Container Logistic / Supply Chain News — October 2026

Is E-Commerce Moving From Parcels to Containers?

The EU changed one rule. The supply chain may change with it. E-commerce grew around small parcels. One order. One parcel. One delivery. Now the economics have changed. That could affect how goods enter Europe. Where inventory sits. And which transport mode wins. So is e-commerce starting to move in bulk? Europe Changed the Parcel Economics since from 1 July, the €150 duty exemption ended.

Also cars export from China is surging and becoming container cargo.

Chinese exports are growing. The transport model is starting to change. Cars usually move on car carriers and containers move almost everything else. That line is starting to blur. Specialized ship space remain tight. New equipment is changing the maths and one carrier has already tested the idea at real scale. So could cars become a new container market ?? China is exporting far more cars. Just in September reached 923.000 vehicles.

Is the Cheapest Supply Chain Too Risky?

DP World surveyed 103 supply chain chiefs. 84% see the same shift. For years, supply chains chased lower cost. Fewer suppliers, less inventory and the cheapest results. That model worked for decades. Now companies are reversing it. 71% want more suppliers. 59% plan to hold more inventory. Its not that companies are voluntary choosing to become less efficient. Cost is no longer number one. DP World surveyed 103 supply chain chiefs. 84% gave same signal.

Are Global Carriers Going Solo?

More shipping services. But is there more real choice? A shipper can get five carrier quotes. Yet all five may use the same ship. That has been common in container shipping. Now more carriers are running separate services. This could create more choice for customers. But it could also increase operating costs. Both matter for 2027 shipping contracts. So who really benefits from this shift? Carriers are sharing fewer services.

Why Is Maersk No.1 in Intra-Asia?

Gemini is changing more than East-West shipping. Intra-Asia looks like a regional market. But global carriers now dominate it. Capacity is almost 2.6m TEU. More than 80 carriers compete there. Mainline carriers control 60%+. And Maersk has moved into first place. So what is changing inside Asia? Intra-Asia is already huge, capacity reached nearly 2.6m TEU. That is 6.2% higher y-o-y.

Zim raised its full-year 2026 earnings guidance Oct. 6, citing continued strong market demand and favorable freight-rate momentum.

The revised forecast increases the midpoint of its adjusted operating earnings outlook by 72% from guidance issued in August. They expect an EBITDA of $2.7 billion to $3 billion, up from its previous range of $2 billion to $2.4 billion. Adjusted EBIT are projected at $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion, compared with the earlier forecast of $700 million to $1.1 billion. The new outlook means an EBITDA increase of $650 million, or approximately 30%. The adjusted EBIT midpoint rises to $1.55 billion from $900 million. Zim attributed the upgrade to “continued strong market demand and favorable momentum in freight rates.” Zim awaits completion of its pending acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd. ZIM identified uncertainty surrounding the transaction, geopolitical instability and fluctuations in freight rates, vessel supply and shipping demand among factors that could cause actual results to differ from its projections. Zim’s guidance uses adjusted financial measures rather than results prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards. The company cautioned that adjusted EBITDA excludes debt-service requirements and capital expenditures and should not be treated as a measure of cash available for its use.

Can ONE Grow and Become More Profitable?

Its new CEO wants more capacity but profits come first.

ONE Q2 2026: More Cargo, Higher Rates, Lower Profit. ONE wants to reach 3m TEU by 2030. Almost 800,000 TEU more than today. Yet its April–June net profit was just $31m. On revenue of $4.54bn. Then ONE raised its annual profit forecast to $900m. And more ships are already on the way. For shippers and rivals, this could reshape future competition. So the big question is whether ONE can make a bigger fleet more profitable !

What Are OOCL’s Q3 Results Telling Us?

Revenue jumped 45%. But that is not the biggest signal. OOCL has given the market an early Q3 signal. Revenue jumped. Volumes grew strongly. Capacity grew much more slowly. Pricing improved sharply. But the gains were not even. One trade stood out on volume. Another stood out on pricing. And other carriers are raising guidance too. So what is the market really telling us about Q4? Revenue Grew Far Faster Than Volume.

Why Are Latin America’s Imports Rising Faster Than Exports?

