Freight Pulse & Law Update: Supertanker Shortage Spikes Oil Freight, CBP Wants Your Supplier's Export Docs, and the Cabotage Crackdown Bites
Freight markets are tightening across oil, containers, trucking, and compliance. Fewer available VLCCs are lengthening crude voyages and raising freight per barrel, while container rates, diesel, border enforcement, and proposed CBP disclosure requirements are increasing risk for importers, carriers, and third party logistics providers.
Why are oil and container freight costs rising?
The supertanker shortage is threatening some long-distance crude trades. Longer triangulation and scarce VLCC availability are pushing rates sharply higher, particularly on routes affected by Strait of Hormuz disruption. Japan Times coverage describes the growing pressure on vessel deployment.
Container markets are also escalating:
SCFI rates have climbed for eight consecutive weeks.
Asia–U.S. rates have passed $11,000 per FEU.
Far East–U.S. rates are approximately 324% higher since the Hormuz crisis.
Maersk has changed emergency routings, added LCL surcharges, and paused bookings to several Gulf ports.
What should importers know about the CBP proposal?
CBP’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, docket USCBP-2026-1058, could require foreign export documents, deeper supply-chain tracing, and expanded CTPAT reporting. Comments are due December 1, 2026. This remains a notice-and-comment proposal, not a final rule.
Mexican truckers are seeking diplomatic talks after visa revocations, while cabotage enforcement on cross-border movements has intensified. Meanwhile, companies face a cost environment described by small-business owners as worse than Covid, with tariffs, interest rates, and diesel near the annual high of $6.29 per gallon.
How should logistics teams respond?
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