMM and Yang Ming announced the return of FE1 (Southeast Asia-North Europe) and IOX/INX (Indian Subcontinent-North Europe) to Suez — their first change since diverting to the Cape in January 2024. The switch vessel is the ONE Continuity (8,110 TEU), leaving Laem Chabang on 19 October, with its first westbound Suez transit on 9 November and Rotterdam arrival on 19 November. The round trip shortens from 13 weeks to 11.
  • The China-West Africa PSS rose twice in six days. CMA CGM announced a revision on 2 October effective 15 October (Central $200, North/South $400 per TEU), then on 8 October raised it again effective 22 October to Central $350 and North/South $550 per TEU. Guinea Conakry stays at $200. The scope is origin China and its Special Administrative Regions, applied to dry and reefer cargo on short-term contracts.
  • The first westbound sailing and a near-miss in the Red Sea fell on the same day. On 4 October, the same day OOCL Spain transited, the product tanker Chrystal Sky (73,976 dwt) reported a series of explosions 60 nautical miles south of Mokha, one of them roughly 100 metres from the hull. The vessel was undamaged and the crew unharmed, and it continued its voyage. Since no vessel attacks were reported in that area during September, the resumption of attacks coincided with the start of westbound transits.

Container rates and market conditions

Item Level Week on week
Drewry WCI composite (40ft) $4,351 ▼ 2%
Shanghai → Los Angeles $7,624 ▼ 3%
Shanghai → New York $10,220 ▼ 2%
Shanghai → Genoa $3,696 Stable
Shanghai → Rotterdam $3,337 ▼ 2%
Far East → North Europe (Xeneta, 7 Oct) $3,645 / FEU ▼ 34% vs 1 Jul
Far East → Mediterranean (Xeneta, 7 Oct) $4,007 / FEU ▼ 43% vs 1 Jul
Blank sailings (Asia-Europe, next week) 6 sailings 5 this week
Blank sailings (Transpacific, next week) 4 sailings 11 this week
Suez transits (week to 4 Oct) 43 ships / day +4.9% YoY
Shanghai (China) vessel waiting 3.51 days Still elevated
Ningbo (China) vessel waiting 2.37 days Slightly better
Tema (Ghana) vessel waiting 5.8 days Improved (from 6.35)
Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) vessel waiting 4.5 days Improved (from 6.80)
Durban (South Africa) vessel waiting 7.0 days Worse

The composite fell to $4,351, with three of the four headline lanes down and only Shanghai-Genoa flat. Asia-Europe has now declined for 13 consecutive weeks, and Drewry explicitly names “the faster-than-expected return to the Suez route” as the biggest threat to carriers’ ability to hold rates (Japan to Rotterdam route). Xeneta’s market averages tell the same story with a sharper Mediterranean skew: Far East-Mediterranean is down 43% since 1 July, Far East-North Europe down 34%.

What deserves attention is how blank sailings are behaving. Next week brings six blanks on Asia-Europe (five this week) and only four on the Transpacific (eleven this week) — in other words, capacity is not being pulled even though demand falls after Golden Week. If carriers keep supply on the water while volumes soften, there is room for further decline through late October and into November. In this environment, taking shorter validity and refreshing quotes is easier to manage than fixing long-term rates at today’s level (how ocean freight cost is built up).

In West Africa, the port figures reappeared after three weeks — and had improved. Tema came down from 6.35 to 5.8 days and Abidjan from 6.80 to 4.5 days (Japan to Tema route, Japan to Apapa route). It is too early to read this as resolved. The same report notes for Abidjan that vessel waiting times reach up to 12 days, and the qualitative description — equipment reliability problems, truck shortages, elevated container dwell times — has not changed. The average came down, but the spread is wide. Conakry, Dakar, Lagos and Mombasa were again not listed, so the 16–22 September figures remain the latest available (Japan to Dakar route, Japan to Mombasa route). For Lagos, Nigerian Ports Authority data for the first half of 2026 shows turnaround getting worse (Tin Can Island 4.4 → 5.1 days, Lagos Port Complex 5.9 → 6.1 days), and cases exceeding 20 days once inland release is included have been reported. Quote delivery on a gate-out basis rather than vessel ETA (demurrage and detention). The hardest African port this week was Durban at 7.0 days, attributed to equipment failures at Pier 1 (Japan to Durban route).

