📌 Weekly Logistics Highlights (July 18–24, 2026)

Strait of Hormuz full blockade persisted; US-Iran tit-for-tat military strikes continued, lifting bunker fuel prices and triggering widespread carrier emergency surcharges. Houthi threats expanded to all vessels calling Saudi ports starting July 20; Maersk suspended new bookings to most Upper Gulf destinations after limited Suez trial operations failed to stabilise. Asia-Europe ocean spot rates peaked early week then flattened amid limited extra Cape capacity; blank sailings extended into August. Middle East air cargo maintained elevated sea-to-air diversion volumes, air rates held steady. US Section 122 temporary 10% tariffs expired July 24; importers completed last wave of pre-expiry cargo push. China NEV and cross-border e-commerce exports sustained strong growth; Busan transshipment volumes remained near record highs; South Asia garment export peak continued; global shippers accelerated inventory diversification away from single maritime routes.

China

Hong Kong, China

🔹 HK Green Shipping Fund Phase 10 Construction Progress Hits 57%, 9,300-ton Annual Carbon Cut Target On Track for Q4 (Jul 21)

All 61 awarded green projects advance steadily, covering 16 methanol vessel retrofits and 14 shore power upgrade works. Cumulative funding disbursement remains HK$6.1B across 124 green schemes; 46 global carriers renewed green cooperation agreements to deliver Hong Kong's 2030 carbon neutrality roadmap.

🔹 HKIA Weekly Cargo Rises to 610,000 Tons, Pharma Cool Chain Up 53% WoW (Jul 24)

Weekly airport throughput climbed 1.3% WoW, driven by SEA-North America semiconductor transshipment and biotech vaccine exports. Temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo jumped 53% week-on-week supported by expanded dedicated cold storage zones. Night freighter slot utilisation retained 95%; August forward bookings rose 32% amid peak season pre-stock demand.

Shenzhen, China

🔹 Yantian July Methanol Bunkering Target 10,800 Tons, APEC Green Shipping Corridor Steady Operation (Jul 22)

Yantian operates 26 weekly methanol bunkering vessel calls covering all Asia-Europe and 10 fixed Middle East liner services, on track to hit full July fuel supply target of 10,800 tons. The APEC cross-border green shipping corridor linking Yantian with LA/Long Beach runs at stable capacity. Q2 cumulative carbon reduction from green bunkering reached 14,600 tons; long-term fuel price locks valid through 2035.

🔹 Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce July Mid Volume Up 63% YoY, Middle East Overseas Warehouses Fully Occupied (Jul 23)

Mid-July cross-border e-commerce throughput grew 63% YoY, dominated by NEVs, consumer electronics and smart home appliances. Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait overseas warehouses stay fully occupied as exporters pre-position inventory to avoid Hormuz & Red Sea navigation risks. Shenzhen port container throughput maintained 33% YoY growth.

Guangzhou, China

🔹 Nansha Port July Mid-Late NEV Exports Reach 49,600 Units, 11 Weekly Middle East Ro-Ros Fully Loaded (Jul 21)

Nansha's 11 weekly Middle East ro-ro sailings to Jeddah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Doha operated at full capacity. June full-month NEV export volume hit record 86,700 units; automated vehicle loading systems held average vessel berth time at 4.8 hours. Middle East buyers accounted for 46% of all auto shipments.

🔹 Baiyun Airport Retains 2 Temporary Extra Middle East Freighters, General Air Cargo Rates Flat $3.5–4.5/kg (Jul 24)

China Southern Cargo and SF Airlines maintained two extra temporary all-cargo rotations to the Gulf to absorb sea diversion cargo, lifting weekly regional capacity 72% above pre-crisis levels. Electronic components, medical raw materials and finished pharmaceuticals made up 83% of tonnage. Standard cool chain pharma freight remained $6.0–8.0/kg without additional conflict surcharges.

Shanghai, China

🔹 COSCO Cape Route Booking Window Extended to June 2027, War Risk Surcharges Valid Until Late October (Jul 20)

COSCO's 14 Asia-Middle East Cape rerouted lines sustained 99.5% berth utilisation, forward bookings stretching into June 2027. Detour transit times stay 13–16 days longer than pre-conflict Suez routing; Jeddah and Salalah handle 68% of Gulf-bound feeder containers. Surcharge tariffs unchanged: $1,700–2,200 per 20GP, $3,200–4,200 per 40HC through late October 2026.

🔹 Yangshan AI Berth System Monthly Efficiency Up 52% MoM, Vessel Turnaround Stabilised at 17.2 Hours (Jul 23)

Yangshan Deep Water Port's AI intelligent berth platform ran continuously across all 42 container berths; terminal-wide efficiency rose 52% MoM, manual on-site intervention cut to 28%. Predictive equipment maintenance fully deployed; average vessel turnaround 27% faster than national domestic port average.

Tianjin, China

🔹 Tianjin Green Corridor Hits 70% Coverage, Q3 Plan Targets 73% Coverage by September (Jul 19)

Green shipping corridor throughput share hit the Q3 target of 70% ahead of schedule, with 160 weekly LNG/methanol eco-vessel calls. Total shore power hookups stand at 462; port authorities push forward expansion works to lift coverage to 73% by September.

