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In this exclusive interview at TPM26 in Long Beach, Mike King is talking to Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, to discuss three of the biggest stories shaping container shipping right now.
Rolf gives his take on the proposed Zim acquisition and what it means for freight buyers, the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and what that means for ships currently stuck in the Persian Gulf, and whether a return to the Suez Canal is now further away than ever.
He also shares his view on the container shipping supply and demand balance, why he sees underlying demand as still strong, and how shippers should think about US inventory levels and the transpacific market heading into the rest of 2026.
This content is supported by Dimerco, a global freight forwarding and logistics network that believes in the value of independent journalism in the freight industry. Find out more at https://dimerco.com/
#TPM26 #ZimDeal #SuezCanal #IranStrikes #ContainerShipping #FreightMarket #HapagLloyd #LogisticsNews #SupplyChain #FreightBuyers

The US and Israel have struck Iran. The Supreme Court has struck down the IEEPA tariffs. And every freight buyer is asking the same question: what do we actually plan for now?
Mike King sits down with Paul Bingham, Director of Transportation Consulting, Economics and Country Risk at S&P Global Market Intelligence, at TPM26 in Long Beach to make sense of it all.
They cover:

The Iran strikes and what they mean for oil prices, Hormuz and Gulf shipping lanes
The Supreme Court IEEPA ruling and Trump’s Section 122 replacement tariffs
Tariff refunds: what importers need to know
Why countries that did deals with Washington are now worse off than those that didn’t
Scorecard on US trade policy: did it work?
Can freight buyers plan around blanket tariffs?
The $901 billion US trade deficit: reshaped or just rerouted?
Where inventories stand heading into 2026
The outlook for US imports in 2026

This episode is produced with the support of Dimerco Express, a leading freight forwarder and supply chain solutions provider across Asia and beyond.

Freight buying strategy is being tested like never before. Tariff whiplash, carrier consolidation, AI adoption and nobody quite knows what comes next.
Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss North America, joins Mike King for a frank conversation about how one of the world’s leading freight forwarders is navigating the uncertainty and what it means for shippers.
They cover the proposed Hapag-Lloyd/ZIM merger and what less competition really means for freight buyers, why shippers are firmly in the driving seat on the Trans-Pacific right now, and how tariff uncertainty is forcing companies into three-tiered contingency strategies rather than long-term capital deployment.
Mark also opens up about freight fraud costing Gebrüder Weiss hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, how sophisticated double-brokering scams are targeting freight forwarders, and what the industry needs to do about it.
Plus an honest account of GW’s automation journey, what’s working, what’s been expensive, and why bad data will kill your AI investment before it starts.
And how a funeral, a few too many drinks, and a South African aunt launched one of North America’s most senior freight executives into a career in logistics.
Sponsored by OntegosCloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist.
Featured: 
Hapag-Lloyd Buys ZIM Explained: Why Freight Buyers Should Care https://youtu.be/4u6wCfwUvc0
Why Great Freight Forwarders Thrive in Chaos | #44 | Freight Buyers Club
https://youtu.be/9yuq3xbkp_c
The Good, The Bad, and the ANC: South Africa’s Logistics on the Brink https://youtu.be/POyM0kHGMeg
Topics covered:
0:00 Introduction — Mike King welcomes Gebrüder Weiss North America CEO Mark McCullough and previews the episode
01:45 Hapag-Lloyd/ZIM Merger — Is carrier consolidation good for freight buyers or just less competition dressed up as efficiency?
03:00 Trans-Pacific Outlook — Excess capacity, blank sailings, depressed rates and what the next 12 to 18 months looks like
05:00 Shippers in the Driver’s Seat — Why forwarders like GW actually prefer higher freight rates and what that means for contract season
07:00 Tariffs and Capital Deployment — Why uncertainty is stopping shippers from committing to long-term strategy and the three-tiered contingency approach
11:00 Freight Fraud Revealed — How double-brokering scams cost Gebrüder Weiss $600,000 in a single year and how they work in practice
16:00 Automation and AI at GW — Bots, document splitting, carrier vetting tech and how offshore teams are being upskilled
19:00 The Data Problem — Why bad data killed their AI investment early and what they had to do to fix it
21:30 Clean Data Advice — Mark’s blunt advice to any company thinking about AI investment right now
22:00 How Mark Got Into Freight — A funeral, a few white wines and a South African aunt who changed everything

Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM for $4.2 billion, creating a combined fleet of 400+ vessels. In this mini Freight Buyers’ Club, Nils Roche (ex-CMA CGM, Maersk, PIL) breaks down what this deal means for the liner industry, for the Gemini Cooperation, for MSC, and crucially, for freight buyers.
We cover:

The deal structure and Israel’s “golden share” carve-out
What happens to ZIM’s vessel sharing agreement with MSC
How this strengthens Gemini and shifts alliance dynamics
Fewer carriers = more blank sailing control
Who’s next? PIL, Wan Hai, HMM as potential targets
The new M&A model: joint ventures with national stakes

This mini Freight Buyers’ Club is brought to you by Ontegos Cloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist: https://www.ontegoscloud.com
Guest: Nils Roche, Founder of Solvens Advisory Host: Mike King

The freighter capacity crunch is real. In this episode of Air Cargo Unpacked, Mike King and Neel Jones Shah break down UPS retiring its MD-11 fleet, why the aircraft backlog won’t normalise until the 2030s, and what it means for air cargo rates.
Plus: Dimerco’s Kathy Liu on Chinese New Year from Shanghai, exclusive rate analysis from TAC Index’s Neil Wilson, and how de minimis policy changes are reshaping e-commerce flows out of China – with North America down 33% and Europe up 22%.
We also cover Maersk dumping its 767s for 777s on trans-Pacific, and what the new US-India trade deal could mean for air freight demand.
Featuring:

Mike King, Host & Executive Producer
Neel Jones Shah, Co-Host (ex-Delta, United, Flexport)
Kathy Liu, VP Global Sales & Marketing, Dimerco Express Group
Neil Wilson, Editor, TAC Index

Air Cargo Unpacked is a monthly Freight Buyers’ Club production, brought to you by OntegosCloud, the freight forwarder profitability specialist. https://www.ontegos.cloud/
Subscribe for monthly air freight market analysis.
#AirCargoUnpacked #FreightBuyersClub #Logistics #AirFreight #Shipping #CargoCapacity #DeMinimis #ChineseNewYear #TACIndex #Ecommerce #GlobalTrade
00:00 Welcome to Air Cargo Unpacked
01:00 UPS Retires MD-11 Fleet
02:30 10% of Widebody Freighter Capacity at Risk
04:30 Aircraft Backlog Hits 17,000
06:00 Conversion Costs Soaring: $80m for a 777
08:00 Chinese New Year: Kathy Liu from Shanghai
10:00 China Plus One: Southeast Asia Booming
12:00 Neel on CNY: Why This Year Is Different
15:30 TAC Index Rate Analysis with Neil Wilson
17:00 Shanghai Rates Up 9% Year on Year
18:00 Spot vs Contract Rates Explained
21:00 De Minimis: US Down 33%, Europe Up 22%
23:00 E-Commerce Is Like a Raging River
24:30 Maersk Sells 767 Freighters to Amazon
27:00 US-India Trade Deal: Stability Returns

In this exclusive interview, Laura DiBella, the newly confirmed Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission, outlines the agency’s aggressive new approach to protecting U.S. shippers and enforcing maritime trade compliance on a global scale.
DiBella explains how the FMC is shifting from a reactive referee of commercial disputes to a proactive “consumer protection agency” with the authority to investigate global chokepoints, shadow fleets, foreign policy barriers, and domestic rail bottlenecks affecting American cargo.
Key topics covered:

Trump’s mandate to “resurrect U.S. dominance in the maritime arena”
The FMC’s expanded global enforcement powers under OSRA 2022
Investigating chokepoints like Suez Canal and Malacca Strait
Shadow fleet and flags of convenience investigations
How the FMC can penalize foreign governments that block U.S. cargo
What shippers should document and when to engage the FMC
Detention and demurrage protections and enforcement priorities
Rail and chassis bottlenecks in Middle America
Why the FMC wants to act before problems escalate

