Shipping Intelligence Blog

Data-driven analysis, carrier rate comparisons, and regulatory updates for the global shipping industry.

Market Analysis

Iran War and Global Shipping: Hormuz Closure, Rate Spikes, and What's Next

How the US-Israel strikes on Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, doubled freight rates on Gulf routes, and shattered hopes of a Red Sea return in 2026.

2026-03-24 8 min read
Guide

The True Cost of Shipping a Container in 2026

Beyond the freight rate: D&D charges, EU ETS surcharges, war risk premiums, local charges, and tariffs that add 15-25% to your shipping bill.

2026-03-24 10 min read
Guide

Demurrage & Detention Guide 2026: Rates, Rules, and How to Reduce Them

Complete guide to D&D charges across 8 carriers in 158 countries. FMC rules, carrier-by-carrier rate comparison, and strategies to minimize costs.

2026-03-24 12 min read
Regulation

EU ETS Shipping Surcharge 2026: What It Costs and How It's Calculated

Full 100% EU ETS compliance hit shipping in 2026. Understand the $168/container surcharge, how carriers calculate it, and what it means for your costs.

2026-03-24 7 min read
Market Analysis

Red Sea Crisis 2026: Why Freight Rates Won't Drop Despite Overcapacity

Fleet growth of 8% vs demand growth of 3% should mean lower rates. But Cape of Good Hope diversions are absorbing the surplus. Here's the math.

2026-03-24 6 min read
Industry

Shipping Alliance Shakeup 2026: Gemini vs Premier vs Ocean Alliance

The alliance landscape changed dramatically. How Gemini (Maersk + Hapag-Lloyd), Premier (HMM, ONE, Yang Ming), and Ocean Alliance affect your rates.

2026-03-24 7 min read
Tutorial

Build a Freight Rate Comparison Tool with the ShippingRates API

Step-by-step tutorial: connect to the ShippingRates API, compare D&D rates across carriers, and build a landed cost estimator. Free tier included.

2026-03-24 10 min read
Product

Introducing ShippingRates: The Intelligence Layer for Global Container Shipping

What ShippingRates is, why it exists, and how developers, AI agents, and shipping professionals use our API and Dashboard to cut through the opacity of container shipping.

2026-03-24 8 min read