🔹 Binhai Airport 13 Weekly Jeddah Freighters Absorb 62% Sea-to-Air Diversions; AI Export Clearance Lanes Widely Adopted (Jul 22)

Thirteen weekly B747 freighter rotations to Jeddah deliver stable weekly capacity of 3,500 tons with guaranteed 8-hour end-to-end transit. Auto spare parts, construction machinery and industrial electronics account for 65% of tonnage. AI smart clearance channels for heavy vehicle exports shortened customs lead time significantly for shipments bound for Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Qingdao, China

🔹 Qingdao Port Weekly Methanol/LNG Bunkering Kept at 41 Calls, Q2 Green Fuel Throughput 3.8x YoY (Jul 24)

Forty-one weekly green fuel bunkering stops for methanol and LNG vessels supplied over 5,100 tons of clean alternative fuels this week. May cumulative green vessel subsidies reached RMB 8.9 million; Q2 green fuel throughput surged 380% YoY, solidifying Qingdao's position as North China's core green fuel distribution hub.

🔹 Qingdao–Vietnam Direct Container Route Stable Rotations; Qingdao–Osaka Air Cargo Supports 42% MoM Seafood Export Growth (Jul 20)

MSC's new direct Qingdao-Haiphong/HCMC service eliminated Busan transshipment, cutting transit lead time by 5 days. Return leg dedicated reefer capacity supports Vietnamese aquatic and fruit exports. Qingdao–Osaka 11 weekly freighters sustained seafood export growth to Japan.

Vietnam

🔹 Haiphong Port Mid-Late July Throughput Hits 1.08M TEUs, Electronics Exports Up 49% YoY; Terminal Phase 2 Expansion Accelerated (Jul 23)

Mid-late July container throughput reached 1.08 million TEUs, maintaining 41% YoY growth on US/EU-bound electronics and apparel shipments. Average container dwell time holds at 1.5 days via 24/7 terminal shifts and streamlined customs clearance. Phase 2 terminal expansion construction speeded up to handle peak supply chain relocation cargo influx.

🔹 Busan Port Haiphong Logistics Center Construction Timeline Confirmed; $2B National Logistics Upgrade Remains 40% Complete (Jul 21)

Busan Port Group's 10,310 sqm logistics warehouse in Haiphong Deep C Industrial Zone breaks ground September 2026, targeted H1 2027 opening. Vietnam's USD 2 billion national logistics infrastructure project stays at 40% completion; Cai Mep & Tan Cang-Moc Bai ICD on track for Q4 2027 delivery.

South Korea

Busan, South Korea

🔹 Busan Weekly Transshipment Eases Slightly to 971,000 TEUs, Chip Express Lane Maintains Strong Demand (Jul 21)

Busan Port weekly transshipment volume dipped marginally from all-time high yet stayed near record levels, marking 19 consecutive weeks of robust volume expansion. Twenty-seven extra container gantry cranes and extended terminal shifts mitigated yard congestion. Dedicated semiconductor "Chip Express" throughput retained solid growth amid global autumn electronics inventory restocking cycles.

🔹 Busan AI Smart Port Upgrade Progress On Track; Unified Korea National Port Digital Platform Internal Trials Ongoing (Jul 24)

Microsoft-backed AI intelligent platform fully live across five core container terminals, slashing vessel anchorage waiting time by 30%. Real-time data sync with Incheon Port's smart logistics platform completed; nationwide unified port digital system internal trial continues ahead of Q1 2027 official launch.

Incheon, South Korea

🔹 Incheon Airport Middle East Air Cargo Sustains 58% WoW Growth, Pharma Cold Chain Warehouse Runs Full Capacity (Jul 23)

Eight full-load round-trip dedicated freighters drove Middle East-bound air cargo up 58% WoW; high-value electronics and pharmaceuticals make up 87% of total tonnage. Expanded 5,000 sqm cold chain warehouse operates at full capacity handling rerouted sea-to-air medical shipments from Asia to Gulf nations.

🔹 Incheon–Busan Cross-Port Digital Integration 99% Complete, Data Interoperability Testing Finalised (Jul 18)

Incheon Port smart logistics platform processed cumulative 35,000+ TEUs across 650 local logistics firms, cutting document processing duration by 72% and lifting supply chain visibility to 99.8%. Cross-port digital interconnection joint debugging finished 99%.

United States

🔹 Section 122 Temporary 10% Tariffs Expire July 24; Pre-Expiry Import Frontloading Concludes (Jul 24)

US Section 122 temporary supplementary tariffs expired July 24. Importers completed final rush of inbound shipments to benefit from existing tariff terms. Remaining permanent Section 301 25% duties remain enforceable. Second batch CAPE tariff refunds already distributed mid-July for 132,000+ importers claiming USD 166B duty relief.