Laura DiBella’s background: Former Florida Secretary of Commerce under Governor Ron DeSantis, Executive Director of the Florida Harbor Pilots Association, and President & CEO of Enterprise Florida. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2025 and designated FMC Chair by President Trump on January 28, 2026.
This episode is produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group. https://dimerco.com/
If you’re a freight buyer, shipper, logistics manager, or supply chain professional planning for 2026, this interview is essential listening.
Subscribe to The Freight Buyers’ Club for more exclusive interviews and supply chain insights.

What should US shippers expect in 2026? This TPM 26 special covers transpacific contracting, the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern rail merger, and features an EXCLUSIVE interview with new Federal Maritime Commission Chair Laura DiBella.
Produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group.
PART 1: TPM 26 PREVIEW
Mark Szakonyi (Executive Editor, Journal of Commerce) and Lori Fellmer (VP Logistics, BassTech International) break down:
– Transpacific contracting season outlook
– Demand signals and capacity challenges
– How SME shippers are treated in a bearish market
– Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger implications for IPI cargo
– OSRA 2022 effectiveness: detention & demurrage protections
 
PART 2: EXCLUSIVE FMC CHAIR INTERVIEW
Laura DiBella outlines her vision for the Federal Maritime Commission under Trump’s maritime mandate:
– From reactive to proactive enforcement
– Global investigations: Spain, chokepoints (Suez, Malacca Strait), shadow fleets
– “We’re now a consumer protection agency” – what this means for shippers
– New enforcement powers: penalties, sanctions, port denial for foreign governments
– Domestic bottlenecks: containers, rail, chassis in Middle America
– When shippers should contact the FMC
KEY QUOTES:
“Action. Always action.” – Laura DiBella on what shippers should expect
“We’ve become more of a consumer protection agency.” – On the FMC’s evolving mission
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
– Laura DiBella – Chair, Federal Maritime Commission
– Mark Szakonyi – Executive Editor, Journal of Commerce
– Lori Fellmer – VP Logistics & Carrier Management, BassTech International
This episode was produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group – https://dimerco.com/.
Subscribe to the Freight Buyers’ Club for weekly insights on freight buying, carrier negotiations, and supply chain strategy.

Global trade isn’t ending. It’s fracturing along geopolitical lines. And it’s reshaping supply chains, technology systems, and the entire logistics landscape as we enter 2026.
The signals are unmistakable. Greenland threats. US-Europe tensions mounting. Trade wars escalating. This is no longer theoretical. Supply chain directors need to understand what’s coming and how to prepare.
In this critical roundtable, Mike King brings together three leading voices to break down how US-China competition, tariff volatility, shifting trade blocs, and technology will reshape supply chains right now and through the year ahead.
Neil Shearing is Chief Economist at Capital Economics and author of The Fractured Age. He explains why we’re not seeing deglobalization but rather a splintering of the global economy into competing US and China-led blocs. And why this matters far more than simple tariff rates.
Marc Levinson is an economic historian and author of Outside the Box. He challenges the bloc theory with real world examples of trade policy chaos. He reveals why mega-ships may become obsolete, what’s really driving trade now (spoiler: AI infrastructure), and why the logistics industry’s capital investments could become stranded.
Ashley Skaanild is Principal Advisor Carrier Integration and Transformation at WiseTech Global. He brings operational reality to the macro debate. Drawing on platform data from millions of shipments and a Reuters survey of 450+ supply chain leaders, he shows how companies are actually preparing and where technology sprawl is creating blind spots.
Together, they tackle the questions keeping supply chain directors awake: How do you plan supply chains when policy changes overnight? Can you build resilience without bankrupting operations? What role will technology play in the fractured landscape ahead?
Essential listening for freight buyers, logistics managers, and anyone navigating supply chains, geopolitics, and digital transformation in 2026.
Show note links:
LEANER, SMARTER, FASTER AND MORE CONNECTED: SUPPLY CHAINS EVOLVE TO MEET RISING VOLATILITY AND COST PRESSURES A Reuters Events, Supply Chain white paper in partnership with CargoWise
Download here: https://www.cargowise.com/de-de/news/the-new-supply-chain-playbook-how-leaders-are-responding-to-cost-pressure-and-volatility/
The Fractured Age: How the Return of Geopolitics Will Splinter the Global Economy, by Neil Shearing
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractured-Age-Geopolitics-Splinter-Economy/dp/1399825720
Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas, by Marc Levinson
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outside-Box-Globalization-Changed-Spreading/dp/069119176X
#GeopoliticsTrade #Freight #Technology #LogTech #GlobalTrade #Logistics #Tariffs #2026Outlook #Wisetech #FreightBuyersClub #CapitalEconomics
 
