Carriers still chase 'healthy deals' for open tonnage despite smaller idle fleet
Excluding ships caught up in the fracas in the Persian Gulf, the container shipping sector’s ...
In this episode of The Loadstar Podcast, Charlotte Goldstone is joined by Container Trade Statistics (CTS) CEO Nigel Pusey and The Loadstar managing editor Gavin van Marle to unpack one of the most turbulent starts to a year the container shipping industry has ever seen.
From the fallout of the US Supreme Court ruling against President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs to the escalating Middle East conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the trio explores how geopolitics, reroutings, fuel costs and shifting sourcing strategies are reshaping global trade flows in real time.Using CTS Q1 2026 data, they discuss:
- Why global container volumes still rose 4.4% despite massive disruption
- The dramatic collapse in Middle East exports following the Hormuz closure
- How ports like Jeddah, Khor Fakkan and Salalah are emerging as critical bypass hubs
- The continuing boom in Asia-Europe and secondary trades like sub-Saharan Africa
- Why European exports continue to struggle
- Whether US sourcing diversification away from China is now permanent
- How peak season patterns are changing amid ongoing supply chain instability
Plus, Nigel and Gavin revisit the predictions they made earlier this year, share what surprised them most in the numbers, and look ahead to what Q2 could bring — including whether the Red Sea return is officially off the table.
Listen now for a data-rich deep dive into the volatility redefining global shipping in 2026.
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