Welcome to this week's edition of Container Bytes! Judah Levine, Head of Research at Freightos, is hosting solo again this week while Julia continues her vacation.

In this episode, we unpack why ocean carriers—including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Cosco, and MSC—are taking steps to resume Red Sea transits despite the collapse of the US-Iran memorandum and ongoing Houthi threats. Driven by surging bunker fuel prices, the extended trip around Africa's Cape of Good Hope has grown significantly more expensive. Combined with chronic port congestion that is tying up global fleet capacity, carriers are re-evaluating the economics of shorter Red Sea transits.

We also examine the broader container market where port congestion in North Europe and Asia has shifted from a seasonal issue to a baseline operational constraint. While Asia-Europe rates have cooled about 20% from their July highs to $5,000/FEU, Transpacific West Coast rates surged back to $7,400/FEU, and East Coast prices remain elevated above $9,000/FEU.

Finally, we track upcoming cost factors hitting importers in September: emergency bunker surcharges, Panama Canal draft reductions ahead of projected El Niño droughts, and air cargo rate fluctuations following recent typhoons.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Solo Session: Judah hosting while Julia remains on vacation. 
• 00:00:10 — Strait of Hormuz Status Quo: MOU expiration resets regional baselines. 
• 00:00:46 — Red Sea Routing Economics: High bunker costs drive carriers back to Suez. 
• 00:02:19 — Chronic Port Congestion: How gridlock became the baseline in Europe and Asia. 
• 00:04:07 — Asia-Europe Rate Cooling: Spot prices drop 20% from July peaks. 
• 00:05:21 — Transpacific Resilience: West Coast rebounds to $7,400 as demand holds. 
• 00:06:16 — Surcharge Wave: BAF increases and Panama Canal restrictions set for September. 
• 00:08:26 — Air Cargo Shifts: Typhoon disruptions and post-de minimis capacity movements.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome to this week's edition of Container Bytes! I'm Judah Levine, Head of Research, hosting solo this week as Julia takes a well-deserved vacation. 📍

In this episode, we unpack why the anticipated Oman-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has fallen apart. New demands from Iran—including reparations, transit fees, and vessel bans—have pushed hopes of an imminent resolution back, returning regional maritime transport to a strict wartime status quo. However, in a surprising counter-trend, ocean carriers including Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, Cosco, and CMA CGM are reinstating select Red Sea transits despite localized Houthi threats against Saudi-linked trade.

We also break down the divergence across global ocean freight routes. While Asia-Europe spot rates have fallen about 15% ($1,000/FEU) from their early summer peaks due to easing demand, Transpacific rates have stubbornly rebounded. West Coast rates surged back to $7,400/FEU, and East Coast prices climbed to $9,400/FEU.

Finally, we analyze why the National Retail Federation (NRF) just revised its forecast: instead of an early end to peak season, US importers are sustaining strong demand through August and September thanks to resilient consumer spending and a smooth transition from Section 122 to Section 301 tariffs.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Solo Session: Judah hosting while Julia is on vacation. 
• 00:00:13 — Oman Deal Collapse: Iranian demands push back Hormuz reopening hopes. 
• 00:01:43 — The Red Sea Pivot: Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and Cosco step back into the Red Sea. 
• 00:03:02 — Rate Floor Reality: Energy prices hold steady while spot rates diverge. 
• 00:03:36 — Asia-Europe Cool Down: Rates drop 15% amid blank sailings and Rhine River droughts. 
• 00:05:26 — The Transpacific Rebound: West Coast jumps back to $7,400 as demand holds. 
• 00:07:19 — NRF Revision: Why US peak season is lasting longer than expected. 
• 00:08:44 — Air Cargo Adjustment: Jet fuel surcharges push China-North America to $6/kg.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 We hope you didn't miss us too much during our one-week hiatus—we are back in action.

In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine examine a potential new diplomatic development: a proposed bilateral agreement between Iran and Oman aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Under this proposal, vessels would coordinate entry through the northern Iranian channel and exit via the southern Omani channel, without transiting tolls for 60 days. We analyze what this means for ocean carriers, why long-haul container vessels will likely remain cautious until stability is guaranteed, and how recent energy market shifts have brought crude oil prices down while bunker fuel costs remain 50% above pre-war baselines.

We also dive into the ocean freight spot market, where major trade lanes are beginning to diverge. Asia-Europe and Mediterranean rates have dropped roughly 15% from their July peaks, with Asia-North Europe falling to $5,000/FEU. Conversely, Transpacific West Coast rates spiked by $1,000 to $7,000/FEU following August 1st GRIs, supported by low inventory levels and ongoing front-loading activity.

