Tuesday, October 20, 2026
The news that moves freight
The Freight Brief Oct 14, 2026

What’s going on in freight — Wednesday 14 October 2026

The Gulf is the story: a container ship has been sunk at Hormuz, a Saudi-Houthi war is putting Red Sea risk back into Asia–Europe pricing, and Gemini is sending a new loop into an already full Khor Fakkan. Elsewhere, the Suez return is pulling ocean rates down, US trucking stays tight with diesel above $6, and Washington is reaching for import curbs on Spain and duties on solar from India, Indonesia and Laos.

War, chokepoints and disruption

  • The 2,824 TEU feeder GFS Pride was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 October and sank; all 21 crew got off, and sister ship GFS Giselle (4,350 TEU) was hit the next day. UKMTO logged 15 attacks between 6 and 14 October, and both ships ran loops from the bypass ports of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah. (The Loadstar, Al Jazeera) [01]
  • Houthi missiles hit Saudi Aramco’s headquarters and Riyadh’s main airport is shut until at least 17 October. Asia–Mediterranean spot rates rose 7% to $3,800 per 40ft container last week, the first sign that Red Sea risk is back in the price. (FreightWaves, The Filipino Times) [02]
  • Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd restart their Gemini Asia–Middle East loop (FM1/AGX) from Qingdao on 17 October, calling Khor Fakkan instead of Jebel Ali. Gulftainer’s weekly volume there has already jumped from about 8,000 to 65,000 teu, and Kuehne+Nagel expects the port to stay “under significant pressure”. (The Loadstar, The Loadstar) [03]
  • Tropical Storm Trudy had 65 mph winds on 14 October and is forecast to become a major hurricane by Friday. NHC gives Manzanillo a 67% chance of tropical-storm-force winds, days after Hurricane Simon closed both Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas. (NHC, Plano Informativo) [11]
  • From 15 October the Panama Canal offers 33 daily transit slots, up from 32, with the Neopanamax draft limit at 49 feet. That is still five fewer than the 38 a day it ran in May. (Hellenic Shipping News / ICIS, Container News) [18]

Rates and markets

  • Linerlytica says large ships will soon make more than 50 Suez transits a week and now calls the market outlook negative. Drewry has Asia–Europe rates down 13 weeks running, with Shanghai–Rotterdam at $3,337 per 40ft. (Linerlytica, DCN) [04]
  • The Baltic Air Freight Index (TAC Index) fell 2.1% over Golden Week but is still 24.3% above a year ago. China–Europe air is weak at $3.58/kg, down 9% on the year, per Freightos. (Air Cargo News, Freightos) [06]
  • DAT’s US dry van spot rate rose 3 cents to $3.12 a mile even as load posts fell 18%. EIA diesel averaged $6.179 a gallon on 12 October, $2.51 above a year ago. (AJOT, U.S. EIA) [08]

Tariffs, customs and policy

  • The FMC proposed a $200,000 fee per voyage on Spanish-flagged ships plus possible import limits on Spanish goods, including olive oil, ceramics, stone, cosmetics and confectionery, after Spain turned away US-flagged ships. The goods in scope were worth about $3.1 billion in 2025. (FMC, gCaptain) [05]
  • The US ITC cleared final anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar cells and modules from India, Indonesia and Laos on 14 October. Commerce issues the orders on 2 November; India’s rates are 123.04% anti-dumping and 126.09% anti-subsidy. (Now.Solar / Solar Power World, PV Tech) [12]
  • Since 14 October Mexico charges 0% instead of 10% on car-assembly kits for bonded-warehouse carmakers, for five years. Most finished cars from countries without a trade deal with Mexico, China included, pay 50%. (The Rio Times, El Financiero) [16]

Forwarders, carriers and deals

  • An extortion group called n0n has named 38 shipping and port organisations in 18 countries, including ONE, Santos Brasil, BNCT and TTI Algeciras, with a 19 October deadline. No company has confirmed a breach. (The Loadstar) [07]
  • Hapag-Lloyd has sweetened its $4.2 billion ZIM bid for Israel, offering 16 ships for a new Israeli carrier instead of 11, plus a new Asia route. Israel’s review restarts from scratch. (Container News, The Loadstar) [09]
  • DSV opens forwarder Q3 season on 21 October, a day before Kuehne+Nagel. J.P. Morgan has cut its Q3 forecast for DSV’s Road division to DKK 412m from DKK 715m. (Investing.com, The Loadstar) [10]
  • DHL Global Forwarding added six temperature-controlled air corridors from Europe and the US to Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul, mostly flown on DHL Express-branded freighters. (Air Cargo News) [17]

Software, AI and automation

  • Delta Cargo is now bookable directly inside CargoWise, which CargoWise says 23 of the 25 largest global forwarders use. The announcement does not mention allotments. (Air Cargo News) [13]
  • Waabi signed Texas carrier Warrior Logistics to move routine Dallas–Houston freight on its autonomous trucks, and Bot Auto put its autonomy hardware at about $50,000 per truck. (FreightWaves, FreightWaves) [14]
  • Startup Evos raised $9 million for AI agents that audit carrier invoices; at one brokerage managers accepted 97.3% of its audit decisions, but it gave no savings figure. Samsara made its AI agent builder generally available. (Supply Chain 24/7, FreightWaves) [15]

Coming up

  • 15 October: Panama Canal moves to 33 daily slots; FMC Spain notice due in the Federal Register, opening a 60-day comment window.
  • 16–17 October: Trudy forecast to reach major-hurricane strength near Mexico’s Pacific coast.
  • 17 October: Riyadh airport closure runs to at least this date; first Gemini FM1/AGX sailing leaves Qingdao.
  • 19 October: n0n extortion deadline for the 38 named maritime firms.
  • 21 October: DSV Q3 results.
  • 22 October: Kuehne+Nagel Q3 results.
  • 2 November: Commerce issues solar AD/CVD orders on India, Indonesia and Laos.
  • 16 November: Maersk Athabasca due at Khor Fakkan on the relaunched loop.
  • Mid-December: FMC comment window on the Spain proposal closes.