Executive Commentary |
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generate shared value. This period should be viewed as an opportunity to build smarter, more integrated logistics ecosystems capable of withstanding demand fluctuations.
Slower growth calls for greater discipline and innovation, not reduced ambition. By embracing technology, sustainability and collaboration, the maritime industry can convert shortterm challenges into long-term strength for the global supply chain.
At the same time, we face the same challenging environment. Nevertheless, it remains essential to maintain our commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality and competitively priced logistics solutions that continue to support US trade.
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deugro( USA)
Ryan Blewett
Vice President and Country Manager www. deugro-group. com
What concerns me most about the sector can be summed up in one word— capacity. We are gearing up for projects that have been on the books since 2024 but have moved to the right. That, combined with new awards, makes 2026 a full year, and this is across several industries— it is not limited to one vertical. With projects implementing new strategies and continuing to build bigger, there will be a shortage of specialized equipment and personnel in the market to cover the work. We are already seeing a renaissance in hiring sprees for companies gearing up for 2026. Combined with specialized equipment being booked out 12 months in advance, it will be a fight for space for those who leave it to the last minute. We see this across the board, with particular focus on deck carriers, barges and rail cars. With projects continuing to move further inland— and seeing booms in areas that traditionally haven’ t had mega projects— we are seeing equipment and resources spread further across the US, reducing the ability to share across projects. There is a finite
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“ In today’ s dynamic trade environment, the shipping industry has a pivotal moment to help shape a more connected and resilient Western hemisphere.” Tom Crowley
“ There is a finite number of resources, and those who plan early and place their MOUs will be best suited for a successful 2026.”
Ryan Blewett
“ Normalization of consumer demand postpandemic was always going to temper container traffic growth, but that process has been disrupted by the dramatic shift in US trade policy.”
Philip Damas
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Crowley
Tom Crowley
Chairman and CEO www. crowley. com
In today’ s dynamic trade environment, the shipping industry has a pivotal moment to help shape a more connected and resilient Western hemisphere. As companies rethink where and how they build their supply chains, this is not a time to pull back— we must partner to invest boldly in nearshoring, logistics infrastructure and energy solutions that bring opportunity closer to home.
Working together with our neighbors in Central America and the Caribbean, US industry and policy leaders can modernize and secure regional supply chains, leveraging proximity to reduce risk and accelerate growth. Integrated networks rooted in regional collaboration offer speed, reliability and resilience that distant, transoceanic routes cannot match.
Strategic investments in modern ports, logistics corridors and cleaner energy solutions— such as liquefied natural gas fuel— will strengthen local economies while creating agile, secure supply chains for shippers, manufacturers and consumers
number of resources, and those who plan early and place their MOUs will be best suited for a successful 2026.
Drewry
Philip Damas
Managing Director www. drewry. co. uk
The new downward cycle in container shipping shares similarity with past downturns in that the primary driver is overcapacity.
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alike. When we build capacity in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, we do more than move goods; we create jobs, drive value into communities and position the broader region as a competitive hub for hemispheric trade.
Momentum is promising: Central America is attracting billions in foreign direct investment as nearshoring accelerates. The Dominican Republic’ s trade advantages are fueling growth as supply chains develop, signaling a shift toward integrated regional supply chains. Together, we can transform the broader region into a competitive hub for hemispheric trade as a competitive alternative to longer, trans-oceanic supply chains.
This vision depends on partnership— private sector, government and local enterprises working together to ensure investment delivers enduring value and shared prosperity.
The path forward is clear: connect production and consumption through proximity. By enabling growth with modernized supply chains, we can strengthen trade, empower communities and build a stronger, more competitive hemisphere.
But there are differences.
The demand-side slowdown is new in that some of it stems partly from geopolitics and a fragmentation of countries between different, tariff-free blocs of trading partners. This will require carriers and others to be agile and adaptable in following these shifts— which they will do.
The normalization of consumer demand post-pandemic was always going to temper container traffic growth, but that process has been disrupted by the dramatic shift in US trade policy. There are another three big differences between the current and past downturns.
First, carriers are much better placed to weather the next downturn as
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