Spotlight
Shipping wants clarity before Hormuz transits resume
News of a peace deal between the US and Iran has been cautiously welcomed by the shipping industry, but there will be no rush to resume transits through the Strait of Hormuz until safe passage can be guaranteed. The statements made by the US and Iran are unclear and did not offer enough information around key aspects of Hormuz transits, such as timings and safe routes, said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association Bimco.“ Due to lack of details and a history of overly optimistic reassurances, we believe the security situation for the shipping industry remains volatile, and we still consider it very risky for ships to commence transits at this point,” Larsen said in a statement.“ We advise shipowners to continue doing thorough risk assessments and appeal to all parties to put the safety of seafarers first.” Hapag-Lloyd is reevaluating its risk assessment for the transiting of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran agreement, a spokesperson for the carrier told the Journal of Commerce.“ We are reviewing the available information and working closely with the relevant authorities and our security partners to ensure a safe passage,” he said.“ Still, the safety of our crews and vessels, as well as the security of our customers’ cargo, remain our highest priorities.” Maersk said in a statement that publicly available details of the deal were limited and that it was too early to make any changes to its logistics and maritime operations in the region. A senior executive from another carrier said commercial pressure to resume both Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea / Suez Canal voyages would come from customers the moment it was considered safe to use the waterways. About 20 % of the world’ s oil is transported through the narrow Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman that has been effectively closed since the war began. While there is no widespread drying up of bunker supplies in the worst-affected ports, fuel availability has steadily tightened in Asia and the Middle East, particularly around low-sulfur blends.
Anadolu / Getty Images
Caught in the Moment Photography BSY Associates Inc.
Tirschwell, Brooks leave lasting legacy
Peter Tirschwell and Chris Brooks have retired from the Journal of Commerce after impressive respective tenures of 34 and 42 years. Tirschwell, who most recently served as vice president of the Journal of Commerce, rose from a cub reporter to become the world’ s leading maritime journalist and founder and chair of the largest container shipping conference in the world. A New York City native with figurative saltwater in his veins, Tirschwell helped make the Journal of Commerce the premier global shipping publication and grow TPM from some 150 attendees in its first year to a global event attracting more than 4,000 people annually. That, along with his regular analysis and reporting and frequent speeches at industry events, helped make him one of the most respected and unbiased voices and experts in the shipping industry, and he will continue to work as an independent shipping journalist. He leaves behind a senior leadership team dedicated to providing the shipping industry with the essential news and analysis that it has for 199 years, while bringing industry stakeholders together at the Journal of Commerce’ s three conferences: TPM in Long Beach, Inland Distribution in Chicago, and Breakbulk & Project Cargo in New Orleans. Brooks, meanwhile, rose from copy editor to executive editor, and finally, executive director and co-leader of the business. A newsroom stalwart leaves who helped build TPM into the largest container shipping conference in the world, Brooks leaves an impactful legacy of mentorship, camaraderie and innovation across the Journal of Commerce’ s editorial products and annual events. Along with his role at the Journal of Commerce, Brooks is also a long-time board member and president of the Containerization & Intermodal Institute. The Journal of Commerce thanks Peter Tirschwell and Chris Brooks for their leadership and vision as it moves into a new chapter on the eve of its 200th anniversary in 2027, dedicated to providing the news, information and events the shipping industry depends upon.
US warehousing expanding faster at key inland hubs
Industrial vacancy rates remain high across the US, but warehouses are filling up in certain markets. Space is getting tighter at industrial sites in key inland logistics hubs such as Chicago, Indianapolis and the Ohio Valley and extending to Texas and
6 Journal of Commerce | July 6, 2026 www. joc. com