🔹 LA Port Mid-Late July Throughput Hits 764,000 TEUs, Inland Trucking Rates Stabilise Post-Peak (Jul 23)

Port of Los Angeles mid-late July throughput hit 764,000 TEUs. Prime Day and back-to-school stocking momentum gradually faded. Automated yard equipment and extended gate hours kept truck turnaround under 50 minutes; rail yard inventory steady at 29,500 TEUs with fixed 3-day dwell time. China-origin cargo accounts for 31% of total port volumes; mandatory $120/TEU Low-Carbon Logistics Surcharge fully enforced across all West Coast terminals.

Bangladesh

🔹 Chittagong Port Operates at 160% Design Capacity, Summer Garment Export Peak Continues (Jul 21)

Chittagong deployed extra quay cranes and overtime shifts to handle summer garment export surge, average container dwell time maintained at 2.3 days. New Mooring Container Terminal global operator handover locked for December 2026, designed annual capacity of 2.5 million TEUs.

🔹 Dhaka–Chittagong 32 Daily Container Trains Cut Highway Congestion by 40%, Fixed 5-Hour Transit (Jul 24)

Bangladesh Railway's 32 daily dedicated container trains between Dhaka ICD and Chittagong Port each carry 60 TEUs on guaranteed 5-hour transit. Inland rail expansion reduced coastal highway freight congestion by 40%, lowering logistics costs for garment manufacturers amid peak export shipments.

Myanmar

🔹 Yangon Port Mid-Late July China Imports Up 64% MoM, Average Customs Clearance Held at 11 Hours (Jul 24)

Yangon Port's monthly import tonnage from China rose 64% month-on-month, led by daily consumer goods, construction raw materials and electronic spare parts. Simplified four-document verification and bilingual pre-declaration systems stabilised average customs clearance at 11 hours; cross-border trade recovery trend strengthened.

🔹 Yangon–Mawlamyine 10 Weekly Parcel Trains Prioritise Agricultural Exports; Mandalay–Yangon 12 Daily Night Freight Rotations (Jul 18)

Myanmar Railways ran 10 weekly special parcel trains on Yangon–Mawlamyine corridor with 300-ton load capacity, prioritising rice, pulses and construction materials to ease daytime road congestion. Twelve daily night freight rotations between Mandalay and Yangon keep agricultural products as priority cargo to stabilise domestic commodity supply chains.

Middle East: Red Sea & Strait of Hormuz (July 18–24, 2026)

🔹 Strait of Hormuz Full Blockade Remains In Force; 2,750 Vessels Still Stranded; Bunker Prices Surge (Jul 24)

Full strait closure maintained all week; daily commercial transits remained near zero vs pre-conflict 128 vessels per day. Continuous US-Iran cross-border military exchanges lifted global bunker fuel costs. Around 2,750 vessels (720 tankers & liners) stranded on Gulf western anchorages; all major carriers enforce mandatory Cape of Good Hope rerouting for all Gulf-bound cargo. Jebel Ali, Dammam vessel berthing delays sustained at 10–12 days; war-risk insurance premiums stay twice pre-conflict levels. Saudi Arabia continues diverting crude exports via cross-country pipelines to Yanbu Red Sea terminal.

🔹 Houthi Expands Threat Scope to All Vessels Calling Saudi Ports (Jul 20); Maersk Suspends New Upper Gulf Bookings (Jul 22)

Houthi issued new maritime warning targeting all vessels loading/discharging at Saudi ports, expanding previous blockade rules. Maersk halted new bookings to most Upper Gulf destinations after limited Suez trial sailings failed to deliver reliable transit. Most Asia-Europe liners retained Cape detour schedules. Carriers activated additional emergency surcharges effective August 1; Asia-Europe 40HC spot rates plateaued at $6,900–7,400 per unit after hitting 28-month highs.

🔹 Egypt–Saudi Land Bridge Weekly Cargo Hits 3,840 TEUs, Remains Primary High-Value Cargo Alternative (Jul 21)

Cross-border Egypt–Saudi overland logistics corridor weekly throughput climbed to 3,840 TEUs; refrigerated food and pharmaceuticals account for 48% of total tonnage via Damietta and Safaga gateways. Fixed 6-day transit drastically outperforms Cape routing's 40–45 day voyage; corridor on-time delivery rate held at 99.7%.

🔹 Middle East Regional Air Cargo Capacity Stays 58% Above Pre-Crisis, General Air Rates Flat $2.5–3.5/kg (Jul 24)

Regional intercontinental air freight supply stabilised at 58% above pre-conflict levels, supported by 55 incremental weekly intercontinental freighter rotations departing China and Europe to absorb sea-to-air diversion cargo. General cargo spot rates stayed $2.5–3.5/kg; high-value electronics and pharmaceutical priority freight retained pricing of $5.0–7.0/kg. Asia–Europe air freight rates fell 25% MoM, market balance expected mid-August 2026.

European Market Update

All June port strike backlogs fully cleared; no new industrial action announced this week. Combined dual Middle East chokepoint disruption + emergency war-risk surcharges kept ocean rates elevated. Carriers confirmed extended blank sailings into early August, cutting effective Asia-Europe ocean capacity by 21% for late July–August. Heatwave inland rail restrictions in Northern Europe eased slightly by July 22.

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