Tuesday, October 20, 2026
The news that moves freight
The Freight Brief Oct 11, 2026

What’s going on in freight — Sunday 11 October 2026

The Gulf war is spreading to anchorages and airports: tankers were hit off Oman and in Hormuz, and Houthi missiles shut Riyadh’s airport. Elsewhere it’s a week of dates, with container rates going nowhere ahead of a 19 October Asia-Europe increase, a refund class action in the US trade court, and extra Panama Canal slots from Thursday.

War, chokepoints and disruption

  • Two outbound tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz on 10 and 11 October, and the Petro Dolphin came under drone attack at Oman’s Sohar anchorage with two of its 11 Indian crew missing. Iran called the US reply to its terms for reopening the strait “insufficient”. (gCaptain, The Hans India (IANS), The National) [01]
  • Riyadh’s King Khalid airport stayed closed on Sunday after its second strike in two days, and Dammam was also targeted. Jeddah logged 156 cancellations and 374 delays, so Saudi air freight now runs through Jeddah or waits. (Fox News, Khaleej Times) [03]
  • The 5,593 teu HMM Platinum caught fire off southern Madagascar with about 2,300 containers on board, bound from India to Santos. Salvors SMIT are working under Lloyd’s Open Form, and claims firm W.E. Cox says general average will likely be declared. (Splash247, W.E. Cox Claims Group) [05]
  • From Thursday 15 October the Panama Canal offers 33 daily transit slots, with a tenth Neopanamax slot. The canal says a water deficit persists, and Strait of Magellan traffic rose more than 70% year on year in August and September. (Panama Canal Authority, gCaptain (Bloomberg)) [07]
  • After Hurricane Isaias, the Coast Guard said Gulfport, Mobile and Pascagoula were “back up and running in normal mode”. Destin, Panama City and Pensacola stayed restricted. (The Maritime Executive) [11]
  • On 9 October the Dutch government proposed a law to detain false-flag ships in its exclusive economic zone. Russia’s embassy threatened counteractions. (gCaptain/Bloomberg) [13]

Rates and markets

  • Drewry’s Shanghai–Rotterdam rate fell 2% to $3,337 per 40ft on 8 October. Hapag-Lloyd’s North Europe FAK of $4,200 from 19 October is about 26% higher, and Drewry calls the faster-than-expected return to Suez the biggest threat to carriers’ efforts to support rates. (Daily Cargo News, Container News) [04]
  • EIA put US diesel at $6.199 a gallon on 5 October, $2.488 above a year ago, and the Logistics Managers’ Index scored transport capacity at 34.4. On 11 October Senator Thom Tillis said Trump’s Russian diesel deal may break the law. (EIA, Logistics Managers’ Index, gCaptain/Reuters) [06]

Tariffs, customs and policy

  • The Court of International Trade has certified a class of importers who paid IEEPA tariffs between 1 February 2025 and 19 February 2026. The court estimates about $30bn would otherwise stay with the government, but no payment has been ordered yet. (Supply Chain Dive) [02]
  • At a rally on 10 October, Trump said the US would make a new trade deal with Mexico and did not need Canada. He gave no date or terms, and Canada still faces threatened 50% tariffs on autos, parts and steel from 1 January 2027. (The Rio Times, BTS) [08]
  • EU–China trade talks in Beijing closed on 9 October. Maroš Šefčovič says China will halve hybrid exports to Europe, and China’s pause on its expanded rare-earth export controls ends on 10 November. (CnEVPost, European Commission) [10]

Software, AI and automation

  • FMCSA gave driverless trucks a five-year exemption, running to 7 October 2031, to use cab-mounted beacons instead of warning triangles. Kodiak has opened a 435-mile Dallas–Laredo lane. (FreightWaves, FreightWaves) [09]
  • Freightmate and its founders admitted using some of about 2,000 Flexport shipping documents, settling Flexport’s trade-secrets suit before a 19 October trial. A forensic examiner reports by 30 January 2027. (The Loadstar) [12]

Coming up

  • Mon 12 Oct: Maersk’s UK and Ireland land-transport fuel surcharge rises to 20%. [01]
  • Tue 13 Oct: The Court of International Trade holds a closed conference on the IEEPA refund class. [02]
  • Wed 14 Oct: Next EIA diesel price release. [06]
  • Thu 15 Oct: Panama Canal moves to 33 daily slots. J.B. Hunt reports Q3 results. [07] [06]
  • Mon 19 Oct: Hapag-Lloyd’s Far East–Europe FAK rates take effect. [04]
  • Thu 22 Oct: Deadline for scheduling proposals in the IEEPA class action. [02]
  • Tue 10 Nov: China’s pause on its expanded rare-earth export controls is due to end. [10]
  • Thu 10 Dec: The FAA’s Saudi airspace warning is due to expire. [03]
  • Fri 1 Jan 2027: Threatened 50% US tariffs on Canadian autos, parts and steel. [08]
  • Tue 12 Jan 2027: The USTR comment window for the USMCA joint review closes. [08]