JUPITER SEA & AIR
SERVICES PVT. LTD, EGMORE – CHENNAI, INDIA.
E-MAIL : Robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in Mobile : +91 98407 85202
Corporate News Letter for Thursday July 09, 2026
Today’s
Exchange Rates
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/// Sea Cargo News ///
US
launches new airstrikes on Iran, with Tehran firing back at three Gulf Arab
states
Trump also renewed his past threats to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinization plants, and to seize the oil-production hub of Kharg Island.
The new attacks on ships in the strait,
despite the negotiations, could reflect a divide among Iran's leadership.(Photo
| AP)
The United States launched new airstrikes
hitting Iran early Thursday, sparking retaliatory Iranian fire targeting
Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal
aimed at finding a way to end the war gripping the Persian Gulf.
The strikes came hours after US President
Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz
signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire. The US military hit a
variety of military sites and port facilities early Wednesday following Iran's
targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman, sparking Iranian
fire then as well.
But Thursday's attacks appeared bigger all
around. There was no immediate word of damage in the three Gulf Arab countries.
Kuwait's military said it was actively intercepting incoming drones and
missiles.
Military officials said in a social media
post that the latest strikes were intended to "further degrade"
Iran's ability "to threaten freedom of navigation" in the strait,
through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed before
the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.
Iranian state media reported explosions in
several locations, including Bushehr, home to Iran's nuclear power plant
complex, and the southern port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and
Sirik.
Trump warns that 'it will get much worse' if attacks on shipping
happen again
After leaving a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump
posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions
in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic.
"This is in retribution for yesterday's
bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!"
Trump wrote.
Trump had said earlier in the day that the
latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in "long-term"
military action.
"Anything that happens is going to
happen very fast," Trump said, though he also suggested the U.S. military
might "just finish the job."
Trump also renewed his past threats to hit
Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinization
plants, and to seize the oil-production hub of Kharg Island.
After three tankers were hit Tuesday, the U.S. launched
strikes on Iran, and Iranian forces retaliated by targeting American military
sites in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has asserted that the interim ceasefire
deal gives it the right to manage traffic through the strait. Parliament
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent
end to the war, was defiant in a post on X: "The era of bullying and
extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold."
Strikes raise fears that war could resume
Trump fuelled concerns that the war could
restart by saying the interim agreement to pause fighting was "over,"
although he added that he would allow negotiations to continue.
Attacks have repeatedly threatened the shaky
ceasefire, but Trump's comments added new uncertainty, and oil prices shot up
after he spoke. A renewed conflict could engulf the wider Middle East and would
likely again halt energy shipments through the strait.
"For me, I think it's over," Trump
said when asked about the status of the ceasefire. He added that U.S.
representatives can continue negotiations, but he cast doubt on the outcome.
"They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem
Gharibabadi, also a top negotiator, retorted on X that Trump's remarks
"are not a sign of power but an admission of the failure" of U.S.
policy toward Iran.
Trump has made other threats to seize Kharg
Island, including last month, when he also questioned whether the U.S.
"has the stomach for it." Some 90% of Iranian oil exports pass
through the island.
The new attacks on ships in the strait,
despite the negotiations, could reflect a divide among Iran's leadership.
Hard-liners seek lasting control over the waterway, which is a globally
important conduit for fuel shipments and has become a critical lever in
confronting the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace deal to lift
international sanctions and provide desperately needed economic relief.
Negotiations to reach a final deal had been
due to start after the funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 in the war's first moments. The funeral, which
ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions.
The talks are meant to focus on the toughest
matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran's
disputed nuclear program.
US military says it hit air defenses and
small boats
On Tuesday, the U.S. military's Central
Command said American forces hit Iranian targets including air-defense systems,
radars and over 60 small boats used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Those boats have been key to threatening
ships in the strait. Iran's ability to bring shipping in the waterway to a near
halt during the war proved its greatest strategic advantage.
