Charter market firms as some carriers appear to abandon near-term Red Sea return

• Boxship chartering has picked up as fading expectations of a return to Red Sea and Suez Canal transits push carriers to lock-in tonnage
• With security risks remaining, most liner operators are committed to longer routeings around the Cape of Good Hope, extending voyage durations and tightening effective capacity
• Shipbrokers report a noticeable increase in new fixtures and charter extensions, with activity concentrated in the smaller vessel segments