Global liner shipping expert Lars Jensen joins Mike King on the Freight Buyers Club to break down new US port fees, tougher IMO rules and the 2026 container shipping outlook.
They discuss:
• How carriers are reshuffling fleets in response to US port fees
• The impact of IMO carbon charging and green fuels
• Transpacific, Asia–Europe, Africa & Australasia trade trends
• What happens if the Suez Canal fully reopens
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group [https://dimerco.com/]
#FreightBuyersClub #LarsJensen #ContainerShipping #ShippingForecast #LogisticsPodcast #DimercoExpressGroup
Chapters
00:00:00 Cold Open – US Port Fees, IMO Rules, Suez & 2026 Outlook (Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group – https://www.dimerco.com/)
00:01:00 Intro, Credits & Guest – Lars Jensen joins Freight Buyers Club (+ events & sponsor)
00:02:20 US Port Fees Explained – Who pays, when it starts, and how carriers are reshuffling fleets
00:05:00 USTR Uncertainty – COSCO/OOCL tactics, China–Mexico shifts, and Seaspan reflagging
00:06:20 Competitive Impact – Can carriers pass costs on? COSCO $1.5bn hit and surcharge reality
00:09:00 Transpacific Snapshot – Demand, inventories & spot rates
00:15:00 Beyond Transpacific – Africa/South America/Europe growth; “cargo finds a way”
00:18:00 Asia–Europe Rates – Not ‘free fall’: normalization, capacity via Cape, GRIs & CNY timing
00:23:00 IMO MEPC Carbon Charging – Why the October vote matters for green fuels & ship orders
00:27:00 2026 Playbook – Recession risk, schedule reliability ~65%, Suez reopening scenario to 2027