Freight Pulse & Law Update: Hormuz Traffic Down 95%, China Rewrites Cargo Liability, Brake Safety Week Wraps

The freight market is entering a higher-risk operating phase: Strait of Hormuz traffic has collapsed by roughly 95%, China’s revised Maritime Code now expands mandatory cargo-liability exposure, and North American inspectors are targeting commercial vehicle brake systems.

What does the Hormuz disruption mean for global logistics?

Six months into the US-Israel-Iran war, daily vessel traffic through the Strait has fallen from more than 100 ships to roughly five. Reuters reporting indicates the disruption is continuing rather than quickly normalizing.

Key indicators include:

• Gulf crude exports down approximately 47%, from 17 million barrels per day in 2025 to about 9 million.

• Flows rerouting toward the Red Sea and Southeast Asia.

• Singapore and Malaysia emerging as hubs for redirected energy.

• Oil prices approximately 20% above pre-war levels.

• Inventory buffers increasingly depleted, raising six-month volatility risk.

What changed under China’s Maritime Code 2026?

Effective May 1, 2026, China’s first major Maritime Code overhaul in more than 30 years applies mandatorily to international carriage loading or discharging at a Chinese port. Foreign governing-law clauses cannot contract around those provisions.

The changes include:

• Terminal operators and stevedores treated as “actual carriers.”

• Joint and several liability for qualifying cargo claims.

• A written claim letter able to interrupt the one-year time bar.

• Potential cargo-insurance repricing as underwriting exposure widens.

Reopen contracts, audit claims procedures, and review indemnity chains touching Chinese ports.

What did DOT Brake Safety Week identify?

CVSA Brake Safety Week runs August 23–29 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with 2026 emphasis on brake drums and rotors. Trucks with critical brake violations are placed out of service until repaired.

What should shippers do now?

Use a 3PL with documented carrier controls, flexible fulfillment routing, and real-time visibility. Lanta Logistics combines 3PL fulfillment services with FlowOps by Lanta logistics software for supply chain management companies and third party logistics providers. Contact Lanta Logistics to strengthen inventory management for ecommerce, transportation oversight, and compliance planning from a Mid-Atlantic fulfillment hub.