After the Iranian strikes on shipping, the
U.S. revoked a license that — for the first time in years — had allowed Iran to
conduct oil sales openly in U.S. dollars, as part of the interim deal.
Iran and the United States agreed as part of
the interim deal to allow ships to pass through the strait without paying
charges for 60 days. But Tehran has insisted it must control the vessels'
routes and vowed to later charge fees for passage. That would upend decades of
practice in the waterway. The ships attacked Tuesday all appeared to be using a
route close to Oman's shore, rather than one ordered by Tehran.
The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they
will not agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait.
CU Lines Launches KCI Weekly Service Linking Northeast
Asia with India and Pakistan
Scheduled to commence with its maiden voyage from Busan on 16 July 2026, the KCI service will provide direct links between major ports in South Korea, China, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan. The service is also expected to offer seamless onward connections to the Middle East, the Red Sea, and the East Mediterranean through CU Lines’ wider liner network.
As
a joint venture partner in the service, CU Lines will deploy the 6,700 TEU
container vessel MV Racine on the rotation, reinforcing its commitment to
enhancing network coverage and service reliability across Asia.
The
port rotation for the KCI service will be:
Busan
– Gwangyang – Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Port Klang (West Port) – Nhava Sheva
– Mundra – Karachi – Port Klang (West Port) – Busan.
According
to the company, the new service is aimed at providing customers in Northeast
Asia and China with a stable, reliable, and efficient gateway to the rapidly
growing markets of India and Pakistan while supporting regional supply chains
with regular weekly sailings.
The
introduction of the KCI service comes amid rising trade volumes between
Northeast Asia and South Asia, reflecting increasing demand for dedicated
shipping solutions that offer faster transit times, broader market access, and
dependable connectivity.
With
the addition of the KCI service, CULines continues to expand its international
liner network, strengthening its position in intra-Asia shipping and supporting
growing trade flows across Asia and beyond.
Bangladesh’s Akij books four
bulker newbuilds in China
The Dhaka-based group has signed with Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering for four 63,800 dwt vessels. No price or delivery dates have been disclosed.
The deal adds another international name to
Nantong Xiangyu’s growing ultramax orderbook. The Chinese yard said
the contract marked its second newbuilding deal announced in June, following an
order from Fujian Shipping Group for four 62,000 dwt multipurpose
vessels.
Nantong Xiangyu has had a busy year across
dry bulk and multipurpose tonnage. The yard has also been linked this year to
orders from Shanghai Time Shipping and Mercuria, while Splash reported
earlier that Seacon Shipping had taken over six 63,800 dwt ultramax resale
contracts at the same builder.
Akij Shipping Line, part of Akij Resource,
was established in 2010 and has grown into one of Bangladesh’s active private
dry bulk operators. Akij has been on Splash’s radar for several years as one of
Bangladesh’s more active bulker players. The company says it operates 10
ocean-going bulk carriers and 50 lighter vessels, with its fleet focused on
single-deck bulkers ranging from 45,000 dwt to 76,000
dwt.
The company originally built its shipping arm
around cargo flows for Akij Cement, before expanding into wider dry bulk trades
including clinker, limestone, slag, coal, fertiliser, grain, gypsum and
aggregates.
/// Air Cargo News ///
Schiphol’s cargo operations face
‘immense pressure’
Image ©: Thomas Roell/Shutterstock.com
Schiphol
Airport’s cargo operations are under “immense pressure” as a result of staff
shortages, handling agent changes, IT challenges and rising e-commerce volumes,
according to industry association Air Cargo Netherlands (ACN).
The
association said that the airport’s cargo community was facing a highly
demanding summer, with the rise in e-commerce shipments partly down to forward shipping ahead of the European Union’s new €3 fee for
e-commerce packages.
France
and Italy have also introduced a separate €2 charge, pushing e-commerce
shipments to nearby countries, until an EU-wide processing fee comes into force
in November.
