Daily International Freight News Brief: Schedule Resets, Hormuz Detention, Latin America Surcharges, Sanctions Checks and Air-Route Data

Maersk said on June 9 that a new rate announcement for Far East to North Europe shipments will be effective from June 29. On the same day, it also published Emergency Contingency Surcharge changes for India and Pakistan to both East Coast and West Coast Latin America trades. The East Coast South America adjustment applies from a July 1 price calculation date, while the West Coast South America, Caribbean and Central America adjustment applies from July 10, with different levels by equipment type. Exporters planning late-June and July shipments should confirm PCD, container type, OOG/SOC/NOR applicability, regulatory notice periods and final invoice surcharges before extending quotes.

The Maritime Executive reported on June 9 that Dutch Customs began inspections at the Port of Rotterdam targeting sanctioned goods being transshipped to Russia via liner services. The report said multiple containers were intercepted and a containership captain was detained as part of a criminal investigation. Containers were moved to a control warehouse after documentation and cargo irregularities, with tampered labels and packaging found alongside items such as vehicle parts and motor oil. For cargo transiting Europe, sanctions screening now reaches beyond paperwork into physical cargo, labels, end use and routing evidence, so exporters should retain clear HS, consignee, end-use and route records.

The Maritime Executive reported on June 9 that the EU has launched a coordinated campaign against vessels that are false-flagged, fraudulently certified or in breach of maritime safety and labor rules, using the Operation Irini framework to board suspicious ships in the Mediterranean. The report says several sanctioned or flag-irregular tankers have already been stopped, though the outcomes remain unclear. While the immediate focus is energy and dark-fleet activity, general cargo may feel the spillover through stricter checks on carriers, owners, charterers, payers and insurers, especially for flows linked to the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Suez and India.

The Maritime Executive reported on June 9 that the European Commission proposed its 21st sanctions package on Russia, covering energy, financial services and trade, and for the first time targeting vessels that support the shadow fleet through bunkering and other services. The proposal would add 30 tankers to the existing sanctions list and extend restrictions on selling tankers to Russia to include LNG carriers, while adding more export controls on military-use items. For shippers and forwarders, risk sits not only in the cargo but also in vessel services, fuel supply, insurance, payment parties and third-country intermediaries, so sanctions and beneficial-owner checks should be completed before booking sensitive trades.

The Maritime Executive reported on June 8, citing NRF's Global Port Tracker, that U.S. retailers are pulling imports forward to get ahead of potential fuel-cost and tariff increases. The forecast keeps major U.S. port imports above 2 million TEUs per month in May and June, with June potentially the strongest month of the year, before likely year-over-year declines in July, August and September. Although published one day earlier than the main June 9 source window, the update remains useful for transpacific bookings: Asia exporters may face short-term capacity pressure followed by weaker demand, so rate validity, warehouse plans and cancellation flexibility matter.

IATA announced on June 9 that Aeromexico has joined Turbulence Aware, raising Latin America turbulence-event coverage to more than 3,200 flights per day, 25% higher than in 2024. The program aggregates anonymized reports from more than 30 participating airlines and shares near-real-time turbulence information for route decisions. This is not a freight-rate update, but it matters for air-cargo operations because stronger weather and turbulence data can help airlines adjust routes and reduce disruption risk. Time-sensitive cargo moving through Mexico, Central America, South America or North America connections should still plan for rerouting, ground-handling, cold-chain buffers and backup uplift options.