All three alliances have moved — what does it mean for shippers?

The substance of this week is less that “one sailing went westbound” and more that the last holdout changed its policy. Since January 2024, the Premier Alliance (ONE, HMM, Yang Ming) had kept Cape routing longer than anyone. It has now decided to put FE1 and IOX/INX back through Suez. With Gemini (Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd) and the Ocean Alliance (CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, Evergreen) already moving, all three alliances are now on the Suez side.

There are three practical implications for shippers and forwarders.

First, the market is heading structurally towards surplus capacity. Cutting the FE1 round trip from 13 weeks to 11 means roughly two fewer vessels are needed to maintain the same weekly sailing. Cape routing adds about ten days each way versus Suez, and that difference comes back to the market as capacity. Suez transits averaged 43 ships a day in the week to 4 October, up 4.9% year on year, and 30 containerships above 4,000 TEU passed through last week — the busiest since 2024. Capacity coming back will push further on an already falling market.

Second, the switch happens service by service, so mixed transit times will persist within the same carrier. In the Ocean Alliance only the AEU1/LL1 westbound has moved; FAL1 and FAL3 westbound remain on the Cape. In the Premier Alliance only FE1 and IOX/INX are covered, and Yang Ming’s Asia-West Mediterranean MS2 stays on the Cape in both directions. Verify the actual port rotation and cut-off rather than relying on a service name or carrier name (reading ETD, ETA and cut-off).

Third, Africa-bound trades are moving on a different axis from the headhaul decline. In the same week that Asia-Europe fell for a 13th straight week, CMA CGM raised its China-West Africa PSS twice and Hapag-Lloyd added a congestion surcharge on reefers to Tema. A softening headhaul does not automatically mean softer Africa rates. Because Africa surcharges move at country level, quotes should be re-taken with the destination country stated explicitly.

Carrier by carrier

MSCActive

The detail behind the FAK flagged last week is now out. Far East to North Europe is set at $3,150 per 20ft dry and $4,500 per 40ft dry and high cube base port to base port, inclusive of the October Global Fuel Surcharge of $253 per TEU and ECA surcharges of $15 per TEU for Mediterranean destinations and $52 per TEU for Nordic and Baltic destinations. It applies from 19 October until further notice but no later than 31 October. From the same 19 October, MSC extends the Piracy Risk Surcharge of $55 per TEU and the Suez Canal Surcharge of $36 per TEU ($91 combined) to around 35 Mediterranean and North African ports, including Derince, Port Said West, Barcelona, Genoa, Valencia, Naples, Algiers and Casablanca, until further notice. It is worth noting that while base rates have fallen for 13 weeks, risk-related surcharges are expanding. For Golden Week, MSC blanked three Asia-North Europe sailings in weeks 40 and 41 and two Asia-US East Coast sailings in weeks 40 and 42. On 9 October it announced that the Asia-East Coast South America Ipanema VSA will be reshaped into a two-carrier arrangement with ONE, as Hapag-Lloyd leaves the three-carrier agreement; the first sailing under the new structure departs Shanghai on 3 April 2027.

