LNG market facing years-long Qatari supply shortage following attacks

The world’s LNG supply outlook darkened sharply last night after Iran struck key gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, escalating the regional conflict and raising the prospect of prolonged disruption to one of the market’s most critical production hubs.

The impact on shipping could be mitigated by more long-haul LNG trade from the Atlantic Basin to Asia, MSI’s Buckland said, which would increase average voyage lengths.

“But this won’t be enough to make up for the loss in shipping demand that no, or reduced, Qatari exports will cause,” he said. Read more at Lloyds List.

US tariff tussle: supply chain disruption, trade deal uncertainty and shipping impacts

Analysts see a US Supreme Court ruling against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs as positive for container trades in the short term.

MSI director Daniel Richards told Riviera that any tariffs introduced under the IEEPA are now invalid. “All other tariffs implemented since January 2025, including those targeting the steel, aluminium, copper, automotive and lumber sectors, remain in place,” he explained.

According to Mr Richards, the situation for many individual countries is now murky – particularly for those that have negotiated trade agreements with the US over the past year. Read more at Riviera.

Red hot VLCC market hits new highs amid US – Iran tensions

MSI cites a number of factors driving the large tanker sector including a build up of floating storage and Sinokor’s aggressive moves to acquire and control VLCC tonnage, which has been estimated to control 24% of the spot trading fleet. “Sinokor is reportedly already withholding its VLCC tonnage in order to push rates up further.” The squeeze on the market is exacerbated by the proportion of the VLCC fleet that is either sanctioned or part of the dark fleet. Read more at Seatrade.

China’s demographic cliff: can shipping live without its golden growth engine?

The demographic sweetspot for China, the 21st century’s driving force of shipping profits, has long passed. This month, Beijing reported its steepest birth rate decline since the Communist Party took power in 1949. Splash Extra investigates what a dwindling population means for global shipping.

Adam Kent, managing director at MSI, explains to Splash Extra that with the population in decline, demand for new property and infrastructure will slow as economic growth slows, with a greater focus on services rather than goods as the population ages.

“This raises the question of whether we expect another ‘China’ to emerge to replace lost shipping demand. India is often cited as the most obvious candidate, given that its population has now surpassed China’s,” Kent says. Read more at Splash247.com.

Shipping markets outlook for H1 2026 – Podcast

2025 was a year like no other for shipping buffeted by US tariffs, trade wars, and geopolitical conflicts but through it all markets across most major sectors performed remarkably well.

Going into 2026 there seems to be no let up with the US military action in Venezuela with days of the New Year, so what does the rest of the coming 12 months have to offer the world of shipping?

Find out the views of the experts from MSI Ltd by listening to the podcast at Seatrade Maritime.