Rising shipping costs hit global trade hard.
Transport, trade, travel and tourism industries and markets have been in the target and control of extremist, terrorist and jihadi groups, since at least 2020. Disruptions became more visible with Covid (of course) and the concerted blockade of main export container terminals first in Chinese and U.S. (especially West Coast) ports. Then followed the brief blockade of Suez Canal with B/S Ever Given. Then the blockade of Ukrainian Russian Black Sea ports, the sanctions and the disruptions in the food and energy markets and supply chains, because of the war. The war in Gaza is crowned by the semi blockade (control) of the Suez Canal by the Houthi forces and other undislosed forces (Iran denies Houthi support for the Suez blockade). The (concurrent) semi blockade (control) of the Panama Canal allegedly for (unclarified) climate change conditions. The Baltimore Bridge crash with B/S Dali, vividly reminiscent of 9/11 aircraft attacks in NY WTC. Tens of interim supply chain disruptions with infrastructure sabotage, cyber attacks and abusive surprise and other strikes and obstructions. All with common underlying denominator, fear, terror, damage and above all, inflation. Conferences, concerts and concentrations in the shipping markets, expecially in container shipping, are expectedly on the rise. The financial, commodity, commercial, shipping and insurance markets are under artificial and control conditions, while the regulation and supervision authorities, together with port authorities and coast guard forces are apparently neutralized. Free shipping, maritime navigation, sea, air and land borne transport and trade are all threatened or compromised in the Red Sea, in Central America, in the Black Sea, in the Pacific and the Atlantic. The conditions are tense in the Far East. Law enforcement agencies, security forces and counter terrorism forces are understandably overwhelmed by the duration of the crisis, the scale of threats, risks, dangers and damages, the variation of the fronts and the multiplicity of the attacks in the (organized, open and declared) terror war waged by the powerful extremist and terrorist groups and networks against the world, across the board and at national and international level.
https://www.dw.com/en/rising-shipping-costs-hit-global-trade-hard/a-69586965