MaerskActive

This is the most operationally relevant Africa development of the week. From October, Maersk has restructured its entire Europe-West Africa network, bringing Port Said, Lomé and Pointe-Noire into the rotations. The confirmed rotations are WAF3: Port Said – Algeciras – Tangier – Lomé – Abidjan – Tema – Apapa, and WAF6: Port Said – Tangier – Algeciras – Tema – Apapa – Pointe-Noire. Alongside these run WAF2 (Algeciras – Tangier – Dakar), WAF7 (Tangier – Conakry), WAF10 (Tangier – Nouakchott – Nouadhibou), WAF12 (Tangier – Banjul) and WAF9B/C (Algeciras – Leixões – Lisbon – Praia – Mindelo), with direct services from Tangier to Monrovia (WAF5X) and Freetown (WAF7X) retained. The point to watch is that the Tema and Apapa calls on WAF3 will handle West Africa exports only, so import cargo for Tema and Apapa needs to be looked at on WAF6 (Japan to Tema route, Japan to Apapa route). Transshipment is concentrated on Abidjan, Lomé, Pointe-Noire and Tema, with onward routing to Douala, Matadi, Libreville and Walvis Bay reorganised. The fact that WAF3 and WAF6 now start at Port Said means this network is built around trans-Suez routing; WAF6 already moved back to the Red Sea between Salalah and the West Mediterranean in July 2026, which also opens Salalah transshipment as an option for Asia-origin cargo. On surcharges, Maersk introduced a PSS of $250 per container from the West and East Mediterranean to the US and Canada effective 7 October, and a PSS from Europe to South Africa (excluding Mozambique) effective 15 October. Separately, Gemini schedule reliability reached 95.7% into the North America West Coast and 93.5% into the East Coast against industry averages of 69.7% and 71.5% — a useful argument where transit certainty matters. The first AE12 Suez transit by Umm Qarn remains set for 27 October ex Tanjung Pelepas.

CMA CGMActive

It raised the China-West Africa PSS twice within six days. On 2 October it announced, effective 15 October, Central West Africa (Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Togo) $200 per TEU, Guinea $200, North West Africa (Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe) $400 per TEU and South West Africa (Angola, Congo, DRC, Namibia, Gabon, Cameroon) $400 per TEU. Then on 8 October it announced a further increase effective 22 October to Central $350 and North and South $550 per TEU, with Guinea Conakry unchanged at $200. The scope is origin China and its Special Administrative Regions, dry and reefer, short-term contracts; China-origin cargo is subject to filing with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange. Separately, on a Far East origin basis, it set Durban at $550 per TEU (effective 8 October), Port Louis at $400 per TEU (15 October) and Mogadishu at $100 per TEU (15 October, until further notice). Because “China” and “Far East” cover different origin ranges, the wording of each notice needs to be checked (Japan to Durban route). On routing, FAL1 and FAL3 remain eastbound-only through Suez with westbound legs on the Cape. Corporately, CMA CGM completed its $1.4 billion acquisition of FedEx’s contract logistics division in October, took delivery of a 13,000 TEU ship from HD Hyundai on 6 October, and on 7 October selected Wärtsilä engines for twelve 18,000 TEU newbuildings.

COSCOActive

The westbound Suez transit reported last week as planned was carried out on 4 October. The vessel was the 24,200 TEU OOCL Spain on AEU1/LL1 (NEU1 in Ocean Alliance terms, FAL5 for CMA CGM), and it was COSCO’s first westbound Suez transit in more than two years, following nine to ten eastbound sailings moved to the canal since mid-September. COSCO SHIPPING Lines is weighing further transits, with three more ships reported as due to use the canal shortly. Suez Canal Authority figures put containership net tonnage for January-August 2026 at 72.1 million tons, up 54.2% year on year. Elsewhere, COSCO SHIPPING Bulk launched its first container liner service, linking Nansha with Port Said (Egypt) and Benghazi and Misrata (Libya), with the shortest Nansha-Libya voyage at 21 days. COSCO also joined a Mediterranean-Canada service, and OOCL expanded its Far East-South America network. On the other side of the ledger, Germany blocked COSCO’s planned 80% acquisition of the German logistics company Konrad Zippel on national security grounds.

Hapag-LloydWatch

The ZIM acquisition tipped towards prolongation rather than resolution. The 6 October deadline for a new filing reported last week was not met, and Hapag-Lloyd says the improved proposal will be submitted to and explained to the relevant Israeli authorities “over the coming weeks.” The company maintains its target of closing by the end of 2026. On 2 October, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen pushed back, saying the authorities’ concerns “relate to our original proposal and do not take into account the significant improvements that have since been made.” The improved proposal adds an Israel-Asia shipping route, investment in Israeli maritime personnel and retention of shipping expertise in the country, a modern fleet for ZIM Israel, and strengthened Golden Share protections, while the price is unchanged at $35 per share, or about $4.2 billion. On 1 October, a group of shareholders holding more than 10% of ZIM demanded that any materially revised transaction go to a shareholder vote rather than board approval alone. Operationally, from 5 October Hapag-Lloyd introduced a Congestion Destination Surcharge of $250 per TEU on reefers to Tema, Ghana (from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent) — notable because the port report shows Tema’s average waiting time improving while the carrier is still pricing it as a congested port. From 15 October an Equipment Imbalance Surcharge of $100 per container applies on 20ft dry ex Luanda worldwide. Hapag-Lloyd also exits the Asia-East Coast South America Ipanema VSA. The Brazilian CADE review of three East Coast South America services continues in parallel with a deadline at the end of March 2027.