00:00 – Trade Is Now a Weapon: Why Global Trade Is Fracturing Trade policy as coercion, resilience costs, AI driving trade growth
01:00 – Welcome to 2026: Geopolitics, Trade Chaos, and Tech Strain Greenland tariffs, fractured alliances, and why supply chains are under pressure
02:05 – Biggest Surprise of 2025: Tariffs, Allies Hit, and Tech U-Turns Neil Shearing on Trump tariffs, China, and relaxed chip controls
04:10 – Why Policy Chaos Matters More Than Tariff Levels Marc Levinson on volatility vs predictable trade costs
05:10 – AI Drove Half of Global Trade Growth Last Year Why servers, chips, and AI infrastructure now shape trade flows
06:15 – Operational Reality: Red Sea, Alliances, and Schedule Reliability Ashley Skaanild on shipping chaos and how trade adapts
08:00 – Are We De-Globalising or Splintering Into Trade Blocs? Neil…

Co-hosted by award-winning journalist Mike King and air cargo veteran Neel Jones Shah (ex-Delta, United, Flexport) with exclusive TAC Index market intelligence and IATA’s 2026 forecast from Brendan Sullivan, Global Head of Cargo.
Welcome to the launch episode of Air Cargo Unpacked – your monthly deep dive into air freight markets, capacity dynamics, and what actually matters for people who buy air cargo services.
This episode features exclusive data from the Baltic Exchange Air Freight Index, powered by TAC Index.
In this episode:

Geopolitical chaos and air cargo resilience – Why 2026 kicked off with unprecedented uncertainty, from Greenland tensions to trade wars, yet China posted a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus
Chinese New Year 2026 impact – How CNY falling 2.5 weeks later than 2025 is impacting markets and what forwarders and carriers should expect in the lead-up and restart
IATA’s 2026 outlook – Brendan Sullivan identifies the three biggest headwinds (capacity constraints, regulatory complexity, economic uncertainty) and three opportunities (digitalization, e-commerce growth, agility as competitive advantage)
E-commerce shifts post-de minimis – The reality behind Shein and Temu’s strategy after US ended the $800 exemption, and where e-commerce flows are redirecting (hint: South America, Europe, Africa)
MD-11 freighter crisis – with some 60 aircraft grounded, integrators are scrambling for replacement 767 and 747 capacity
Exclusive TAC Index market data – Neil Wilson breaks down peak season performance, capacity constraints, Taiwan semiconductor boom, and why intra-Asia rates are up 23% year-on-year
Capacity crunch reality – Why the aircraft delivery backlog means tight capacity, higher yields, and limited flexibility for shippers throughout 2026

Key themes: Air cargo thrives on chaos, but not all chaos is equal. This episode unpacks which disruptions benefit air freight and which threaten growth – plus what the data actually shows about where the market is heading.
Links:
TAC Index: https://www.tacindex.com Ontegos Cloud: https://www.ontegos.cloud/
Brought to you by Ontegos Cloud – the freight forwarder profitability specialist helping forwarders turn operational effort into economic control. Learn more at ontegoscloud.com
Subscribe and follow for monthly market intelligence, exclusive data, and insights from the people shaping global air cargo.
 
