Summary
The June 17 brief prioritizes public updates published or refreshed on the previous Asia/Shanghai calendar day. Middle East shipping remains highly volatile, with Maersk continuing to flag booking suspensions, cargo-specific restrictions and landside bridge availability limits, so Hormuz and Gulf recovery cannot be treated as normal operations yet. The Port of Los Angeles reported May volume up 17% year on year, while the State of Logistics Report framed volatility as a structural operating condition. Policy and market signals are also important: Bangladesh will allow 100% foreign ownership of ICD and off-dock facilities, air cargo booking and quoting are becoming more AI-driven, and peak-season surcharges are rising on Asia-Europe, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean lanes.
Key Updates
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In Middle East Operational Update 36, published on June 16, Maersk said the regional situation remains highly volatile and that some landside bookings via UAE, Qatar, Jeddah, Oman, Salalah and Sohar remain temporarily paused, with landbridge options subject to availability and local regulations. On the ocean side, Maersk listed different booking suspensions or restrictions for reefer, dangerous goods, out-of-gauge and in-gauge cargo linked to Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman, with port-specific exceptions. Shippers should not look only at whether a waterway is open; they need shipment-level confirmation of carrier acceptance, equipment type, DG rules, direct-delivery terms and local charges.
Source: Middle East Operational Update 36The Port of Los Angeles said on June 16 that it handled 840,165 TEUs in May, 17% above last year, and 4,119,869 TEUs in the first five months, up 1.4%. Loaded imports reached 449,370 TEUs, up 26%; loaded exports were 107,657 TEUs, down 10%; and empties totaled 283,138 TEUs, up 18%. The port also said there were no vessel backlogs or cargo delays. For transpacific shippers, this supports Los Angeles as a resilient gateway, but early peak-season cargo can still shift pressure to drayage, rail and warehouse appointment windows.
Source: Port of Los Angeles May Cargo Volume Climbs 17%FreightWaves reported on June 16 that the 2026 State of Logistics Report from CSCMP, Kearney and Penske Logistics describes supply chain volatility as a lasting feature of the operating environment. U.S. business logistics costs were USD 2.4 trillion in 2025, equal to 7.8% of GDP, down from USD 2.6 trillion and 8.7% in the previous year, but companies still face structural pressure in 2026. Exporters and importers should avoid planning only around the lowest spot rate and instead build coverage across multi-port options, contract and spot mix, inventory timing, visibility data and exception playbooks.
Source: 2026 State of Logistics Report: Volatility is the new normalMaersk issued a June 16 rate announcement revising peak-season surcharges from Far East Asia to North Europe and the Mediterranean. The effective price calculation date is July 7, 2026 for Far East Asia excluding South Korea and July 16 for South Korea. The announcement lists USD 750 for 20-foot containers and USD 1,500 for 40-foot and 45-foot containers to North Europe and the Mediterranean; Syria is listed in euros at EUR 650 for 20-foot and EUR 1,300 for 40-foot and 45-foot containers. The Loadstar also reported the same day that carriers are issuing a wave of surcharge and rate-increase notices. Asia-Europe bookings should be rechecked for PSS, FAK levels, contract terms and validity dates.
Source: Revision of Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) from Far East Asia to North Europe and Mediterranean (E1W/E2W)Maersk separately announced on June 16 that it will revise peak-season surcharges from China, Hong Kong China, Taiwan China and several Southeast Asian origins to Mozambique, Madagascar, Seychelles, Botswana, Comoro Islands, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. From July 1, 2026, the charge is listed at USD 1,800 for 20-foot dry containers and USD 2,000 for 40-foot dry containers, and the announcement says it is not applicable to SPOT bookings. Shippers on Africa lanes should rebuild quotes with PSS, destination congestion, inland delivery, bunker and documentation costs, especially where validity extends into July.
