Transportation and shipping
Oil supertanker rates hit all-time high as insurers drop war risk protection in the Middle East
Commercial ships anchor off the coast of the United Arab Emirates due to navigation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Dubai on March 2, 2026. Stringer | Anadolu | Getty Images Oil supertanker costs in the Middle East climbed to their highest level on record as conflict between the U.S. and Iran disrupts shipping through […]
Read More
Panama cancels China-linked port deal, hands canal terminals to Maersk, MSC
This aerial view shows a cargo ship sailing out of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side in Panama City on October 6, 2025. Martin Bernetti | Afp | Getty Images Panama annulled key port contracts held by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison in its official gazette Monday, transferring interim operations of the […]
Read More
U.S. urges ships to stay ‘as far as possible’ from Iran’s waters in Strait of Hormuz after boarding attempts
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) speed boat sailing along the Persian Gulf near a cargo vessel. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images U.S.-flagged ships have been advised to stay “as far as possible” from Iranian waters when navigating the Strait of Hormuz as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated. In a notice issued […]
Read More
Trump wants the U.S. shipbuilding industry to be great again. Here’s what it will take, and what’s at stake
President Donald Trump has vowed to lead a revival in U.S. shipbuilding, but the success of this manufacturing renaissance in a key sector for national security will rely on the expertise from overseas. The administration’s goal of a shipbuilding boom is a part of Trump’s “Make America Great” policy agenda. Trump signed an executive order […]
Read More
‘This is a structural goods recession’: U.S. freight market is starting to roll over as Chinese trade plummets
The impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs continues to rip through the logistics and transportation sectors, with major ports experiencing a steep drop in imports after records were set earlier this year, and volumes throughout the supply chain rolling over. For the first time in 2025, rates for van, flatbed, and refrigerated loads in October […]
Read More
September, typical boom month for shipping, looks more like freight recession this year
Lorado | E+ | Getty Images September, a key month for shipping ahead of the holiday season, is usually a boom one inside the freight business and supply chain, with products moving from warehouses to stores or consumers. Not this year. The latest Logistics Managers’ Index, which tracks inventory levels, warehouse costs, transportation capacity, and […]
Read More
Many insurance underwriters won’t offer Middle East coverage to U.S., Israel, U.K.-linked vessels at any price
The conflict in the Middle East has led many insurance underwriters in the maritime shipping market to avoid offering coverage in the region to any U.S., Israel, or U.K.-linked vessels. “Many underwriters are not touching vessels with perceived U.S., U.K. or Israeli links at any price,” said David Osler, insurance editor for Lloyd’s List. According […]
Read More
Trump’s ‘done’ deal with China: Trade damage will remain, logistics firms and retailers say
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images President Donald Trump declared the trade war with China “done” Wednesday, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs on Chinese goods will be locked in at the current 55% […]
Read More
Cargo thieves are attacking the U.S. supply chain at alarming rates
America’s supply chain is under attack. From coast to coast, organized criminal groups are hitting trucks on the road, breaking into warehouses and pilfering expensive items from train cars, according to industry experts and law enforcement officials CNBC interviewed during a six-month investigation. It’s all part of a record surge in cargo theft in which […]
Read More
Why the Panama Canal is a big, long-term prize in Trump’s global trade war
The Panama Canal has spent the past few years battling extreme weather, with the El Niño phenomenon and severe drought leading to a water-level crisis. Now, it’s President Trump’s trade war that is threatening the global trade gateway. A critical passage for U.S. East Coast bound ocean freight container traffic, the Panama Canal is facing […]
Read More