Time for owners to evacuate crew stranded by Hormuz stalemate

With little obvious prospect of majority of vessels stuck in the Gulf managing to leave safely any time soon has the time lay-up come. The stalemate around the Strait of Hormuz is nearing the three-month mark with around 1,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers remaining stranded in the Arabian Gulf.

MSI Managing Director Adam Kent believes the situation is not yet at the stage where owners would look to repatriate crew and lay-up vessels.

“I don’t think we will see owners putting vessels into warm lay-up just yet. The situation around the closure seems quite fluid, with changing announcements almost daily, and I’m sure owners are still keen to capitalise on the opportunity and pent-up demand when the Strait opens. Given it will take time to bring vessels out of lay-up and back into operation, they won’t want to risk the time delay just yet,” Kent said. Read more at Seatrade Maritime

Global Containership Orderbook Surpasses 13 Million TEU

The bulk of the new capacity is scheduled for delivery in 2028, a year for which confirmed orders already total 5.2 million TEU, leaving very limited remaining delivery slots available.

The container market is also dealing with events in the Middle East. However, compared with the tanker or bulk carrier markets, the container market has so far been less affected by the Iran conflict. Liner companies have been able to pass higher bunker costs on to shippers. MSI points out that as the Strait of Hormuz remains impassable, the initial supply-side support the container market received is expected to diminish over time. Read more at CNSS.

2020s: The Era of Extended Shipping Distances

Last year, trade conducted via sea reached a total of 68 trillion ton-miles, with the average distance covered per ton of cargo recorded at 5,262 nautical miles. This indicates a 10% increase compared to the beginning of the decade.

Tim Smith, Director of Maritime Strategies International, noted in an assessment earlier in 2026, ‘Increased demand has directly reflected in profits. The 2020s have been a generally profitable yet equally volatile period for shipowners.’ Read more at Splash247.com.

Shipping braces for prolonged turmoil as Hormuz crisis fuels inflation and supply strain

OPTIMISM is in short supply as geopolitical turmoil deepens and the Hormuz crisis adds fresh strain to global shipping. Experts warn the fallout will be long‑lasting, compounding the economic damage left by the pandemic.

“Tonne-miles are increasing, but once we get to demand destruction, then the demand destruction will be greater than increasing tonne-mile input.” MSI’s Adam Kent told delegates at the Lloyds List Intelligence seminar in Singapore.

MSI appoints North American director

MSI has appointed John Moulopoulos as director, North America, with responsibility for business development in the Americas.

The company said Mr Moulopoulos joins from Boston-based maritime intelligence and data delivery service Marsoft Inc, and his role will include working with North American shipowners and maritime investors, while also drawing on his heritage and network to support MSI customers in Greece.

He will bring previous experience in data delivery to MSI’s HORIZON and SEASCAPE platforms.

Mr Moulopoulos studied naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of Michigan and completed a Master’s in financial engineering in 2011.

He has also worked in investment banking, research and consulting roles in New York City, including with teams at Axia Ventures and Seabury Capital on research and analysis, supporting investor access to shipping markets and linking established owners with private equity and credit funds.

MSI managing director Adam Kent said, “John brings MSI considerable experience and a network that can help support our presence in US shipping and investor markets, combining a strong shipping background with skills that can help to shape our delivery of data, research and analysis.”

Mr Kent added, “At a time of considerable volatility and dislocation in markets, John’s background in research and analysis is an important addition to the MSI team and our service provision to clients.”

Mr Moulopoulos said, “Investors in shipping have been facing one black swan event after another. I see my role as helping US investors and owners navigate the conditions that come with the disruption and further expanding the MSI brand within the Greek market.”

He added, “The opportunity to join a leading provider of data and analysis comes at a time when impartial, data-driven insights are more vital than ever.”

Mr Moulopoulos’ family traces its involvement in shipping to 1865 under the Laurel Sea Transport name, with ownership and management of bulkers, crude tankers, cruise ships and ferries in the Mediterranean.

Laurel Sea Transport, originally from the island of Andros, operated an office in London for many years and sold its last ship in 2019.

Saudi’s Folk Maritime shifts India-Gulf service to Red Sea as Hormuz disruption bites

A report issued by MSI, argues that an optimistic base case scenario would see “naval support for partial passage through the SoH at 70% of the pre-war volume in Q2 before transits normalise in H2.

“In this scenario, we see the near-term disruption and network inefficiencies mirroring, but falling short of, the dynamics seen in the Red Sea.” Read more at The Loadstar.

From theory to reality: scenario analysis for Strait of Hormuz tanker trades

MSI’s latest scenario modelling asks what happens to Gulf tanker trades when Strait of Hormuz access shifts from disruption to prolonged denial.

The effect on tanker markets from the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s subsequent retaliation, while extreme and spectacular, was somewhat predictable, with a rate spike following similar patterns to previous geopolitical shocks around the Middle East, according to MSI director Tim Smith. Read more at Riviera.