Finally, we look at the tariff landscape following the July 24th expiration of Section 122 tariffs, as the White House rolls out Section 301 forced-labor replacement tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% across 60 trading partners.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — We're Back: Returning from hiatus. 
• 00:00:25 — The Iran-Oman Framework: A new proposal to reopen Hormuz. 
• 00:02:12 — Carrier Caution: Why mega-ships are waiting out the diplomatic process. 
• 00:04:00 — Energy Market Shift: Crude prices drop as bunker fuel costs remain elevated. 
• 00:05:15 — Rate Divergence: Asia-Europe rates ease while Transpacific rebounds. 
• 00:07:36 — Tariff Transition: Section 122 expires as new Section 301 tariffs take effect. 
• 00:10:32 — Weather Gridlock: Consecutive typhoons maintain pressure on port capacity.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Just a reminder that we are taking a one-week hiatus next week (July 29th), but we will be right back the following week.

In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine tackle the newest dimension of maritime disruption: the Houthis have officially announced a transit closure through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeting Saudi-linked vessels and those calling at Saudi ports. This localized escalation strikes at the heart of Saudi Arabia's pipeline bypass strategy, forcing oil and regional cargo into longer, more expensive detours.

We also examine the ocean freight market, where spot rates are finally leveling off after months of aggressive increases. While crude, bunker, and jet fuel prices have rebounded by 12% to 25% over the past few weeks, the July 15th GRIs failed to materialize, indicating that the early peak season demand surge has passed its peak. However, severe port congestion in North Asia—exacerbated by a massive typhoon that left over 100 vessels waiting at Shanghai—is absorbing capacity and preventing a sharp collapse in rates.

Finally, we break down the expiration of the US Section 122 tariffs on July 24th, the upcoming Section 301 forced-labor replacement tariffs targeting 60 trading partners, and the early market adjustments following the EU’s July 1st de minimis elimination.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Housekeeping: Announcement of the July 29th hiatus. 
• 00:00:35 — The Houthi Red Sea Squeeze: Targeting Saudi-linked transits. 
• 00:02:22 — Energy Pipeline Disruptions: The impact on Saudi oil diversions. 
• 00:03:50 — Fuel Price Rebound vs. Rate Cooling: Why spot rates are leveling off. 
• 00:04:56 — The July 15th GRI Failure: Confirming the end of peak demand bookings. 
• 00:05:24 — North Asia Typhoon Congestion: Over 100 vessels queued at Shanghai. 
• 00:06:27 — Section 122 Expiration: What comes after July 24th. 
• 00:09:06 — EU De Minimis Fallout: Differential country rules and air cargo trends.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 We are hitting Episode #40, and the Strait of Hormuz has officially circled back to square one. The fragile June ceasefire has disintegrated into a high-stakes operational standoff. While the US asserts the waterway remains open via its southern channel, reality on the water tells a completely different story: drone attacks and naval skirmishes have effectively reduced commercial transits to a crawl.

In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine unpack the immediate logistics fallout. We dissect the sudden re-implementation of the US naval blockade alongside President Trump’s recent social media proposals regarding a 20% cargo fee and military guardianship of the channel. For regional container movements, this means an indefinite extension of land-bridge dependencies and alternative routing through the UAE, while global ocean carriers like Maersk and CMA CGM prepare for another Red Sea U-turn.

We also evaluate a significant divergence in the global spot market. Crude and bunker fuel prices have rebounded roughly 10% this week, reversing their June declines. However, the overarching story remains demand-driven. The National Retail Federation (NRF) just projected that July will mark a historic, record-breaking monthly influx of 2.47 million TEU—surpassing even the pandemic-era peaks. Yet, with NRF data pointing toward sharp 10% month-on-month drops for both August and September arrivals, we analyze whether the early peak season has officially reached its ceiling, and how a severe weekend typhoon in North Asia could keep spot prices elevated despite cooling demand.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Back to the Beginning: The collapse of the June ceasefire. 
• 00:01:15 — Social Media Policy: Deconstructing the proposed 20% cargo transit fee. 
• 00:02:15 — The Red Sea U-Turn: Why ocean alliances are rolling back Suez transit plans. 
• 00:03:30 — Fuel Rebound: Crude and bunker prices climb back to mid-June baselines. 
• 00:04:45 — The 2.47 Million TEU Milestone: Breaking down July's historic arrival numbers. 
• 00:06:00 — The Peak Season Ceiling: Analyzing the NRF’s 10% August volume drop forecast. 
• 00:07:15 — The Supply-Side Constraint: How North Asian typhoons are preserving the rate floor.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 It’s July, and the Strait of Hormuz is locked in a dangerous pattern of starts, stops, and serious military escalations. Yet, the energy market is throwing a complete curveball: crude oil prices have unexpectedly plummeted back to pre-war baselines. Instead of the catastrophic energy shortages predicted months ago, the industry is suddenly bracing for a global oil oversupply.

