Shipping

Maersk first-quarter profit beats forecasts, keeps outlook unchanged

The shipping group still projects global container volume growth of between 2%-4% this year

The passage has remained largely empty of commercial vessels on Tuesday, traffic dropped off dramatically since the US and Israeli war against Iran began on Feb 28.

US unveiled plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz hours before Trump shelved it

The US president’s under increasing pressure to end a war that’s grown increasingly unpopular

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.

US says Iran ceasefire still in place after clashes over Hormuz

At least two merchant vessels transited the waterway with US assistance

An anti-US mural in a street in Teheran. A handful of commercial vessels were reported to have been hit in Hormuz on May 4.

South Korea to probe ship fire in Strait of Hormuz, Trump blames Iranian attack

Trump calls on South Korea to join US operation to open Hormuz to shipping

Trump’s attempt to use the US Navy to free up shipping in Hormuz provoked the war’s biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago.

US and Iran launch new attacks as they wrestle for control of Hormuz strait

Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires; UAE oil port ablaze after Iranian strike

Global spot pricing eased marginally on average, reflecting softer conditions on Asia–Europe corridors.

Baltic Exchange Shipping Insights

A roundup of the week’s tanker and dry bulk market (May 1, 2026)

In its claim, Mercuria argues that the Baltic Exchange should have either suspended the TD3C benchmark or used economically comparable routes that are still operating to determine it.

SGX-owned Baltic Exchange sued over alleged losses due to oil tanker pricing

Mercuria Energy Group is suing SGX-owned Baltic Exchange over alleged losses due to distortions in a shipping benchmark

Teheran is proactively reducing crude output in a move to stay ahead of capacity limits amid the US blockade around Hormuz.

Iran juggles oil cuts and storage strain to resist US blockade around Hormuz

Teheran is drawing on a time-tested playbook to prolong the standoff and raise costs for Washington

MSC says the offering is in response to growing demand amid the "challenging scenario in the Middle East".

World’s largest container carrier plans route avoiding blockaded Hormuz

[LONDON] The world’s largest container carrier plans a new service linking Europe with isolated Middle East ports, using trucking across Saudi Arabia and smaller vessels in the Persian Gulf instead of...

Trump has in private meetings raised the prospect of a prolonged naval blockade of Iran, possibly for months or more.
NEWS ANALYSIS

US-Iran standoff could leave Trump worse off than before he went to war

The war has failed to achieve many of Trump’s stated goals