Container Bytes: Weekly Ocean & Air Freight Intelligence for Supply Chain Pros
Container Bytes is a weekly podcast from Freightos that delivers ocean and air cargo market data, rate trends, and forecasts for supply chain professionals. Each ten-minute episode covers the latest developments in global freight, with analysis from Freightos market analyst Judah Levine. It aims to provide signal rather than noise for busy logistics professionals. The tone is serious about freight but not overly formal.
פרקים
Container Bytes #51: Middle East Crude Rebounds, Premier Alliance's Red Sea Return, and Golden Week Shifts
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein returns from vacation to join Judah Levine, analyzing the latest trade developments as Golden Week draws to a close.In this episode, we unpack new estimates showing Middle East crude oil exports returning close to pre-war baselines, aided by naval escorts, dark transits through the Strait of Hormuz, and Saudi pipeline diversions. We explain why ref
Container Bytes #50: The Trump-Xi Trade Truce and Panama Canal Restriction Reversals
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Judah Levine hosts solo this week as Julia takes a vacation, breaking down major trade policy shifts and key ocean market movements.In this episode, we unpack the high-profile summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping in DC, which produced a two-month extension of the US-China trade truce through early January. The deal includes mutual tariff reduct
Container Bytes #49: The Washington Summit, Post-Peak Ocean Cooling, and German Strike Threats
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine analyze a pivotal week as President Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Washington DC seeking fragile trade stability.In this episode, we break down the high-stakes summit and why a 3-to-6-month extension of the trade truce is expected, holding off recommended 7.5% Section 301 excess capacity tariffs that would push duties back to IEEPA l
Container Bytes #48: Escalating Red Sea Security and the AI Air Freight Boom
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine return to dissect a crucial week in global freight and energy logistics.In this episode, we evaluate the newest operational flashpoint in the Middle East. Houthi forces have seized direct control of a coastal port and island right on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. With crude and bunker fuel prices rebounding to May highs and China’s str
Container Bytes #47: Red Sea Capacity Effects, Panama Adjustments, and Air Disruptions
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein is feeling much better and less congested this week, joining Judah Levine to analyze the latest dynamics in global logistics.In this episode, we unpack why renewed escalation between the US and Iran has pushed fuel prices back up to June baselines—around 60% higher than pre-war levels. While rising energy costs are setting a higher floor for freigh
Container Bytes #46: Data Center Demand, Tariff Refunds, and Five-Typhoon Gridlock
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein powers through a congestion-filled cold alongside Judah Levine to break down a busy week across global trade and shipping.In this episode, we unpack why the Strait of Hormuz is heating back up from a cold war into active kinetic strikes. Despite US de-mining progress in the central channel, retaliatory missile strikes between US and Iranian forces
Container Bytes #45: The US-Canada Tariff Collapse and Resilient Transpacific Demand
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Julia Frohwein is back from vacation, joining Judah Levine to analyze a hectic week across international trade and global freight.In this episode, we break down the last-minute breakdown of US-Canada trade talks. Despite weekend announcements that an agreement was signed, negotiations collapsed over last-minute demands, triggering 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth
Container Bytes #44: Red Sea Routing Economics and Chronic Port Gridlock
Welcome to this week's edition of Container Bytes! Judah Levine, Head of Research at Freightos, is hosting solo again this week while Julia continues her vacation.In this episode, we unpack why ocean carriers—including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Cosco, and MSC—are taking steps to resume Red Sea transits despite the collapse of the US-Iran memorandum and ongoing Houthi threats. Driven by su
Container Bytes #43: The Oman Deal Collapses and the Resilient Transpacific Peak
Welcome to this week's edition of Container Bytes! I'm Judah Levine, Head of Research, hosting solo this week as Julia takes a well-deserved vacation. 📍In this episode, we unpack why the anticipated Oman-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has fallen apart. New demands from Iran—including reparations, transit fees, and vessel bans—have pushed hopes of an imminent resolution bac
Container Bytes #42: The Iran-Oman Framework and the Transpacific Rate Rebound
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 We hope you didn't miss us too much during our one-week hiatus—we are back in action.In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine examine a potential new diplomatic development: a proposed bilateral agreement between Iran and Oman aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Under this proposal, vessels would coordinate entry through the northern Iranian cha
Episode #41: The Saudi Red Sea Squeeze and the July 24th Tariff Transition
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 Just a reminder that we are taking a one-week hiatus next week (July 29th), but we will be right back the following week.In this episode, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine tackle the newest dimension of maritime disruption: the Houthis have officially announced a transit closure through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeting Saudi-linked vessels and those calling at Sa
Container Bytes #40: The Ceasefire Collapse and July's Record-Breaking Volume
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 We are hitting Episode #40, and the Strait of Hormuz has officially circled back to square one. The fragile June ceasefire has disintegrated into a high-stakes operational standoff. While the US asserts the waterway remains open via its southern channel, reality on the water tells a completely different story: drone attacks and naval skirmishes have effectively r
Container Bytes #39: The Oversupply Paradox and Far East Port Gridlock
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 It’s July, and the Strait of Hormuz is locked in a dangerous pattern of starts, stops, and serious military escalations. Yet, the energy market is throwing a complete curveball: crude oil prices have unexpectedly plummeted back to pre-war baselines. Instead of the catastrophic energy shortages predicted months ago, the industry is suddenly bracing for a global oi
Container Bytes #38: The Sovereign Chokepoint and the July 1st BAF Reset
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, joined as always by our resident freight expert, Judah Levine. 📍 It’s July 1st, and while it feels a bit like a broken record to talk about the Strait of Hormuz, the dynamics on the water have shifted completely. We are no longer looking at a standard blockade—we are witnessing a raw power struggle over who runs the waterway.In this episode, we
Episode #37: The Minefield Hotline and the UK’s E-commerce Backdoor
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, alongside our resident freight expert, Judah Levine. 📍 Let's get "Strait" to it. (Yes, it's a bad joke, but things are moving too fast to pass up a pun). Following the historic US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, the Strait of Hormuz is finally seeing a trickle of traffic. But behind the headlines, the reality is a logistica
Episode #36: The Sixty-Day Peace Clock and the June Rate Monster
Welcome back to Container Bytes! 📍 This week, Julia Frohwein is riding that post-birthday glow alongside our resident freight expert, Judah Levine, to break down a massive, chaotic turn of events. Headlines are screaming about a historic US-Iran interim peace agreement, but before you celebrate the "full reopening" of the Strait of Hormuz by this weekend, you need to read the fine print.
