The shipping industry is waiting for a signal from the Houthis before returning to the Red Sea, container spot rates are falling across the board and Australian coal exports to China were up 32% on 2023

There are still no signs carriers will return en masse to the Red Sea. But once the crisis ends, they face a market flooded with capacity and freight rates that will sink below break-even levels, analysts warn

Your latest edition of Lloyd’s List’s Daily View — the essential briefing on the stories shaping shipping

Houthi-operated Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center says changes apply from January 19, following Gaza ceasefire

The segments of the shipping industry that were either forced to reroute or freely chose to are not relying on naval escorts or diplomatic negotiations to decide on whether they will return, but are waiting for a signal from the Houthis themselves

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and be unsurprised by anything in between

Your latest edition of Lloyd’s List’s Daily View — the essential briefing on the stories shaping shipping

A ceasefire deal in Gaza has not altered the current threat assessment for shipping in the Red Sea and shipping lines will not be prepared to disrupt global supply chains by re-routing until there is hard evidence the Houthi threat has diminished