Long Beach Cargo Drops as Hormuz Crisis Keeps Pressure on Supply Chains
Photo courtesy Port of Long Beach
Long Beach Cargo Drops as Hormuz Crisis Keeps Pressure on Supply Chains
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
May 15, 2026
The
Port of Long Beach
posted another year-over-year decline in cargo volumes in April as global market volatility, rising fuel costs and supply chain uncertainty continue to pressure international trade flows.
Longshore workers and terminal operators moved 817,992 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the month, down 5.7% from April 2025, which marked the busiest April on record for the port.
Despite the decline, volumes remained historically strong as one of the nation’s leading trade gateways continues to navigate a volatile trade environment shaped by geopolitical tensions, shifting trade patterns and higher transportation costs.
“In our industry, the only certainty is uncertainty,” Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba said in a statement released Thursday. “With recent supply chain disruptions adding volatility and instability
USS Ford Strike Group Earns Presidential Unit Citation After Historic Cruise
Presidential Unit Citation award and pennant aboard the Ford on Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, May 16, 2026.
USS Ford Strike Group Earns Presidential Unit Citation After Historic Cruise
John Konrad
Total Views: 1
May 16, 2026
NORFOLK, Va. — America’s newest commissioned aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) tied up at Pier 11 this morning after 326 days at sea, completing one of the
longest deployment
by a U.S.
US Allows Russia Oil Sales Waiver To Expire Despite Tight Market
A drone view shows the Russian-flagged tanker Bratsk, which is under U.S. sanctions for links to the Russian state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot, near the Baniyas oil terminal, in Baniyas, Syria, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
US Allows Russia Oil Sales Waiver To Expire Despite Tight Market
Bloomberg
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May 16, 2026
By Jennifer A.
Suezmax Tanker With Iraqi Crude Reaches India After Hormuz Transit
A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Suezmax Tanker With Iraqi Crude Reaches India After Hormuz Transit
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
May 16, 2026
By Julian Lee and Prejula Prem
May 16, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A
Suezmax tanker
identified as carrying Iraqi crude is approaching
India
after apparently crossing the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
Observable daily commercial transits of the waterway in both directions dropped to five ships on Friday from 11 the previous day. There was a slight pick-up into Saturday morning, with six seen moving through the strait, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Transits into and out of the Persian Gulf remain far below
prewar
levels as the conflict enters a 12th week.
Iraq Exported 10 Million Barrels Of Oil Through Strait Of Hormuz In April
Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq’s southern offshore oil terminals near Basra as it prepares to load crude oil, becoming the second vessel to arrive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Iraq Exported 10 Million Barrels Of Oil Through Strait Of Hormuz In April
Reuters
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May 17, 2026
By Muayad Hameed
BAGHDAD, May 16 (Reuters) –
Iraq
exported 10 million barrels of oil via the
Strait of Hormuz
in April, down from about 93 million barrels monthly before the Iran war, the country’s new oil minister, Basim Mohammed, said at a press conference on Saturday.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war has curtailed oil exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq, sending prices sharply higher.
“
Exports through the Strait of Hormuz
are low and depend on the arrival of oil tankers, which are not entering because of insurance”, he saidin his first press conference after taking office.
Iraq is currently
Vietnam-Bound Supertanker Halted By US Navy Resumes Journey
The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Vietnam-Bound Supertanker Halted By US Navy Resumes Journey
Bloomberg
Total Views: 1
May 17, 2026
By Weilun Soon
May 16 (Bloomberg) –A Vietnam-bound supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, which was halted by US forces days ago after crossing the
Strait of Hormuz
, has resumed its journey.
The
Agios Fanourios I
got clearance from US authorities to continue, according to its Athens-based manager Eastern Mediterranean Maritime. By early Sunday, the fully laden very large crude carrier had sailed past the boundary line where the US is enforcing its blockade of Iranian shipping.
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Iran seizes vessel owned by Chinese security firm near Strait of Hormuz
Iran seizes vessel owned by Chinese security firm near Strait of Hormuz
in
International Shipping News
17/05/2026
Iran has seized a support vessel owned by a Chinese maritime security firm near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Saturday.
The incident marks the first known impoundment of a private security vessel since the onset of the conflict between the United States and Iran, signaling restrictions on transit permissions even for entities tied to Beijing.
The targeted ship, the Honduran-flagged Hui Chuan, is owned by Hong Kong-registered Sinoguards Marine Security.
According to company statements, Iranian authorities detained the vessel on Thursday, requesting a “documentation and compliance inspection by the relevant authorities” before escorting it into Iranian waters.
The vessel had been at anchor 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. In this region, strict port gun regulations require private security firms to s
Shippers Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM Suspend Cuba Bookings After US Executive Order
People sit on a dock as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel Sea Horse, carrying some 200,000 barrels of Russia-origin fuel originally bound for Cuba, is anchored near the coast after arriving in Venezuelan waters, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela March 28, 2026. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Hernandez
Shippers Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM Suspend Cuba Bookings After US Executive Order
Reuters
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May 17, 2026
By Gus Trompiz, Christoph Steitz and Dave Sherwood
PARIS/FRANKFURT/HAVANA, May 17 (Reuters) – Shipping giants
CMA CGM
and
Hapag-Lloyd
HLAG.DE said on Sunday they had suspended all bookings to and from Cuba until further notice, with both citing a U.S. executive order issued on May 1, in the latest blow to the crisis-wracked island’s economy.
The temporary suspension of new orders by two of the world’s largest shipping companies could jeopardize as much as 60% of Cuba’s shipping traffic by volume, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said – a fresh hit to a country already nearing coll