Timestamps
 
 
 
00:00 Introduction & Welcome to Air Cargo Unpacked
00:30 Geopolitical Chaos: Greenland, Venezuela, Iran & the Red Sea
02:00 China’s Record $1.2 Trillion Trade Surplus Explained
04:00 E-commerce as a River: Finding Routes Despite Trade Wars
06:00 Does Air Cargo Thrive on Chaos?
08:00 End of De Minimis: Impact on Shein, Temu & E-commerce Volumes
11:00 2026 Vertical Focus: AI, Semiconductors & Taiwan Trade Deal
14:00 TAC Index Exclusive: Peak Season Analysis & Rate Trends
18:00 Taiwan Strength, MD-11 Groundings & Capacity Constraints
21:00 Chinese New Year Outlook: What to Expect in February
25:00 Aircraft Maintenance & The Aging Freighter Fleet
28:00 IATA’s Brendan Sullivan: Top Headwinds & Opportunities for 2026

Container shipping enters 2026 facing a perfect storm: deepening geopolitical fractures, a historic vessel orderbook driving severe overcapacity, and the growing likelihood that services will soon return fully to the Suez Canal. Could this trigger a new wave of consolidation among smaller container lines?
For freight buyers, this creates both uncertainty and potential negotiating leverage.
In this episode, Mike King speaks with two voices from opposite ends of the shipping spectrum:
James Hookham – Director of the Global Shippers Forum, representing cargo owners worldwide and demanding carriers deliver “solutions, not surcharges”
Robbert van Trooijen – Founder of Inception Partners, former Maersk Regional President across Asia Pacific and Latin America for 15 years
This episode is produced in partnership with Dimerco Express Group, a global 3PL specialising in Asia-Pacific supply chains. If your sourcing or manufacturing runs through Asia, they’re worth a look: https://www.dimerco.com
 
KEY INSIGHTS:
✅ Why geopolitics is now the #1 line item on shipper risk lists ✅ How US-China bloc competition forces countries like Indonesia and Panama to choose sides ✅ Suez partial reopening creating port chaos in China and Northern Europe ✅ Historic vessel orderbook (one-third of existing fleet) driving severe overcapacity ✅ “Gap between top 4 carriers and rest widening to uncomfortable size” – consolidation wave predicted ✅ Why Gemini’s 90% reliability is great, but will it last and why aren’t other carriers doing better? ✅ How surcharges become carriers’ profit protection tool when rates fall ✅ Contract strategy: 60/40 or 70/30 splits recommended, consider index-based deals ✅ Why APM Terminals earns 17% returns while carriers struggle with single digits ✅ Trade deal outcomes (USMCA, US-China, US-EU) will reshape 2026 freight flows
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Cold Open: Quote teases from James & Robbert 01:00 – Intro & Sponsor: Dimerco Express Group 02:00 – Guest Introductions: James Hookham & Robbert van Trooijen
ACT 1: GEOPOLITICS & SUPPLY CHAIN VULNERABILITY 03:00 – Is geopolitics the #1 line item on shipper risk lists for 2026? 03:45 – Robbert on “Choke Points” book and economic warfare 04:15 – “The Fractured Age” – Two-bloc world led by US-China 05:00 – Panama’s forced choice: Rhetoric vs reality 06:00 – James: Supply chains as targets in great power competition 07:15 – “If you like your job unpredictable… being a freight buyer is the place to be in 2026” 08:00 – WTF acronym: “We got to day three, didn’t we Mike?” 09:00 – Overcapacity “might just come to a head in 26” 10:00 – Post-de minimis world: What it means for e-commerce shippers
ACT 2: CONTAINER SHIPPING FUNDAMENTALS 12:45 – Pre-Chinese New Year rate bump: Seasonal or structural? 13:00 – “One third of existing fleet on order” – Historic overcapacity explained 14:00 – Choke points shifting from ocean to landside capacity 15:00 – Port congestion: China, Northern Europe, US infrastructure gaps 16:00 – Chinese port cranes controversy impacting US investments 16:45 – Has reliability actually improved? James’ assessment 17:30 – Gemini alliance: Customer service “at the forefront of their thinking” 18:00 – Working capital tied up in invento…