In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine unpack this paradox. While crude supply has recovered due to strategic reserves and alternative land pipelines, refined transportation fuels like bunker and jet fuel remain stubbornly high and slow to clear.

We also break down the state of play in the Ocean Container Market. We are officially in the thick of peak season, with Transpacific rates soaring to $6,700/FEU to the West Coast and $8,700/FEU to the East Coast. Carriers have injected record-breaking capacity to chase these margins, but a massive wall of congestion—triggered by severe weather, dense fog, and unprecedented demand—is gridlocking major Asian hubs like Shanghai, Ningbo, and Singapore.

Finally, we track the immediate fallout of the July 1st EU De Minimis Abolition. The duty-free loophole is officially closed, and the air cargo market is already registering a sharp, immediate contraction in e-commerce charter capacity.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Escalation and the Surprising Rebound: The oil oversupply reality. 
• 00:01:45 — The Refined Fuel Lag: Why bunker and jet fuel are lagging behind crude. 
• 00:02:30 — Peak Season Reality Check: Breaking down the $8,700 East Coast milestone. 
• 00:03:30 — Structural Front-Loading: De-linking the US tariff rush from Asia-Europe volumes. 
• 00:04:45 — Far East Port Gridlock: How Shanghai fog and Singapore delays are locking up ships. 
• 00:06:00 — Air Cargo Shockwave: The July 1st EU de minimis cliff cuts air capacity.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, joined as always by our resident freight expert, Judah Levine. 📍 It’s July 1st, and while it feels a bit like a broken record to talk about the Strait of Hormuz, the dynamics on the water have shifted completely. We are no longer looking at a standard blockade—we are witnessing a raw power struggle over who runs the waterway.

In this episode, we break down why Iran is using the current memorandum of understanding to enforce permanent sovereignty over the passage. They are ordering all ships to detour exclusively through their northern coastal lane. Meanwhile, a high-stakes UN evacuation effort by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) along the southern coast of Oman has been abruptly paused after an Evergreen container vessel was targeted by gunfire. This has left carriers stranded back in "stop-and-start" limbo, relying heavily on land-bridge bypasses through the UAE.

We also dive into the massive July 1st BAF Reset. Bunker fuel prices actually dropped in June, but contract shippers are getting hammered anyway. Because contract Bunker Adjustment Factors (BAFs) are adjusted quarterly based on retrospective carrier costs, the peak wartime energy bills from Q2 are officially hitting invoices today. Combined with factory price increases and the looming July 24th Section 122 tariff expiration, this triple threat has triggered an intense front-loading wave that has doubled Transpacific West Coast rates to over $6,000/FEU.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Broken Record: The July 1st landscape and the Hormuz reality. 
• 00:01:00 — Sovereign Squeeze: Iran’s new northern transit lane rules. 
• 00:01:45 — The Evergreen Incident: Why the IMO just paused its Oman evacuation channel. 
• 00:02:45 — The Land-Bridge Default: Keeping UAE connections alive amid the chaos. 
• 00:03:30 — The Q3 BAF Trigger: Contract holders pay for Q2's war bills today. 
• 00:05:00 — Peak Front-Loading: Why the NRF says the peak hit in June. 
• 00:06:45 — The July 24th Tariff Wall: Scrambling ahead of Section 122's exit. 
• 00:07:30 — The July 1st GRI Wave: Will carriers make the new peak surcharges stick?

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, alongside our resident freight expert, Judah Levine. 📍 Let's get "Strait" to it. (Yes, it's a bad joke, but things are moving too fast to pass up a pun). Following the historic US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, the Strait of Hormuz is finally seeing a trickle of traffic. But behind the headlines, the reality is a logistical obstacle course.

In this episode, we expose the secret military hotline opened between the US and Iran to coordinate transits. The traditional middle channel is still a total no-go due to mines, forcing the IMO and Oman to set up a rigid, emergency transit mechanism along the coastline. Tankers are getting the priority check, while container carriers are playing it safe—running strictly feeder vessels into the Gulf to avoid losing their mega-ships to another lockdown.

We also break down why ocean spot rates have violently decoupled from reality. While crude prices and bunker fuel are tumbling (down 25% from March), container spot rates have exploded by a staggering $2,000 to $3,000 since the end of May. Shippers are caught in an absolute front-loading frenzy to beat the July contract BAF cliff, producer price hikes, and looming tariff changes. Transpacific rates have slammed into $6,000/FEU for the West Coast and $8,000/FEU for the East Coast.

