Two tankers carrying Saudi oil struck in Hormuz

Five minutes to understand what matters in global trade.

• Chile says US tariff talks remain open after recent meetings ended without an agreement.
• Oman disputes Iran’s account of Hormuz talks; the proposed shipping corridor remains largely unrealized.
• Asia-Europe freighter capacity is rising despite a steep decline in Chinese e-commerce traffic.

Today’s Headlines

• Maersk adds calls at the new APM Terminals Suape terminal
• APM Lázaro Cárdenas volume rises 35% to 684,599 TEU
• ShipStation bundles LTL booking into its parcel platform
• EU boards Cameroon tanker over suspected false flag
• Oman challenges Iran’s account of Hormuz negotiations
• Lomar bulker cuts fuel use 25% with hybrid hydrogen system
• Reefer genset disputes hinge on drayage documentation
• Chile keeps US tariff negotiations open
• US transport pricing index reaches 90 as capacity contracts
• Global bunker prices ease during August
• Heidmar returns to profit as European suezmax rates rise
• Iran-Oman shipping corridor remains mostly on paper
• North American air cargo demand rises 4.8%
• Asia-Europe freighter capacity rises 18% despite demand slump

Today’s Analysis

⚓ APM Terminals expands Brazilian calls and Mexican throughput, increasing gateway capacity

Why it matters: Additional Northeast Brazil calls and higher Mexican terminal volumes give importers and exporters more routing options through regional gateways.

• Maersk will use Aliança services to call at the new APM Terminals Suape terminal.
• The calls will strengthen Maersk’s presence in Northeast Brazil.
• APM Terminals Lázaro Cárdenas handled 684,599 TEU in the first half.
• Lázaro Cárdenas throughput increased 35% year on year.
• APM Terminals Yucatán handled 41,442 TEU during the same period.

📦 ShipStation integrates LTL booking as reefer claims expose documentation risk

Why it matters: Smaller shippers gain access to pallet freight within a parcel platform, while refrigerated cargo claims still depend on operational records.

• ShipStation added less-than-truckload selection and coordination to its parcel shipping platform.
• The platform offers pre-negotiated LTL rates.
• The service targets small and midsize merchants whose freight has outgrown parcel shipping.
• A failed reefer genset does not automatically make the drayage carrier liable.
• Each reefer container transported by truck carries an independent diesel engine.
• Documentation is required to establish responsibility for a genset failure.

🛂 EU tanker boarding and Chile-US tariff talks keep compliance uncertainty elevated

Why it matters: Flag verification and unresolved tariff negotiations can affect vessel clearance, counterparty screening and landed costs.

• An EU naval mission boarded a sanctioned tanker suspected of sailing under a false flag.
• The tanker was legitimately registered in Cameroon.
• Chile’s Subsecretariat of International Economic Relations said tariff negotiations with the United States remain open.
• Chile said meetings held during the week did not close the negotiations.

🚚 US capacity keeps contracting as freight and fuel indicators diverge

Why it matters: Tight US trucking capacity and rising tanker rates can offset August’s decline in bunker prices across multimodal freight budgets.

• The Logistics Managers’ Index recorded a transportation capacity reading of 40 in August.
• The contraction rate was 11.6 percentage points slower than in July.
• The transportation pricing index reached 90 after increasing 3.1 points.
• Transportation utilization rose 5.6 points to 70.6.
• The MABUX 380 HSFO Index declined USD 10.50 to USD 620.61/MT during August.
• The VLSFO Index fell USD 14.60 to USD 772.85/MT.
• The MGO LS Index decreased USD 4.89 to USD 1,342.54/MT.
• Heidmar returned to profit as European suezmax tanker rates increased.
• Heidmar said freight costs could rise further during the remainder of 2026.

✈️ Asia-Europe freighter supply rises while North American demand outpaces capacity

Why it matters: Added Asia-Europe aircraft supply may improve space availability, while North American capacity contraction can keep specialized shipments constrained.

• Rotate data showed Asia-Pacific-to-Europe dedicated freighter capacity was 18% higher in the week of 17–23 August than in 22–28 June.
• The comparison period ended before new EU low-value import rules took effect on 1 July.
• Chinese e-commerce traffic into Europe declined steeply after the rules changed.
• North American airline cargo demand increased 4.8%.
• North American airline cargo capacity decreased 1.5%.

🧭 Oman disputes Iran’s Hormuz claims as the proposed corridor remains unrealized

Why it matters: The absence of an agreed shipping corridor leaves carriers without a dependable alternative framework for Strait of Hormuz transits.

• Oman challenged Iran’s account of bilateral negotiations concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
• Container News reported that the proposed Iranian-Omani corridor exists mostly on paper.
• Traffic through the strait had fallen to a handful of vessels per day.
• Sanctions continued to pressure Tehran.

🌱 Lomar tests hybrid hydrogen technology and cuts bulker fuel use by 25%

Why it matters: A measured fuel reduction indicates that hybrid hydrogen systems could lower voyage consumption without waiting for fully hydrogen-powered ships.

• A Lomar bulker reduced fuel use by a quarter with a new hybrid hydrogen system.
• The shipowner completed the first voyage testing the technology.
• Newlight was identified as Lomar’s US technology partner.

Sources

1. Maersk adds calls at the new APM Terminals Suape terminal
2. APM Lázaro Cárdenas handles 684,599 TEU and grows 35%
3. ShipStation first to bundle LTL into parcel shipping platform
4. EU boards legitimately registered Cameroon tanker in shadow fleet inspection
5. Oman addresses Iranian claims over the Strait of Hormuz
6. Lomar bulker cuts fuel use by a quarter with hybrid hydrogen system
7. Failed reefer genset liability depends on documentation
8. Chile continues tariff negotiations with the United States
9. Transportation capacity contraction slows in August
10. Global bunker prices ease in August despite Middle East volatility
11. Heidmar returns to profit as European suezmax tanker rates soar
12. Pressure, paralysis and a corridor still on paper
13. Larger specialized shipments drive freighter demand
14. Asia-Europe air freighter capacity increases despite e-commerce slump