Freight Pulse & Law Update - 18:00

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia is disrupting access to the Port of Buenaventura, while trans-Pacific peak-season rates remain elevated. At the same time, Strait of Hormuz toll proposals and China’s revised Maritime Code are adding new layers of cost, compliance, and routing risk.

Buenaventura faces a landside bottleneck

Port infrastructure appears largely intact, but terminal operations, inland depots, and cargo handling are being restricted while inspections continue. The Cali–Buenaventura highway is closed by landslides, cutting off the main truck corridor to Colombia’s Pacific gateway.

Maersk reports temporary terminal suspensions, omitted vessel calls, and cargo rescheduling. Coffee exports: the port’s signature outbound flow: are effectively paused. Shippers should expect rollovers, container delays, and limited alternatives through Caribbean ports. Review Maersk’s operational update before confirming Colombia-related bookings.

Trans-Pacific rates stay under pressure

Asia–U.S. container rates remain strong through August. Recent benchmarks place West Coast pricing around $7,000–$8,800 per FEU and East Coast pricing near $9,000–$10,300, supported by general rate increases, peak-season surcharges, front-loaded imports, and blank sailings.

The latest trans-Pacific market outlook points to continued volatility through at least mid-September. Reprice lanes, protect booking windows, and model both port and inland capacity before inventory commitments harden.

Maritime law enters its enforcement phase

China’s revised Maritime Code took effect May 1, 2026: not August: but its early enforcement period now affects China-related shipments. The framework expands carrier responsibility from receipt through delivery, recognizes electronic transport records, and can apply mandatorily when a Chinese port is involved.

The Strait of Hormuz remains commercially unreliable as Iran and regional governments debate contested tolls of roughly 3%–7% of cargo value. The IMO has reaffirmed opposition to transit tolls, but shippers must still plan for rerouting, insurance restrictions, sanctions exposure, and longer transit times.

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