Finally, we track the massive regulatory tectonic shift landing in July. As the EU officially kills its de minimis exemption, a massive loophole has emerged: The UK is keeping its de minimis until 2029. We explore why the British market is bracing for a tidal wave of diverted, cheap Chinese e-commerce packages turning the UK into Europe’s ultimate trade backdoor.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Strait to It: The US-Iran hotline and the new status quo. 
• 00:01:15 — The Coastline Reservation System: IMO and Oman take the wheel. 
• 00:02:00 — Feeder Ship Pivot: Why ocean alliances are refusing to risk long-haul mega-ships. 
• 00:03:00 — Fuel Deflation vs. Peak Inflation: Why dropping oil prices aren't saving your rates. 
• 00:04:15 — The June Spot Monster: Breaking down the $8,000 East Coast reality. 
• 00:05:30 — Overcapacity Masked: How front-loading broke the rules of supply and demand. 
• 00:06:45 — The UK Loophole: Turning Britain into an e-commerce smuggler's paradise.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 This week, Julia Frohwein is riding that post-birthday glow alongside our resident freight expert, Judah Levine, to break down a massive, chaotic turn of events. Headlines are screaming about a historic US-Iran interim peace agreement, but before you celebrate the "full reopening" of the Strait of Hormuz by this weekend, you need to read the fine print.

In this episode, we unpack why a signed memorandum of understanding won't magically fix your supply chain overnight. Between required 30-day implementations, a 60-day deadline for a final peace deal, and a waterway cluttered with suspected maritime mines, experts warn it will take weeks just to get transits back to half of normal capacity.

We also tackle the June Rate Monster. Spot rates didn't just climb; they exploded with the mid-month June 15th GRI wave. Transpacific rates to the West Coast surged an insane 25% in days, approaching $6,000/container—meaning rates have climbed a vertical $2,700 just since the end of May.

Finally, we hit the courtroom for the latest Section 122 plot twist. An appellate court just gave the government permission to keep collecting the 10% global tariff, leaving a massive question mark over whether importers will ever see those refunds.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Post-Birthday Glow & The Trump Peace Announcement. 
• 00:01:00 — The 60-Day Clock: Breaking down the interim peace agreement text. 
• 00:01:45 — Maritime Minefields: Why the narrow safe channels are causing a bottleneck. 
• 00:02:45 — The Gulf Logistics Reset: Maersk’s routing shift and land-bridge strain. 
• 00:03:30 — The Q3 BAF Hangover: Why big contract holders pay for the war next month anyway. 
• 00:05:00 — June 15th Explosion: Shifting the peak as West Coast rates hit $6,000. 
• 00:06:45 — Section 122 Court Twist: Appellate rulings and the vanishing refund dream.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.

Happy birthday to me! 🎂 I’m Julia Frohwein, celebrating my special day by powering through another intense session with our resident freight guru, Judah Levine. The headlines are full of escalating US-Iran and Iran-Israel naval fire, but the biggest shockwave this week isn't military—it's the massive early arrival of Ocean Peak Season. 📍

In this episode, we unpack why the National Retail Federation just ripped up their previous calendar, declaring that the 2026 volume peak is hitting right now in June, instead of July. Shippers are panicking and front-loading cargo to beat the July Section 122 tariff expiration and the heavy Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) contract hikes. The result? A massive $1,600 single-week surge that pushed Transpacific East Coast rates above $6,000/FEU and slammed Asia-Europe lines past last year's highest peaks.

We also look at the shifting tides of Air Cargo. It’s been a year since the US clamped down on de minimis exemptions, and while e-commerce air imports dropped 11% year-on-year, the skies have been completely rescued by tech. We look at the staggering 70% year-on-year explosion in AI hardware and high-tech air imports that is redefining global aviation logistics.

Chapters: 

• 00:00:00 — Birthday Wishes & The Middle East Firefight. 
• 00:01:30 — Peak Season Redrawn: Why the NRF is shifting the volume peak to June. 
• 00:02:45 — The Triple Threat: Tariffs, July BAF cliffs, and Far East producer price hikes. 
• 00:04:45 — Rate Spikes: Transpacific hits $6,000 while the Med breaches $5,500. 
• 00:06:00 — European Port Congestion: Shippers fleeing the Golden Week crunch. 
• 00:07:30 — The US De Minimis Post-Mortem: What the EU can expect from its flat-fee roll-out. 
• 00:09:00 — The AI Boom: The 70% high-tech surge reshaping air freight.

This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. 

For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered straight to your inbox, check out our weekly freight email. Want the freshest freight data on demand? Hit up terminal.freightos.com.