ONEActive

ONE led the Premier Alliance’s return to Suez. On 1 October it announced that FE1 (Southeast Asia-North Europe) and IOX/INX (Indian Subcontinent-North Europe) will route via Suez — the first change since the switch to the Cape in January 2024. The switch vessel is the ONE Continuity (8,110 TEU), departing Laem Chabang on 19 October (some reports say 17 October), with its first westbound Suez transit on 9 November and Rotterdam arrival on 19 November. The rotation is Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Singapore – Rotterdam – Hamburg – Le Havre, and the round trip shortens from 13 weeks to 11 (Japan to Singapore route, Japan to Rotterdam route). Algeciras has been out of the FE1 rotation since ONE reorganised the service in June 2026 and does not return with this change. On surcharges, from 1 October ONE revised the ONE Bunker Surcharge, raised the Container Management Fee for Discharge from $15 to $20 per container, and applied the fourth-quarter Europe Environment Surcharge. From 8 October it raised the North American reefer inland fuel surcharge from $435 to $625, up 44%. Organisationally, ONE folded its Hong Kong-based East Asia headquarters into Singapore, and Yusen Terminals, 51% owned by ONE, extended its lease at Berths 212-224 at the Port of Los Angeles through 2056.

EvergreenNo change

There was no new rate or service announcement for a seventh consecutive issue. Checking the official notices, October output consisted of regional operational advisories only — empty container return notices for the US, terminal closures for Canadian Thanksgiving on 12 October, and Everport Los Angeles gate availability on 9, 10 and 17 October — with nothing new on rates, surcharges or routings. On 1 October, Evergreen released ShipmentLink Mobile for schedule lookup, cargo tracking and release status. Extra sailings were deployed on US East and West Coast export services to Asia. The distinction worth keeping is that the Ocean Alliance’s first westbound transit on 4 October was a COSCO/OOCL vessel, not an Evergreen one. “The alliance moved” and “Evergreen moved” are different statements, and a westbound Suez transit by an Evergreen-operated ship has still not been published. FAL3 is operated solely by CMA CGM, with Evergreen participating on a slot basis.

HMMActive

HMM takes part in the FE1 and IOX/INX return to Suez as a Premier Alliance member (see the ONE entry). There was no separate HMM announcement, and no new rate or surcharge notices were identified this week. In East Africa, the GIA (Gulf-India-East Africa) service continues to run as a two-loop, six-carrier operation: Nhava Sheva – Mundra – Dar es Salaam – Nhava Sheva, and Nhava Sheva – Mumbai – Mombasa – Nhava Sheva, with 2,300-2,800 TEU ships on a weekly frequency. The partners are HMM, COSCO SHIPPING, OOCL, Interasia Lines, PIL and ONE, which means space on the same ship can be booked through any of them. Japan-origin cargo moves via transshipment at Nhava Sheva, so it is worth confirming the connecting transit time up front on East Africa enquiries (Japan to Mombasa route, Japan to Dar es Salaam route, the booking process).

Yang MingActive

The “seriously considering” position reported last week turned into action within a week. On 1 October, Yang Ming joined the Premier Alliance return of FE1 and IOX/INX to Suez. There is, however, an important caveat: the change covers FE1 (Southeast Asia-North Europe) and IOX/INX, and does not include MS2 (Asia-West Mediterranean). MS2 runs Busan – Shanghai – Ningbo – Kaohsiung – Shekou – Singapore – (Cape of Good Hope) – Tangier – Valencia – Barcelona – Genoa – La Spezia – Fos – (Cape of Good Hope) – Singapore – Laem Chabang, still via the Cape in both directions. This is the class with capacity committed to the Cape for the longest, so the next milestone is whether MS2 moves. On results, Yang Ming reported September monthly revenue on 8 October at around TWD 21.7 billion, up 69.9% year on year, citing peak season demand and firmer rates. For the first half of 2026, however, revenue was NT$84.58 billion (up 0.5%) while gross profit fell 30.2% and operating profit 42.2%, so the full-year earnings picture is not uniform.