Meanwhile,
the airport this week switched from having six handling agents to three, with
dnata, KLM and Viggo winning out. While the changes do not apply to cargo, the
association has said it will still impact operations during the transition
phase.
“Whenever
airlines switch handlers, staff are transferred, and protocols change, it
affects the daily workflow and collaboration on the ramp — actors that also
impact cargo handlers,” ACN managing director Maarten van As said in a letter
to the local air cargo community.
“All
in all, these are significant challenges for the air cargo community,” Van As
added.
To
help try and minimise the impact, ACN outlined three recommendations.
Firstly,
it said companies should try to minimise loose shipments and mixed pallets as
much as possible, and to prioritise BUPs.
“Every
loose shipment requires additional handling within the supply chain,” Van As
said. “We understand this is challenging, as cargo must also be consolidated
based on ‘origin,’ but the positive impact is substantial: it provides
immediate benefits for all supply chain partners and ensures import cargo
becomes available to the consignee much faster.”
The
association also called for more consistent data to avoid bottlenecks in the
import and export process.
“It
is crucial to better understand each other’s ‘data requirements,” ACN
explained.
In
the coming weeks, ACN will connect parties with one another to tackle this
issue collaboratively.
Improved
communication is another area of focus for the association.
“In
times of intense pressure, effective communication is essential,” ACN said. As
soon as a bottleneck arises with a supply chain partner, ‘pushing harder’
unfortunately does not work; it only leads to frustration and longer waiting
times.”
Van
As added: “Only by working together can we keep the air cargo processes at
Schiphol moving this summer.”
High-tech demand consumes Taiwan-US
airfreight capacity
Image: Shutterstock © HAKINMHAN
Sustained
demand for high tech means that air cargo capacity on the Taiwan-US lane
remains exceptionally tight and is accompanied by rising rates, according to
Dimerco.
Electronics,
semiconductor and AI server shipment volumes are keeping direct and indirect
capacity constrained on the lane, which is pushing rates up, said the freight
forwarder in its July report.
Taipei-Europe
capacity is more stable, with rates in line with or slightly below US levels.
However, regional lanes from Taiwan to Penang, Malaysia; Singapore, Bangkok,
Thailand; and Chennai, India are also under pressure, said Dimerco.
This
most recent market analysis demonstrate that Taiwan-US
airfreight demand propelled by technology shipments has been a
continuing trend.
Dimerco’s
report also showed that airfreight demand has remained high across Asia, with
Bangkok and
Singapore among the strongest intra-Asia destinations.
South
Korea is seeing tight conditions tied to China transshipment cargo, e-commerce,
HBM semiconductor shipments and equipment moving through Incheon.
Technology
leads Asia exports
Data
from Rotate shows technology demand accounts for over 75% of all demand growth
out of Asia (excluding China), and that Taiwan alone saw 100k tonnes increase
in cloud computing exports in Jan-Apr of this year, mostly destined for the US.
Source: Rotate
There
is also ongoing congestion at some airports. Bangkok and Manila have not fully
recovered, extending door-to-door lead times for imports. Plus, in the
Philippines, congestion at Manila Airport and limited staging space have left
some cargo releases taking more than a week.
The
forwarder observed that frontloading of US-bound cargo in early June was
short-lived; however, capacity remains tight due to sustained technology
volumes.
“The
clearest signal this month is out of Taiwan. AI-driven volumes have filled the
TPE transit hub to capacity, and until that demand eases, space and rates
across US and regional lanes will stay under real pressure,” said Kathy Liu,
vice president, global sales and marketing, Dimerco Express Group.
The
forwarder’s report also pointed to resilient manufacturing activity, with the
Global Manufacturing PMI holding at 52.6 in May for the second straight month
and remaining above 50 for a tenth consecutive month.
Taiwan’s
manufacturing PMI rose to 56.1, while South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and India
also remained in expansion.
On
ocean shipping, the report showed demand across East China, South China,
Taiwan, South Korea and
Southeast Asia, especially on long-haul lanes to the US and Europe.
