We bring you highlights from Lloyd’s List’s weekly briefing on the Middle East conflict, including analysis on how the crisis is affecting the container market and the shadow fleet 

New series of 2,800 teu containerships are due for delivery during 2028 and priced at $55m each

On one hand, US importers are in line to receive hundreds of billions in tariff refunds. On the other, importers will face new tariffs that could be just as costly and changeable as the levies the Supreme Court rejected

As diverted vessels reach contingency ports and inland networks tighten, disruption across the Gulf is set to escalate. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, carriers are operating through a network of temporary corridors whose capacity constraints will shape the weeks ahead. Rising fuel costs and mounting surcharges are already filtering through to shippers, adding financial pressure to an already uncertain operating environment

Hague and Hague-Visby Rules still apply during conflicts

Bunker prices are already near the extreme highs seen after Russia invaded Ukraine, and if crude keeps rising, this is not the peak. The industry concern is not just about surging operating costs. It’s that vessels may not be able to get the fuel where they need it the next time they run dry

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

Yes, you probably can enforce performance. But doing so may not be in your best interests