The latest data for our Containership Databank for June 2026 points to a further acceleration in the strategic repositioning of deepsea container networks around the Indian Sub-Continent (ISC). What initially appeared to be a tactical response to disruption in the Red Sea and wider Middle East has increasingly evolved into a broader restructuring of liner network architecture, with the ISC emerging as a key organising hub within global east-west and north-south trade systems. Between February and June 2026, monthly deepsea scheduled capacity passing via the ISC (excluding the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf) increased from 2.19 million TEU to 2.66 million TEU, representing growth of almost 21%. Compared with June 2025, capacity is now around 12% higher. At the same time, the number of deepsea services routed through the region increased from 104 to 127 between February and June 2026, further reinforcing the extent to which carriers are redesigning network structures around the ISC. This growth is particularly significant because it is not simply driven by incremental demand. Instead, it reflects a more structural reconfiguration of service patterns. Carriers appear to be using the ISC increasingly as a flexible transhipment and redistribution platform capable of linking multiple long-haul corridors while also providing optionality under conditions of geopolitical uncertainty. A notable feature of the latest data is the growing concentration of capacity around strategic ports, particularly Colombo, Mundra and Nhava Sheva, which now account for a substantial share of total ISC deepsea capacity and service deployment. Colombo continues to consolidate its role as the region’s dominant transhipment hub. Excluding the capacity on the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, deepsea capacity routed via Colombo increased from 1.30 million TEU in February 2026 to 1.48 million TEU in June 2026, an increase of 14%, while the number of services rose from 39 to 48. Colombo alone now handles approximately 56% of all ISC deepsea capacity captured in the dataset, underlining its pivotal role in maintaining connectivity across Asia-Europe, Asia-Africa and Asia-Americas corridors. The port’s scale, transhipment orientation and central geographic position continue to make it highly attractive for carriers seeking flexibility in network deployment and cargo redistribution. The most striking developments are visible in the Indian gateways themselves. Mundra recorded exceptionally strong growth, with scheduled capacity increasing by 53% between February and June 2026, rising from 618,000 TEU to almost 1.0 million TEU. The number of services calling at Mundra expanded even more sharply, increasing by 70% over the same period. Compared with June 2025, capacity is now 43% higher. Mundra’s share of overall ISC capacity has consequently risen from 28% in February to 36% in June 2026. This suggests that carriers are increasingly integrating western Indian gateways directly into long-haul network structures rather than relying solely on traditional transhipment hubs. A similar dynamic is emerging at Nhava Sheva, where capacity increased by 47% between February and June 2026, reaching almost 1 million TEU, while the number of services rose by 62%. On a year-on-year basis, capacity is up 24% and service deployment almost 40% higher. Nhava Sheva now accounts for approximately 37% of total ISC deepsea capacity within the dataset, compared with 31% only four months earlier. Taken together, the data points to three interrelated developments. First, carriers are clearly increasing their operational dependence on the ISC as an intermediate network fulcrum. Rather than functioning simply as an origin-destination region, the ISC is increasingly acting as a stitching point between multiple long-haul trade lanes. This is particularly important in the context of ongoing geopolitical disruption and persistent uncertainty surrounding traditional Middle Eastern routing structures. Second, the expansion is becoming increasingly geographically diversified, with Indian ports becoming more deeply embedded into global service rotations. This reflects both sustained infrastructure development across the region and carriers’ broader strategy of increasing network flexibility through a wider set of complementary nodes, alongside the continued role of established transhipment hubs. Third, the sharp increase in the number of services suggests that this is not merely a matter of upsizing existing loops. Instead, carriers appear to be introducing additional strings, alternative routings and more modular network structures capable of adapting quickly to changing operational conditions. This aligns with the broader industry trend away from highly optimised but vulnerable single-corridor systems towards more flexible and risk-diversified configurations. Importantly, this does not necessarily imply a permanent displacement of the Middle East as a major network hub. However, it does suggest that the ISC has gained strategic importance in a way that may endure even if geopolitical conditions eventually stabilise. Previous experience following the Houthi-related disruption in the Red Sea demonstrated that network reconfigurations are slow and operationally complex to reverse. Once carriers establish new routings, commercial relationships and transhipment patterns, these structures often persist well beyond the initial disruption that triggered them. As a result, the most likely medium-term outcome may not be a binary shift from the Middle East to the ISC, but rather the emergence of a more distributed and multi-nodal network model in which both regions coexist within a broader risk-diversified system. In that environment, the ISC (and particularly ports such as Colombo, Mundra and Nhava Sheva) could retain a structurally enhanced role within global liner shipping networks.

The MHHI for both the Mediterranean-North America East Coast and North Europe-North America East Coast corridors exceeded the 2,500 threshold again in 2026Q2, confirming the persistence of highly concentrated competitive structures across the main Europe-North American East Coast trades. While both corridors remain firmly within a high-concentration regime, the historical evolution and underlying consortium structures reveal important differences in how concentration and competitive overlap are developing. The Mediterranean-North America East Coast corridor recorded an MHHI of 2,801 in 2026Q2, continuing the structurally elevated range observed since 2016. The corridor remains heavily shaped by the dominance of MSC, alongside significant market positions held by Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk. Consortium-related overlap is concentrated around two principal structures: the CMA CGM-COSCO-ONE grouping and the Hapag Lloyd-Maersk cooperation. The North Europe-North America East Coast corridor reached an MHHI of 2,573 in 2026Q2, returning above the 2,500 threshold after a temporary easing during 2024-2025. Compared with the Mediterranean trade, the North Europe corridor exhibits a more fragmented but also more interconnected consortium landscape. In addition to the CMA CGM-COSCO-ONE structure, the corridor includes broader multi-carrier configurations involving Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd and MSC, alongside several smaller bilateral arrangements. The result is a denser network of overlapping competitive relationships, even though the corridor remains somewhat less concentrated overall than the Mediterranean trade. Historically, both corridors have undergone a marked structural transition since the mid-2010s, moving from moderately concentrated markets into persistently high-MHHI regimes. This reflects not only carrier consolidation but also the growing role of alliance-based capacity deployment and consortium participation in shaping competitive dynamics across the transatlantic container trades. The analysis applies the consortium-adjusted MHHI methodology described by Olaf Merk and Antonella Teodoro in https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41278-022-00225-x and is based on data from MDS Transmodal’s Containership Databank.

