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Freight rates stable but fuel cost pressures point to increases ahead
2 Aprile 2026 - Drewry’s World Container Index stood at $2,287 per 40ft container on 2 April 2026, with limited weekly changes across the main routes. However, rising fuel costs, driven by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and major Asian hubs, are pushing carriers to introduce emergency surcharges and signalling further rate increases.
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News from transport and logistics – 1 April 2026
1 Aprile 2026 - Dfds boosts Baltic capacity – Rail alliance in Rotterdam – Digital evolution of FS Logistix – Concern over Tarvisio closure
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Discovered 400 kg of cocaine in three operations at Gioia Tauro
1 Aprile 2026 - In three separate operations carried out in March 2026, the Guardia di Finanza and Customs officers uncovered three shipments of cocaine in container vessels arriving at the port of Gioia Tauro, for a total of 400 kilograms.
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Two ships hit in the Persian Gulf as Hormuz closes
1 Aprile 2026 - Between 30 and 31 March 2026, Iranian attacks targeted tankers and container ships in the Persian Gulf, leaving more than 130 vessels stranded. Operational risks, insurance costs and impacts on global supply chains are rising, while military developments remain uncertain.
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Drone attack also shuts down the port of Salalah
1 Aprile 2026 - A drone attack on 28 March 2026 damaged the container terminal at the port of Salalah, operated by APM Terminals, and injured one worker. Operations were suspended for at least 48 hours at a key hub for traffic between Asia, the Gulf and East Africa.
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Red Sea closure risk returns as tensions rise in Hormuz
30 Marzo 2026 - A month after the attacks on Iran, around 130 container ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, equal to 1.5% of global capacity. In the Red Sea, Houthi threats are resurfacing. Freight rates are fluctuating in a structurally overcapacity market.
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Maersk in the storm over military cargo to Israel
27 Marzo 2026 - A Danish newspaper has obtained documents showing that Maersk transported containers carrying tonnes of components for armoured vehicles and other equipment bound for Israeli ports between 2023 and 2024. The company is at the centre of a growing controversy, but denies shipping weapons to Israel during the Gaza war.
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Double-digit surge in China–Europe container freight rates
26 Marzo 2026 - Drewry’s spot freight rate assessment for container shipping, released on 26 March 2026, shows a sharp increase on routes between China and Europe and a more moderate rise on those between China and the United States.
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Iran’s conditions for ship transit through Hormuz
26 Marzo 2026 - Iran says it is allowing ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they have no ties with what it considers friendly parties, while demanding detailed information on vessels, crews and cargo. Meanwhile, concern is mounting over liquefied natural gas supplies following severe damage to the Ras Laffan plant.
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Wreck of Arctic Metagaz to be towed to Libya
25 Marzo 2026 - Libya’s state-owned NOC has launched the towing operation of the Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz, which caught fire in the Mediterranean, with support from Eni through Mellitah. The move aims to neutralise an environmental risk after weeks adrift between Italian, Maltese and Libyan waters.
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Italian ports face rising costs and uncertain traffic
25 Marzo 2026 - Assiterminal reports the first impacts in Italy of the Middle East conflict: rising energy costs, slower traffic and route reorganisation. Early signs of strain for the Adriatic and indications of traffic repositioning across the Mediterranean.
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Judicial administration for Sicilian terminal operator
25 Marzo 2026 - The Court of Catania has placed Europea Servizi Terminalistici, a company active in port logistics across five Sicilian ports, under judicial administration after it was deemed susceptible to mafia interference in international cocaine trafficking.
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Two million dollars is the toll for Hormuz
24 Marzo 2026 - An article by Bloomberg reports that Iran has begun demanding payments of up to two million dollars per voyage for the transit of certain merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively introducing an informal toll system on one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes.
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Port and warehouse the weakest links in the logistics chain
24 Marzo 2026 - In 2026, bottlenecks between port terminals and warehouses are generating rising, often hidden costs for freight forwarders and operators. Congestion, demurrage and operational misalignment are undermining delivery reliability across Europe, while technological and network solutions struggle to gain traction.
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Gulf ports cannot cope with Hormuz closure
23 Marzo 2026 - The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the structural limits of Gulf ports: high theoretical capacity, but insufficient inland corridors to handle diverted volumes. Jebel Ali and smaller hubs risk functional collapse, with knock-on effects reaching as far as Asia.
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Ship operated by OOCL loses dozens of containers at sea
20 Marzo 2026 - The OOCL Sunflower lost dozens of containers in the North Pacific during a storm on the Asia–United States route, with estimates ranging from 32 to 57 units as US authorities activate safety measures and begin checks on arrival in Long Beach.
Brevi dal mondo
Dfds potenzia nel Baltico - Alleanza ferroviaria a Rotterdam - Evoluzione digitale di FS Logistix - Preoccupazione per la chiusura di Tarvisio
Podcast K44
Cronaca
17 camionisti arrestati a Savona per furto di gasolio
Un’indagine della Guardia di Finanza nel deposito fiscale carburanti di Vado Ligure ha coinvolto diciassette autotrasportatori, col sequestro di oltre 3.700 litri di gasolio. Il prodotto veniva sottratto durante il carico e rivenduto fuori circuito a prezzi inferiori.
Normativa
Videocast K44
Aereo
Dhl amplia capacità aerea Asia Europa
Dhl Global Forwarding annuncia nuovi voli settimanali tra Asia ed Europa tra Shanghai e Lipsia e tra Hong Kong e Liegi con Boeing 777F. L’integrazione con Dhl Express aumenta capacità, affidabilità e flessibilità lungo uno dei principali corridoi globali.
Ferrovia
Rail Cargo potenzia collegamento Villach-Desio
Dal 2026 due collegamenti settimanali Rail Cargo tra Villach e Desio, con transito in un giorno. Il servizio intermodale s’inserisce nel network Villach-Italy, potenziando i flussi tra Europa centrale e distretti industriali del Nord Italia.
Persone
La proprietà di Msc passa da Gianluigi Aponte ai figli Alexa e Diego
Il 13 aprile 2026 Mediterranean Shipping Company ha annunciato uno storico passaggio di generazione: la proprietà passa dal fondatore Gainluigi Aponte, che resta presidente esecutivo ai figli Alexa e Diego, che sono rispettivamente presidente e Cfo del Gruppo.
