The Loadstar Podcast: Record container volumes meet mounting disruption in Q3

What do the numbers tell us about the global container shipping market in Q3 2026? In this special episode of The Loadstar Podcast, we team up with Container Trades Statistics (CTS) CEO Nigel Pusey to unpack the latest data and explore the forces shaping global trade.

Joined by The Loadstar’s managing editor Gavin van Marle, we examine another quarter of record-breaking container volumes, the continued strength of Far East exports, and the changing dynamics across the transpacific and secondary markets, including South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

We also explore the growing impact of port congestion, as typhoons and operational disruption put further pressure on already stretched supply chains, plus the contrasting developments in the Middle East with increasing returns to Red Sea transits and continued uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz.

Finally, we revisit the predictions made in our Q2 episode to see how they measured up, before asking Nigel and Gavin to look ahead and share their forecasts for the coming months.

This story was originally published by The Loadstar. Read the full story at The Loadstar →