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CTS: Q3 in numbers

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. From trade volumes and pricing trends to geopolitical disruption and shifting trade lanes, we put the Q3 container shipping market under the microscope.

DHL is "first express cargo carrier" to use SAF at Paris CDG Airport

DHL Express has signed a fuel deal that will enable it to become the first express cargo carrier to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport. The one-year partnership with TotalEnergies covers 5m litres of SAF over the course of one year to fuel aircraft departing from the DHL Express hub at Paris CDG to the company's air hubs in Leipzig, Casablanca, Milan, and London. DHL said the first DHL aircraft powered with SAF at CDG took off on 9 November. As well as becoming the first express cargo carrier to use SAF at Paris CDG, this is also the first time SAF will be used by DHL Express in France altogether. For DHL in France, this initiative is expected to reduce CO₂e emissions by approximately 11,800 metric tons annually. Travis Cobb, executive vice president global network operations & aviation at DHL Express, commented: "This latest milestone is part of DHL's global strategy to decarbonise express transportation and help our customers reduce their transport-related indirect emissions. "In 2025, SAF already accounted for 10% of the aviation fuel used across DHL's own aircraft fleet, positioning our Group as a leader in both logistics and aviation sustainability." Philippe Prétat, chief executive of DHL Express France, added: "Five years ago, the opening of our Paris Charles de Gaulle Hub marked a major milestone in the development of DHL Express in France. "Today, the introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at this facility opens a new chapter. By becoming the first express operator to use SAF at Paris CDG Airport, we are demonstrating that world-class international logistics performance and a reduced carbon footprint can go hand in hand. "This initiative reflects our commitment to supporting French businesses in their global trade activities while contributing to the transformation of our industry." The introduction of SAF into DHL Express's air operations at Paris CDG coincides with the fifth anniversary of DHL's hub at the airport. Opened in 2021 following an investment of €170m, the 24-hour facility represents the largest investment made by DHL in France since the company established operations in the country in 1976. It is also one of the key hubs within DHL's European network. Located in the Paris CDG cargo zone, the site occupies a 91,000 sq m plot and offers 34,000 sq m of operational space. Its sorting system can process up to 38,000 parcels and documents per hour, fifteen times the capacity of the facility it replaced.

Forget about Mærsk as the integrator of container logistics

Today we soft launch our "Top Analyst Question(s) Award" drawing from yesterday's Q3 26 (YAWWWNNNN) earnings call with Mærsk, when CEO Vincent Clerc tried to explain why all units are firing on all cylinders, almost a decade after the carrier's reorg was disclosed (our exclusive from Oct 2018 is here), aiming for deeper integration of Ocean, Logistics and Terminals business lines. HOWEVER: is the ambition to become a global integrator of container logistics, a legacy of the Søren Skou years, still ...