On the supply side, the global container shipping fleet grew by 7 percent in 2025, outpacing demand growth of 5 percent MSI forecasts fleet growth of 3.5 percent in 2026, compared to just 2 percent demand growth. Read more at Breakbulk News.
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.
Shipyard capacity surges but relocation will increasingly take centre stage
Strategic and economic shifts by South Korean builders are designed to counter China’s orderbook dominance, writes Stuart Nicoll, director, MSI. Read more at Xinde Marine.
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.
2025 in dry bulk: balancing fragile trade and fleet expansion
Dry bulk owners navigated uneven 2025 trade, a growing orderbook and tighter expectations for safety, vetting and data integrity.
MSI highlighted the role of Guinean bauxite in that late-year strength, noting exports were up 35% year-on-year for January to August. Read more at Riviera.
How to spend it in 2026
According to a new report from Fitch Ratings, next year will still be challenging due to a myriad of geopolitical and policy risks. Shipping will also be hit by the lower GDP growth expected across most major economies in 2026 compared to 2025.
Adam Kent, managing director at MSI, agrees with several aspects of this report and believes that the circling geopolitical winds will continue to impact markets into 2026.
“These forces, coupled with asset prices that remain relatively high and stubbornly sticky against a volatile earnings backdrop, make choosing a sector to invest in over the next 12 months more challenging than usual,” he explains to Splash Extra. Read more at Splash247.com
MSI’s Adam Kent: The Structural Shifts Redefining Global Shipping Markets
At the Xinde Marine Forum, Dr Adam Kent, Managing Director of MSI, delivered a data-rich and forward-looking keynote that combined market analytics with deeper structural insights from MSI’s latest research. Read more at Xinde Marine News.
Year-end dry bulk rally collides with overcapacity
Two-year high bulker earnings contrast with accelerating fleet growth, muted scrapping and Chinese stockbuilding that raises doubts over how long the rally could last.
MSI argued that much of this strength was driven by temporary stockbuilding and pointed out elevated inventories in China, combined with the usual Lunar New Year slowdown, were expected to weigh on imports in early 2026. Read more at Riviera.
When will the container orderbook get into gear?
While the containership orderbook has surged to over 33% of the total fleet, next to none of these vessels are geared ships, according to data analysis by MSI in its latest HORIZON Monthly Containership Report. Read more at Hellenic Shipping News.
Has the US ceded the race for clean fuels to China?
China-led hydrogen and ammonia regional exports will curb the development of longhaul trades and limit large carrier fleet growth, argues MSI decarbonisation analyst Mariam Tzannatos. Read more at Riviera.