Source: Peak Season Surcharge for the scope: FAR EAST ASIA to SOUTHERN AFRICA and INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDSThe Loadstar reported on June 16 that Bangladesh will remove its long-standing foreign ownership cap for inland container depots and off-dock facilities, with the measure taking effect on July 1. Foreign investors were previously generally capped at 49% in privately operated ICDs, while the new policy will allow 100% foreign ownership and operation. Bangladesh has 24 privately operated ICDs, and several global terminal and logistics operators have invested or shown interest. For apparel, textile, consumer goods and China-Bangladesh trade lanes, the change may improve off-dock capacity, container turns and inspection efficiency over time, though licensing, charges and service standards still need to be watched.
Source: Bangladesh removes foreign ownership cap on ICDs to attract investmentAir Cargo Week reported on June 16 that Air France KLM Martinair Cargo has introduced AI Auto-Fill in myCargo to identify shipment information from emails or unstructured text and populate booking fields automatically. It is also gradually rolling out Auto Quote to generate spot quotes from myCargo or email requests, with further AI tools planned for pricing, customer service, forecasting and decision support. For air cargo shippers and forwarders, digital quoting can reduce response time, but it also raises the value of clean data on dimensions, weight, pieces, temperature control, commodity and screening requirements.
Source: Air France KLM Martinair Cargo accelerates commercial transformation through AIDH Logistics View
- Today's core signal is that recovery expectations exist, but operating rules have not returned to normal. Middle East cargo still needs shipment-level checks by destination, port, equipment type, dangerous-goods status and direct-delivery terms.
- Rising U.S. West Coast volume and Los Angeles' no-backlog message are positive for transpacific routing, but early inventory moves and trade-policy uncertainty can shift pressure to drayage, rail and warehouse appointments.
- Peak-season surcharges are spreading from Asia-Europe main lanes into Southern Africa and Indian Ocean networks. Customer quotes should separate base ocean freight, PSS, bunker, destination charges, inland costs and validity dates.
- Air cargo digitization will speed up inquiry and booking only when data is clean. Exporters should standardize dimensions, pieces, weight, commodity, temperature-control needs and DG information before requesting rates.
Planning Notes
- For Middle East and Gulf-related cargo, confirm carrier acceptance, available ports, equipment limits, DG/OOG/reefer rules and direct-delivery costs before booking.
- For transpacific cargo, keep using Los Angeles/Long Beach performance data, but reserve drayage, rail, warehouse and receiving slots early.
- For Asia-Europe, Mediterranean, Africa and Indian Ocean quotations, recheck July PSS levels, SPOT versus non-SPOT treatment, price calculation dates and local surcharges.
- For Bangladesh supply chains, track how the ICD ownership reform affects depot capacity, service standards and fee schedules, especially for apparel and consumer goods.
- For airfreight inquiries, submit structured data on dimensions, weight, pieces, temperature control, commodity, HS or screening requirements and preferred flight windows.
- Annual logistics budgets should include volatility scenarios, alternate gateways, backup carriers and inventory buffers rather than relying on one benchmark rate.
Sources
View sources (9)
- Middle East Operational Update 36Maersk · 2026-06-16
- Maersk Operations through Strait of HormuzMaersk · 2026-06-16
- Port of Los Angeles May Cargo Volume Climbs 17%Port of Los Angeles · 2026-06-16
- 2026 State of Logistics Report: Volatility is the new normalFreightWaves · 2026-06-16
- More shipper pain on the way as carriers levy new peak season surchargesThe Loadstar · 2026-06-16
- Revision of Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) from Far East Asia to North Europe and Mediterranean (E1W/E2W)Maersk · 2026-06-16
- Peak Season Surcharge for the scope: FAR EAST ASIA to SOUTHERN AFRICA and INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDSMaersk · 2026-06-16
- Bangladesh removes foreign ownership cap on ICDs to attract investmentThe Loadstar · 2026-06-16
- Air France KLM Martinair Cargo accelerates commercial transformation through AIAir Cargo Week · 2026-06-16