ZIMActive

On 6 October, ZIM sharply raised its full-year 2026 guidance, lifting adjusted EBITDA from $2.0-2.4 billion to $2.7-3.0 billion and adjusted EBIT from $0.7-1.1 billion to $1.4-1.7 billion — effectively a near doubling at the EBIT line — citing continued strong demand and favourable rate momentum. The shares rose 4.8% after hours towards a 52-week high. This is the most instructive market signal of the week. In the same week the Drewry WCI fell for a 13th consecutive week to $4,351, yet ZIM followed Hapag-Lloyd’s 29 September revision by also roughly doubling its guidance. Two carriers revising independently in the same direction indicates that the gap between the spot index and actual contracted levels is not a temporary anomaly. On the acquisition, the shareholder group holding more than 10% demanded a shareholder vote on 1 October; the original structure was approved on 30 April with 97.36% support, and the group argues a materially different structure should be put to the meeting again. The better ZIM’s earnings, the less attractive $35 per share looks, adding another reason for the process to run long. The Asia-East Coast South America ZIM Falcon Service launched on 13 September continues to operate.

Wan HaiNo change

There were no new announcements this week. The six 11,000 TEU newbuildings at Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding ($118-124 million each, methanol/LNG dual-fuel, EEDI Phase III compliant) remain in progress, bringing 2026 orders at the yard to eight ships against an orderbook of around 50. Operationally, on-time arrival performance stood at 31.89% as of 6 October, low relative to the top ten carriers. The broader shift of intra-Asia carriers from the 5,000 TEU class to the 10,000 TEU class continues, which over the medium term should loosen intra-Asia feeder capacity and lower the cost of transshipment routings via Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas (Japan to Singapore route). That said, delays compound across each leg of a transshipment routing, so allow extra margin in delivery commitments where a low-reliability carrier is involved.

Red Sea and Hormuz: the operating assumptions

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been under de facto Houthi control since the group seized Mokha, the Hanish Islands, Dhubab and, critically, Perim Island inside the strait on 10-11 September. What matters is the September record: no vessel attacks were reported in that area during the month. Carriers advanced their Suez returns on the basis of that quiet.

Then on 4 October the product tanker Chrystal Sky (73,976 dwt, Marshall Islands flag) reported a series of explosions 60 nautical miles south of Mokha. The report reached UKMTO at 1650 UTC; one detonation was roughly 100 metres from the hull, but the vessel was undamaged and the crew unharmed, and it continued its voyage from Sikka, India to Barcelona. In early October, Yemeni government forces launched “Operation Dawn of Yemen” in an attempt to retake territory near the strait, but Houthi forces were reported to have held their positions.

The key reading for planning purposes is that no carrier has been identified as reversing its Suez return because of this incident. On the contrary, the Premier Alliance announced its return in the same week, and 30 containerships above 4,000 TEU transited the canal last week — the busiest since 2024. In short, a single near-miss does not stop carriers. The corollary is that the reversibility remains: a direct hit or loss of life would flip the picture quickly. If Cape routing tightens again, Africa-bound space and rates can deteriorate within a short period. Secure space while the market is loose, but avoid locking long-term rates at this level (how ocean freight cost is built up).

The other assumption is the Strait of Hormuz, where normal commercial navigation has effectively been halted since 30 July. War risk premiums run at 7.5-10% of hull value and Brent trades above $100, which continues to hold up carriers’ fuel-related surcharges — MSC’s October Global Fuel Surcharge is $253 per TEU. Note also that the Suez Canal Authority’s 15% discount for large containerships has remained suspended since 7 April 2026, with no replacement scheme announced. That carriers are returning without a discount reflects a judgement that the cost gap against Cape routing is the larger factor, and the trend is unlikely to turn on the presence or absence of the rebate.