 Global containerised trade (including maritime and overland flows) continued its expansion in 2025, reaching 324.3 million TEU, up 3.4% on 2024. Growth was led by exports from the Far East, which rose by more than 7%. North America, by contrast, was the only region to experience a contraction in exports, down by 2% reflecting the ongoing effects of US tariffs on key trading partners. The long-term view from 2006 to 2025 shows that such shifts are not unusual: trade flows often reroute temporarily in response to shocks, but overall volumes continue to grow, highlighting the resilience of global logistics networks. US trade flows illustrate these adaptive patterns. Exports fell slightly by 2.3% in 2025, with declines to North America (-4.7%) and the Far East (-6.9%) offset by growth to Europe (+5.9%), Latin America (+4.2%), the Gulf & ISC (+2.2%). Imports were broadly stable (-0.7%), though the Far East contracted slightly (-1.4%) while the Gulf & ISC grew by over 10%. These figures suggest that while US–China trade is under pressure, overall flows are adjusting rather than disappearing, and alternative suppliers are stepping in. At the country level, US imports from China fell sharply by 18%, yet total Far East imports declined by only 1.4%, as Vietnam (+23.7%), Thailand (+31%), and Malaysia (+32.9%) counterbalanced the drop. On the export side, US shipments to China also fell 18%, but exports to Vietnam (+48.6%), India (+9.7%), and South Korea (+4.3%) increased. This diversification demonstrates a strategic shift within the Far East, as the US reduces dependence on China while engaging more actively with other regional partners. China’s broader trade patterns reinforce this trend. Exports to the US dropped 18%, but flows to Europe rose 11%, to Sub-Saharan Africa 25%, and to regional Far East partners 10%. Imports into China declined modestly (-1.2%) but showed shifts in origin markets. These movements illustrate the adaptive nature of global trade: when one corridor contracts, others expand to maintain overall flow, demonstrating that trade is like water: it will find new channels to continue moving. Europe and the Gulf are emerging as beneficiaries of these rerouted flows. EU exports increased 2.1% in 2025, driven by strong intra-European trade and Germany’s growth (+8.1%), while imports rose 4%, led by the Far East (+11.6%) and Gulf (+12.1%). This demonstrates the flexibility of global networks: when US–China trade slows, Europe captures displaced flows, maintaining balance in logistics and reinforcing its strategic importance. Historically, similar rerouting has been observed during previous US–China tensions or after systemic shocks like the 2008 financial crisis. Typically, flows rebalance once tariffs or disruptions subside. However, the scale of adjustments in 2025 is notable, suggesting some realignment could be longer-lasting, especially if supply chains permanently shift to alternative suppliers. The overarching lesson is clear: trade adapts. Even under pressure from tariffs or geopolitical shocks, goods continue to move, finding new pathways and alternative partners. For industry stakeholders and decision-makers, the imperative is to monitor not only the total volume of trade but also the changing routes and relationships that define the future of global commerce. The patterns emerging in 2025 offer both challenges and opportunities for infrastructure planning, supply chain resilience, and strategic engagement with emerging markets.

City logistics is vital for local economies, yet unmanaged deliveries lead to congestion, additional emissions, inefficiencies for logistics operators and complaints from residents. This 30-minute lunchtime webinar provides data-driven insights and practical, low-cost recommendations from a study on city logistics in the heritage city of Chester in Northwest England. It shows how the public and private sectors can work together to balance the economic vitality of their towns and cities with sustainability objectives and quality of place. The webinar will be hosted by Chris Rowland , who has 30 years' experience working as a freight transport economist specialising in the impact of policy on freight transport operations. He has a particular interest in city logistics, having completed projects on 'last mile' logistics for the European Commission, the Urban Transport Group, a range of English city regions and the National Transport Authority in Ireland.

We’re very pleased to announce that MDS Transmodal has teamed up with Mark Grimshaw Smith and Geoff Lippitt as Associates, further strengthening the depth, breadth and delivery capability of our services to commercial clients in the freight and logistics sector both in the UK and globally.

A potential freight and passenger ferry service directly linking Scotland to the Continent is being planned for later in 2026. While MDS Transmodal worked with Scottish Enterprise at the turn of the century to launch the first service, it is now 8 years since a freight-only service stopped and some 16 years since passenger and freight services ceased. While the Scottish port would, as before, be Rosyth, the continental ports is planned to be Dunkirk in France.

Connections to global markets and supplies are a precondition for trade driven development, investments, and jobs. Here, we analyze how the global shipping network has evolved and the impact on countries position in the network over the last two decades. 

While the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced a distance-based tax for electric cars – but not for HGVs or LGVs – in the 2025 Budget, the freight industry regards the eventual introduction of a road pricing scheme for HGVs as being inevitable. Based on modelling of freight transport flows in Great Britain, what could the impact of such a scheme be?

To support long-term strategic planning and investment in the UK rail freight sector, the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBR-TT) commissioned MDS Transmodal to produce detailed forecasts of future rail freight demand for the years 2040/41 and 2050/51. This analysis provides a scenario-based outlook on how evolving market conditions and policy decisions could shape the trajectory of rail freight over the coming decades.