Did You Know That…

…Up to 140 containerships at risk in Gulf as indiscriminate attacks spread.

·The escalating conflict in the Middle East Gulf has resulted in attacks on three containerships in recent days

·Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows 56 containerships from the top 10 global carriers currently stuck in the region, with analysts estimating the total number of trapped vessels across all operators close to 140 ships

·Leading boxship tonnage providers, including Global Ship Lease, Danaos and Seaspan all have vessels trapped.

With attacks spreading across vessel types and no safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, carriers face mounting operational, financial and safety challenges.

 

…Maersk halts return of empty containers to parts of the Middle East. With a few exceptions, A.P. Moeller-Maersk is now suspending the return of empty containers to the Middle East.

 

…Here’s a brief report from our friend Steven Yuan of FS International China: Demand on the Europe trade lane is showing gradual recovery, consistent with typical seasonal patterns. Small to medium-sized manufacturers have only recently resumed full-scale operations, limiting the potential for a sharp short-term increase in export volumes. Current volume growth is primarily driven by specific commodities—notably photovoltaic modules and marble—as shippers accelerate shipments ahead of the upcoming VAT rebate adjustment scheduled for early April.

…The damage to the world economy from the Iran war will be severe, but uneven. It has already caused the biggest energy supply shock in history. Big oil shocks, a generation of economists has been taught, are a relic of the distant past, when energy production was concentrated in the Middle East and the world economy was not so energy-efficient. Over the past two weeks, however, the old way of thinking has returned from the scrapheap. A big enough shock in the Gulf, it turns out, can still initiate a profound crisis. And the shock emanating now from the Strait of Hormuz is huge. Iranian missiles have trapped about 15% of global oil supplies on the far side of the strait. That is roughly twice the disruption the world suffered in the 1970s, offsetting the fact that the energy-intensity of the world economy has fallen by half since then.

…India- and Pakistan-owned ships transit Strait of Hormuz

·Iranian-linked tonnage still dominates Hormuz transits 

·Attacks on shipping are succeeding in halting crossings 

·Eastbound transits prevail westbound journeys 

·US ‘fine’ with Iranian tankers sailing through Hormuz to ‘supply’ the rest of the world.

While Iranian-linked tonnage still dominates Strait of Hormuz transits, there is evidence that other nations are growing in confidence their vessels will be safe from attack if they enter the chokepoint.

…Iran establishes ‘safe’ shipping corridor for approved and paid for transits

·Several governments — including India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia and China — are in direct talks with Tehran, coordinating vessel transits via an emerging IRGC-run registration and vetting system

·At least nine ships have already used the corridor, routed close to Iran’s Larak Island for visual checks by IRGC Navy and port authorities

·A more formalised approval process is expected soon, requiring extensive disclosure of vessel ownership and cargo destination, often via Iran-linked intermediaries abroad

·Security experts warn Iranian approval does not guarantee safety, noting IRGC factions could still delay or seize vessels despite clearance.

Iran has created a de facto ‘safe’ shipping corridor through its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, offering vetted vessels passage in exchange for approval — and in at least one case, a reported $2m payment.

…MSC signs 45-year concession in Nigeria. The terminal at Snake Island port will accommodate deepsea vessels as well as barges. President Diego Aponte said the deal reaffirms MSC’s commitment in the region and will elevate Snake Island Port to a ‘major global shipping centre’.

…Altman, Amodei and Musk fight dirty for the biggest prize in business. Never before has so much money been sought from investors in a single year. IF There has been a common narrative around artificial intelligence this year, it is that advances in the technology are shaking up the vast—and hitherto cosy—world of software. In order to keep this blitzkrieg going, the labs at the forefront of AI need to raise enormous amounts of money. That has set the stage for three colossal initial public offerings (IPOs) in a single year: those of OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, Anthropic, under Dario Amodei, and SpaceX, run by Elon Musk, which has merged with xAI, his model-maker. Adding to the frisson, the trio hate each other. All three are aiming for the stratosphere. OpenAI, which was recently valued at $840bn, is said to be looking for a price tag of $1trn, or 40 times its current annualised revenue. Anthropic, last valued at $380bn, a multiple of around 20 times its annualised sales, will probably be priced at upwards of $500bn. Most ambitious of all is SpaceX, which was valued at $1.25trn when it merged with xAI and is reportedly seeking to list at $1.5trn. That would put it squarely among the world’s ten most-valuable listed firms—and could even make Mr Musk history’s first trillionaire.

 

…EU's von der Leyen to visit Australia for likely trade deal conclusion. European ​Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Australia ‌to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese next week, when the two sides are likely to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement. Both sides have ​signalled progress after previous talks between Australia and the ​EU collapsed in 2023, mainly over the size of ⁠meat import quotas into the European Union.

…The EU Certificates Exchange System (CERTEX) is being rolled out across Member States to automate the verification of licenses and certificates against customs declarations. Key 2025/2026 updates include the replacement of previous verification systems (like ALVS in Northern Ireland) with live, automated checks for ozone-depleting substances, organic goods, and health documents. 

…Great news! Our board member Jordex Group Netherlands has entered into a partnership with the Delft Solar Team, and they are quite proud of it. Jordex will support the team as their dedicated logistics partner. For those who are not yet familiar with the Delft Solar Team: it is a highly driven student team from TU Delft that builds a world-class solar car every year—this year, the Nuna 13S. It’s packed with innovation, smart engineering, and of course… solar energy. Wherever they race in the world, their goal is always to win. This year, the journey takes them to the United States, where they will compete for victory this summer. For the first time ever, Nuna will race in the Electrek American Solar Challenge—an event no Dutch or European solar team has attempted before. It’s a major undertaking, involving many parts, people, and tight deadlines.

…Men dream about money twice as often as women..

 

…As the month of Ramadan comes to a close, we would like to wish all our EAA Network Muslim family celebrating around the world a very happy Eid al-Fitr. May this festive occasion bring peace, prosperity, and continued success to our global community. Eid Mubarak!

 

Wishing you all a very good rest of the week !

 

…This DYKT news bulletin will be published on the website as well, go to www.eaanetwork.com.