The gap is already close to 1.7m TEU. Latin America’s container trade is growing fast. But imports and exports are moving at very different speeds. Imports rose 8% in H1. Exports rose only 3.5%. The gap widened by 20%. It is now close to 1.7m TEU. That matters for container availability, capacity and rates. So what happens to all those extra boxes? The market is growing : Latin America handled ~11m TEU in H1. That was ~6% higher y-o-y. Imports, exports and regional trade all grew. Latin America is becoming more important to container shipping. Imports are growing much faster.

Why Is A.P. Moller Buying Ports Beyond Containers?

Two deals in 17 days. Neither is just about containers AP Moller is best known for Maersk. But its investment firm is making different bets. Two major port deals were announced just 17 days apart. One target runs more than 50 terminals. The other handles containers, cars and industrial cargo. Together, they reach far beyond traditional shipping. And these are not isolated investments. So what is A.P. Moller Capital really trying to build? Two major deals.

DP World Returning to U.S. Ports.

Twenty years after leaving, a new Texas gateway is on the table. DP World left US container terminals two decades ago Now it is preparing to return. But not through Los Angeles nor New York nor Savannah. It is looking at a port with no container business today and potential capacity could reach 1m TEU. So why Corpus Christi? That matters because a new gateway can change where cargo enters the country. The project Is moving forward.

Why Are MSC and CMA CGM Betting on the Same Port?

Two rivals & two terminals. But who stands to gain the most? MSC has chosen a new gateway. So has CMA CGM. Both are investing in Nador West Med, Morocco. But they are backing different terminals. Tanger Med already handles over 11m TEU. Yet both carriers see room for another hub. For shippers and ports, this could change route choices. So what are they really securing? MSC secured the eastern terminal. It holds 50%, minus one share.

India’s biggest container port is expanding again.

Mundra handled 8.4 million TEU in 2025. MSC, CMA CGM and DP World already operate there. Now a fifth terminal is almost ready. But more terminals may not mean more competition. For shippers; this could change costs and service options. So who really gains from Mundra’s expansion?

Is Gemini Losing Its Biggest Advantage?

Reliability was its biggest promise however the numbers are falling and reliability has fallen. Gemini promised to make shipping more reliable. And at first, the results were impressive. But something has changed. On-time arrivals fell from 70% to 40%. Meanwhile, delays across the industry are getting worse. Yet Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd still lead many rivals. For shippers, this affects costs and delivery plans. So is Gemini losing its edge — or is everyone struggling?

Strike threat by port security workers at Los Angeles–Long Beach.

About 250 ILWU Local 26 watchmen could strike as early as 5 p.m. Pacific on Nov. 1, putting operations at terminals that handle most of Long Beach's cargo and a third of Los Angeles' at risk. The watchmen are only about 2% of ILWU workers at the two ports, but the Pacific Maritime Association expects other members to honor picket lines, which could halt vessel, yard and gate operations at affected terminals. The Local 26 contract is separate from the coastwide ILWU agreement running through 2028, so the dispute is narrower than a full port labor fight, but with the latest extension expiring Sunday, shippers should watch for contingency routing before the weekend.

Backlog grows as 35,000 containers await rail service at LA–Long Beach.

Nearly 35,700 containers were waiting for on-dock rail service at the two ports on Oct. 26, with more than 10,500 of them on terminals for at least nine days. Los Angeles carriers the heavier burden, with 41% of its rail-bound container waiting 9 days or longer versus 15% at Long Beach. Average rail dwell rose to 7,2 days in September on record volumes. A strike the first of November at 8 terminals would land on a network that is already congested, though the counts don't prove every container is overdue.

Why Is Methanol Losing to LNG?

LNG is winning new ship orders. Even Maersk is changing course. Shipping has spent years searching for cleaner fuels. Methanol was one of the biggest hopes. Maersk was among its strongest supporters. But the latest ship orders tell another story. LNG is winning. Methanol orders have almost stopped. And conventional engines are making a comeback. These ships could still be sailing in the 2050s. So why are carriers changing their fuel choices? LNG Is Winning New Orders. Current Orderbook by TEU capacity: LNG dual-fuel: 55%. Methanol: 11%. Conventional engines: 30%. Yet 90% of today’s fleet still uses conventional fuel. Tomorrow’s fleet looks very different from today’s. Methanol Orders Have Almost Stopped