Practical points for shippers and forwarders

  • Keep the bias on Asia-origin rates pointing down through late October and November. Asia-Europe has fallen for 13 straight weeks and next week’s blanks are light — six on Asia-Europe, four on the Transpacific. Supply is not being withdrawn as post-Golden Week demand softens, so room for further decline remains. Long-term fixing is likely to work against you here (how ocean freight cost is built up).
  • Africa-bound rates do not follow the headhaul down. In the same week, CMA CGM raised its China-West Africa PSS twice and Hapag-Lloyd added a congestion surcharge on reefers to Tema. Re-take Africa quotes with the destination country stated explicitly, and watch the difference between “China” and “Far East” origin scopes.
  • Do not misread Maersk’s new WAF rotations. The Tema and Apapa calls on WAF3 handle West Africa exports only; imports to Tema and Apapa sit on WAF6. With Lomé and Pointe-Noire added as transshipment hubs, it is worth pricing a direct call and a transshipment option side by side (Japan to Tema route, Japan to Apapa route).
  • West African congestion has improved on average, but the spread is wide. Tema is at 5.8 days and Abidjan at 4.5, yet the same report notes vessel waits of up to 12 days at Abidjan. Conakry, Dakar, Lagos and Mombasa were again unlisted. Quote delivery on a gate-out basis rather than vessel ETA (demurrage and detention).
  • Compare surcharges separately from base rates. MSC extends Piracy $55 plus Suez $36 per TEU to around 35 Mediterranean and North African ports from 19 October, with fuel at $253 per TEU. The fall in base rates does not translate into an equal fall in the all-in figure, so compare line by line.
  • The switch is service-level, so do not judge by carrier name. In the Ocean Alliance only AEU1/LL1 westbound has moved; in the Premier Alliance only FE1 and IOX/INX; Yang Ming’s MS2 stays on the Cape. Confirm the actual rotation and cut-off (reading ETD, ETA and cut-off).

What to watch next

  • 15 OctCMA CGM’s first China-West Africa PSS step takes effect (Central $200, Guinea $200, North/South $400), along with Far East origin Port Louis $400 and Mogadishu $100.
  • 19 OctMSC’s Far East to North Europe, Mediterranean and Black Sea FAK starts (through 31 October), together with the extension of Piracy $55 plus Suez $36 per TEU to around 35 Mediterranean and North African ports.
  • 19 OctONE Continuity departs Laem Chabang, starting the Premier Alliance’s Suez return in practice. First westbound transit 9 November, Rotterdam arrival 19 November.
  • 22 OctCMA CGM’s second China-West Africa PSS step takes effect (Central $350, North/South $550, Guinea unchanged at $200).
  • 27 OctMaersk AE12’s Umm Qarn (642W) departs Tanjung Pelepas for the service’s first Suez transit.
  • Coming weeksSubmission of the new Hapag-Lloyd/FIMI filing for ZIM. The 6 October deadline was not met, and the fit with a year-end 2026 closing is the question. Shareholders holding more than 10% are demanding a vote.
  • 15 OctDrewry WCI assessment of 15 October — whether Asia-Europe makes it 14 consecutive weeks down or blank sailings arrest the slide.
  • Late OctWhether carriers add blank sailings. If capacity is not withdrawn, rates have further to fall.
  • OngoingWhether Yang Ming’s MS2 (Asia-West Mediterranean) moves to Suez. It is the class with the longest-standing Cape commitment.
  • OngoingA westbound Suez transit by an Evergreen-operated ship. The 4 October sailing was a COSCO/OOCL vessel, and Evergreen has been unpublished for seven issues.
  • OngoingWestbound routing on the Ocean Alliance’s FAL1 and FAL3, currently eastbound-only through Suez.
  • OngoingFurther vessel attacks in the Red Sea and whether carriers reverse their Suez policy.
  • OngoingWhether port reports restore figures for Conakry, Dakar, Lagos and Mombasa.
  • Mid OctThe deadline on Abidjan’s six-to-seven week recovery plan. The average is down to 4.5 days, but the “up to 12 days” note remains.
  • OngoingPractical effects of Ghana Standards Authority rules on used vehicle imports. Strict enforcement began on 1 October: vehicles over 15 years old cannot be imported, and inspection by a GSA-approved body in the country of export plus a Certificate of Conformity are required (how to look up an HS code).

