Podcast
Supply Chain Secrets
Hosted by NYSHEX · EN
The Supply Chain Secrets Podcast cuts through the noise to bring you real, unfiltered insights from the front lines of global logistics. Whether you’re a shipper, NVO, carrier, or just someone who needs to stay ahead of market shifts, we deliver analysis and hard-hitting conversations that actually matter. Visit nyshex.com/podcast to register to attend live!
30episodes
Episodes
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Peak Season Incoming, Hormuz Holds, and Global Demand Takes a Hit
5d ago00:17:26Tap to summarizePacific rates are flatlining but peak season signals are building, with freight futures pointing to a $900 per FEU jump on Asia-North Europe by July. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, global container demand fell 2.4% year-on-year in March, and Maersk posted a second consecutive quarter of negative EBIT.In this episode, Lars Jensen and Caroline Weaver cover:Rate movements across Asia-US West Coast, Asia-US East Coast, and Asia-North Europe, including what freight futures are signaling for peak seasonThe latest Hormuz developments including two new vessel attacks and the short-lived US military escort operationMarch global demand data: why the headline -2.4% masks a world that is otherwise still growing at 5-8%Maersk Q1 results and what two consecutive quarters of negative EBIT signals for carrier health
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The Crisis That Isn't Moving Global Rates
2w ago00:29:46Tap to summarizeThe Strait of Hormuz has been closed for two months, yet TransPacific and Asia-Europe freight rates are barely moving compared to the disruptions of 2024-2025. This week, Lars and Caroline put the Hormuz crisis in proper context and cover the other headlines reshaping ocean freight.In this episode, Lars Jensen and Caroline Weaver cover:Why Pacific and Asia-Europe spot rates are rising on seasonality, not the Hormuz crisis, and what the futures market is signaling for peak seasonLive updates from the Strait of Hormuz: vessel escorts, Iranian attacks, and why seafarers face higher risk inside a military convoy than outside oneHow Khor Fakkan scaled from 100 to 6,000 trucks per day to route cargo around a closed straitChina's new blocking statutes, the EU analog that already exists, and why compliance is now a lose-lose for many companiesThe MEPC decision expanding ECA coverage to the Northeast Atlantic and the net zero framework clinging to life support ahead of November
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Hormuz Escalates, Plastics at Risk, and Reliability Still Broken
3w ago00:23:22Tap to summarizeIran has seized two MSC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, bookings into the Persian Gulf have collapsed 66% year over year, and Somali pirates are back. The maritime risk picture is deteriorating fast.In this episode, Lars Jensen and Caroline Weaver cover:Transpacific NYFI movements by subtrade, including why Northeast Asia rates are more volatile than other originsWhy 20-foot and 40-foot rates on the Transatlantic have completely decoupled -- and what that means if you're shipping dense cargoAsia-North Europe spot rates weakening toward pre-crisis levels, while futures markets signal a recovery into MayIran seizing MSC vessels, the Hormuz closure, and the return of Somali piracyPlastics supply risk: why a Dow Chemical warning about ethylene and polyethylene shortages should be on every importer's radarOcean carrier reliability at 62% -- why the industry has systematically underperformed pre-pandemic norms, and what that means for global capacity
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Rate Spreads, Hormuz Chaos, and a 66-Year Consumer Confidence Low
4w ago00:16:16Tap to summarizeOcean freight markets are sending mixed signals this week: Asia-Europe spot rates are falling, Pacific rates are ticking up, and Atlantic rates jumped sharply, but the bigger story is the widening spread between what different shippers are paying and what that uncertainty means.In this episode, Lars Jensen and Caroline Weaver cover:Why expanding rate spreads across Asia-Europe, Transpacific, and Atlantic trades signal growing market uncertaintyThe Strait of Hormuz situation: the failed opening, vessel U-turns, Iranian attacks on ships, and what comes nextBunker fuel prices in context: why current levels, while high, are not the crisis they appear to beU.S. consumer sentiment hitting a 66-year record low and what that means for container volumes
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Hormuz, Oil Prices, and Why Rates Aren’t Spiking (Yet)
Apr 1300:17:25Tap to summarizeFreight markets are reacting to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, but not in the way many expected.In this week’s episode of Supply Chain Secrets, we break down why rate increases have been relatively modest so far, despite major geopolitical disruption, and what signals to watch beneath the surface.This episode covers: • Why Asia–US and Asia–Europe rates are rising gradually, not sharply • The role of bunker fuel in driving current rate increases • What early NYFI-linked futures activity is telling us about market expectations • How rerouting and limited transit through Hormuz are shaping capacity • The risk of escalation and what it could mean for key logistics gateways • Demand trends, including strong global growth and continued bifurcationPlus, insights on OOCL’s latest earnings and what they reveal about volume vs. rate performance.
