In this week’s Supply Chain Secrets podcast, hosts Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen unpack the latest developments shaping container shipping and global trade.

Lars calls in from Curaçao with an update on freight rates across the Pacific and how carriers’ blank sailings are reshaping capacity as Golden Week slows volumes. He dives into the USTR’s new restrictions on Chinese-owned vessels — and how China’s maritime legislation hints at potential retaliation against U.S. shipping interests.

The episode also explores:

• Why “booked vs. shipped” rates can tell two very different stories — and how indices like NYFI reveal what’s actually moving in the market
• How the IMO’s new charcoal transport regulations aim to prevent vessel fires
• The latest on Red Sea security after another Houthi attack on a Dutch multipurpose vessel, and the EU’s ongoing Operation Aspides response

Packed with context, clarity, and real-world insights, this episode breaks down how data, policy, and geopolitics continue to collide across the global supply chain.