Sources

  1. Drewry — World Container Index (assessment of 8 October 2026)
  2. Xeneta — Weekly ocean container shipping market update (8 October 2026)
  3. ContainerSignal Daily — Carriers edge back to Suez as rates fall
  4. Kuehne+Nagel — Port operational updates (30 September to 6 October 2026)
  5. The Loadstar — Premier Alliance prepares for Asia-N Europe services return to Suez
  6. gCaptain — Premier Alliance prepares for Asia-N Europe services return to Suez
  7. El Estrecho Digital — The Premier Alliance reintroduces Suez to its network between Asia and Europe
  8. Ship & Bunker — ONE, HMM and Yang Ming’s Premier Alliance to resume Suez routing
  9. Splash247 — Premier Alliance joins accelerating return to Suez
  10. Seatrade Maritime — Ocean Alliance network keeps Cape rerouting, details Suez options
  11. Logistics Middle East — Cosco returns to Suez Canal as container traffic rises
  12. Seatrade Maritime — Cosco Shipping Bulk launches first container service
  13. Container News — Germany blocks COSCO takeover of logistics firm Zippel over security concerns
  14. Container News — MSC updates FAK rates from Far East to Europe, Mediterranean and Black Sea
  15. Container News — MSC extends piracy and Suez surcharges on Asia-Mediterranean trade
  16. Container News — MSC and ONE reshape Ipanema VSA
  17. Container News — Maersk restructures Europe-West Africa service network
  18. El Estrecho Digital — Maersk reorganizes its services between Europe and West Africa
  19. The Loadstar — Maersk returns West Africa service to the Red Sea
  20. Container News — Maersk introduces new Mediterranean peak season surcharges
  21. Container News — CMA CGM introduces new peak season surcharges across Africa and Americas
  22. Container News — CMA CGM raises West Africa surcharges and updates Mogadishu PSS
  23. The Guardian Nigeria — CMA CGM increases peak season surcharge on China–West Africa cargo
  24. Container News — Hapag-Lloyd responds to Israeli concerns over revised ZIM deal
  25. Container News — ZIM shareholders seek vote on revised Hapag-Lloyd deal
  26. Seatrade Maritime — Hapag-Lloyd must resubmit Zim deal after Israeli review halted
  27. Container News — Hapag-Lloyd adds US$250/TEU reefer congestion surcharge at Tema
  28. WorldCargo News — ZIM lifts 2026 earnings outlook by up to US$700m
  29. TipRanks — ZIM lifts 2026 profit guidance on strong freight market
  30. Seatrade Maritime — Product tanker attacked in Red Sea as hostilities escalate
  31. Marine Insight — Multiple explosions reported near tanker off Yemen, UKMTO says
  32. The Red Team Analysis Society — The Houthis, Bab el-Mandeb, and Maritime Transport
  33. Container Magazine — Suez Canal Authority withdraws containership transit discount three months early
  34. TradLinx — Late-October Asia-Europe sailings face growing cancellation risk
  35. Businessday NG — Nigerian ports record slower vessel turnaround in H1 2026
  36. News Ghana — Ghana begins strict checks on imported used vehicles
  37. ad-hoc-news — Yang Ming grows revenue 69.94 percent (September figure, published 8 October 2026)
  38. Hashtag Investing — ONE raises reefer inland fuel surcharge to US$625

This article was compiled by the OCEAN FREIGHT JAPAN editorial team from carrier announcements and press reports (coverage period: 1 to 9 October 2026). The Drewry WCI figures are the 8 October assessment and the port waiting times are from the Kuehne+Nagel report for 30 September to 6 October. Rate and surcharge levels and their conditions of application may change after publication, and actual application can differ depending on origin, cargo and contract terms. Always confirm applicability against the carrier’s official tariff and your quotation.