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April 7 Launch: Container Freight Futures Go Live on ICE
Apr 600:36:11Tap to summarizeTomorrow, April 7, container freight futures tied to the NYSHEX Freight Index (NYFI) go live on Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).In this week’s episode of Supply Chain Secrets, the conversation focuses on what that means for the industry and how these new tools fit into freight strategy.Rich Heath, who leads financial products at NYSHEX, joins to break down how freight futures work, how they connect to index-linked contracts, and how companies can begin thinking about managing freight risk in a more structured way.This episode covers: • What freight futures are and how they differ from physical freight contracts • Why hedging is gaining traction now after years of limited adoption • How futures can be used alongside existing procurement strategies • What a first hedge can look like and how to start small • How procurement and finance teams can work together on freight riskAs volatility continues to shape the market, the industry is beginning to adopt new tools designed to operate within it.
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Hormuz Impact: Rates Rise, But Not How You’d Expect
Mar 3000:25:46Tap to summarizeFreight markets are reacting to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz but not in the way many expected.In this week’s episode of Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline and Lars break down what is actually happening beneath the surface of the rate data.While spot rates are only moving modestly week over week, the cumulative impact is building, and key signals in the market are starting to shift.This episode covers: • Why rate increases so far have been gradual, not explosive • The sharp divergence between 20-foot and 40-foot pricing and what it signals • What forward curves are indicating for peak season across major trades • How rerouting via Oman and the Red Sea is reshaping capacity • The latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz and who can still transit • Why disruption remains highly regional for containers, but global for energyPlus, a look at tariffs, IMO developments, and new trade agreements shaping global flows.
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Freight Price Predictions for 2026: What the Market Is Pricing In
Mar 2300:20:55Tap to summarizeWhat will freight rates look like for the rest of 2026?In this week’s episode of Supply Chain Secrets, the discussion moves beyond current spot rates to what the market is already pricing into the future.From forward curves on key trades to the unfolding situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the episode explores how fuel costs, demand uncertainty, and capacity dynamics are shaping freight price expectations.The key question: are current forecasts too conservative, or already balancing competing forces?Topics covered: • Forward price expectations across Asia–US and Asia–Europe trades • How much of the expected increase is already explained by fuel surcharges • Why rates may face both upward pressure from costs and downward pressure from demand • What a “semi-permanent” disruption in Hormuz could mean for freight markets • How to think about planning in a market where the range of outcomes is widening
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Hormuz Shock: What the Latest Crisis Means for Freight Rates and Risk
Mar 1600:27:07Tap to summarizeThe Strait of Hormuz crisis has abruptly changed the tone of the ocean freight market.In this week’s Supply Chain Secrets episode, Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen are joined by Peter Stallion of Clarksons to unpack what is happening right now and what it means for shippers, carriers, and NVOCCs navigating another wave of volatility.Peter brings the perspective of one of the world’s largest shipping brokers and futures market participants, explaining how financial tools are beginning to complement traditional freight procurement strategies.In this episode: • Why the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to container shipping • How fuel spikes and emergency surcharges are spreading across global trades • Why freight indices have not yet fully captured the market shock • What freight futures actually are and why adoption is accelerating • How procurement teams can use hedging as a complement to carrier relationships and market expertiseThe big takeaway: volatility is no longer rare. The industry is beginning to develop tools designed to operate in it.
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Persian Gulf Shock, Tariff Refunds, and the Next Wave of Surcharges
Mar 900:32:36Tap to summarizeBack from TPM, the team dives into the biggest forces reshaping ocean shipping right now.This week’s episode covers:Demand data and a widening imbalance on Asia to Europe, plus what that means for headhaul pricingHow parcel and DTC trade lanes are shifting as brands rethink sourcing and resilienceThe latest on IEEPA being ruled unlawful, what “refunds” might actually mean, and why the importer of record mattersSection 122 tariffs, the 150 day clock, and what comes nextThe Strait of Hormuz disruption, end-of-voyage declarations, cargo being discharged at alternate ports, and the surge of emergency surchargesWhy some fuel surcharges risk being blunt, not trade-specific, and potentially duplicative for shippers already paying variable fuel mechanismsHow index-linked contracts and freight derivatives can help manage exposure when markets reprice fast
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