Dimerco
advised that issues to monitor included the provisional US-Iran ceasefire and
its impact on the Strait of Hormuz and peak-season frontloading that may pull
demand forward rather than signal a sustained recovery.
Emirates SkyCargo takes delivery of
first converted freighter as fleet continues to grow
Image: © Emirates SkyCargo
Emirates
SkyCargo has continued to rapidly expand its cargo fleet with the arrival of
its first converted Boeing 777 freighter.
The
carrier took delivery of the first of 10 converted Boeing 777-300ERSF
freighters two weeks ago and will today deploy the aircraft (A6-EBK) on its
first commercial flight from Dubai to Hong Kong carrying 100 tonnes of cargo.
The
aircraft are being converted by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and offer 100
tonnes of payload capacity and 811 cu m of cargo volume, which is claimed to be
a 25% increase over the production freighter. The model also offers 47 pallet
positions, an additional 10 positions compared with the production model.
This
makes it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods,
which currently constitute around 20% of global air cargo tonnage, with further
growth projected in the next few years, the airline said.
With
the delivery, Emirates becomes the first combination carrier to deploy a
converted 777 freighter.
The
airline has now added a total of six 777F freighters to its fleet since March
of this year. Nadeem Sultan senior vice president, cargo planning and
freighters, told Air Cargo News that another converted
freighter is due to be delivered this year and the carrier will then receive
three more next year.
Emirates’
all-cargo fleet currently stands at 18 777Fs and four wet-leased Boeing 747Fs.
Sultan said that in total five more 777Fs are due to be delivered this year,
meaning by the end of the year the carrier’s freighter fleet will reach 23
Boeing 777Fs (21 production and two converted) and the four wet-leased 747Fs.
Sultan
explained that the additional capacity is needed to meet growing demand and to
continue to expand the airline’s freighter network in line with the expansion
of passenger operations.
Badr
Abbas, Emirates SkyCargo’s divisional senior vice president, said that the
airline had expanded its freighter destinations from 40 in February to 62
destinations.
It
is understood there are plans to soon launch a round-the-world service, which
will be the carrier’s first transpacific operation.
Sultan
added that the carrier has been adding longer flights to its network, which
also take up capacity due to the longer sectors.
“Even
with all of this capacity going in, we are already thinking ahead to 2027 and
beyond around what we need to do in terms of adding more freighter capacity,”
he said.
“The
demand levels are very strong from every region, and we are doing a lot of
longer flying into North and South America.
“The
average sector length that we used to operate is increasing quite a bit, so
that is driving a lot of demand at our end. South America and North America are
key in terms of growth over the coming years.”
He
also pointed out that Dubai is building a new airport that will be operational
around 2032, which will become the world’s largest airport.
In
line with the opening of the new airport, Emirates is aiming to grow its cargo
volumes from around 2.4m tonnes currently to 5m tonnes.
Emirates
SkyCargo first announced plans to convert four of its 777-300ERSF passenger
planes to freighters with IAI in 2021 and later extended this to 10 units.
Conversions
were hampered by delays in securing the Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) for the conversion
I hope you have enjoyed reading the above
news letter.
Robert Sands
Joint Managing Director
Jupiter Sea & Air Services Pvt Ltd
Casa Blanca, 3rd Floor
11, Casa Major Road, Egmore
Chennai – 600 008. India.
GST Number : 33AAACJ2686E1ZS.
Tel : + 91 44 2819 0171 / 3734 / 4041
Fax : + 91 44 2819 0735
Mobile : + 91 98407 85202
E-mail : robert.sands@jupiterseaair.co.in
Website : www.jupiterseaair.com 1Branches : Chennai, Bangalore,
Mumbai, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Tuticorin.
Associate Offices : New Delhi, Kolkatta, Cochin &
Hyderabad.
Thanks to : Container News, Indian Seatrade, Cargo Forwarder Global & Air Cargo News.
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