Episode #35: The June Peak Shift and the $6,000 Rate Breach
Happy birthday to me! 🎂 I’m Julia Frohwein, celebrating my special day by powering through another intense session with our resident freight guru, Judah Levine. The headlines are full of escalating US-Iran and Iran-Israel naval fire, but the biggest shockwave this week isn't military—it's the massive early arrival of Ocean Peak Season. 📍In this episode, we unpack why the National Retail
Episode #34: The July BAF Panic and the $166 Billion Liquidity Twist
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, powering through being a bit "under the weather" this week alongside our resident freight expert Judah Levine to unpack a highly volatile session. 📍 The Persian Gulf conflict is intensifying, and while peace negotiations continue, ocean freight has officially hit the panic button on early Peak Season demand.In this episode, we break do
Episode #33: The July BAF Cliff and Amazon’s Prime Day Curveball
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, joined by our resident freight guru Judah Levine to unpack another high-velocity week in global shipping. While rumors of a negotiated end to the war have ships in the Persian Gulf optimistically drifting toward the Strait of Hormuz, experts warn that infrastructure damage means a fuel price hangover could last well into next year.In this episod
Episode #32: The Golden Week Race and the Middle East Air Squeeze
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, joined as always by our resident freight expert Judah Levine, ready to break down another high-stakes week in global logistics. 📍 The Strait of Hormuz remains tenser than ever, with a planned US retaliatory strike temporarily pushed off by President Trump while negotiations continue in the shadow of a crumbling ceasefire.In this episode, we tack
Episode #31: The Hormuz Toll Authority and the Section 122 Shocker
The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, but it officially has a new "manager." 📍 This week, Julia Frohwein and Judah Levine dive into Iran’s creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority—a move that signals a permanent intent to entrench authority over the passageway. While Operation Freedom managed to extract a few US-flagged vessels, the naval exchanges between the US and Iran have only a
Episode #30: Project Freedom and the UAE Airspace Whiplash
Welcome back to Container Bytes! I’m Julia Frohwein, and I’m back with Judah Levine to break down a week that felt like a decade. We’re diving into the rapid-fire timeline of Project Freedom—the US-led effort to force transit through the Strait of Hormuz that resulted in naval skirmishes and was suspended almost as quickly as it began.In this episode, we analyze why ocean rates are proving remarka
Episode #29: The Jet Fuel Sharing Plan and the "Quiet Crisis"
Welcome to a very special episode of Container Bites! If you’re wondering why Eytan suddenly has long brown hair and a British accent—don’t panic. 📍 I’m Julia Frohwein, and I’m thrilled to be taking over the mic. This week, Judah and I dive into the "Quiet Crisis." The ceasefire is holding, but with the Strait of Hormuz still closed and the US blockade in place, oil prices are creeping b
Episode #28: Lufthansa’s 20,000 Flight Cancellations and the "More Closed" (Dire) Strait
Get your freight emergency kits ready, because the fuel market is bordering on absolute chaos. Between the IRGC boarding container ships in the Strait of Hormuz and Lufthansa slashing 20,000 flights due to fuel concerns, capacity is getting squeezed from both ends. While jet fuel prices have dipped slightly from their March peak, the real ghost in the machine is availability. Europe might only ha
Episode #27: The Blockade Paradox and Your Missing Tariff Refunds
Get your freight Christmas sweater on (yes, even in April), because the Straits of Hormuz are getting chilly🥁. We’re diving into why the Hormuz blockade(ish) your ocean rates are staying surprisingly grounded while jet fuel prices are pulling an Artemis II.Judah explains the "Inverse Crisis Correlation"- we have so many ships due to overcapacity that even a Middle East blockade can&apos
Episode #26: Strait Talk And The Air Cargo Hit
Better late than never. Hope your supply chain is holding up better than my audio equipment. The ceasefire news is hogging the headlines, but don't let the noise fool you;the Straits of Hormuz are still effectively a "no-go" zone for container ships. While carriers like CMA CGM and COSCO are trickling a few vessels out, nobody is exactly rushing back in. Ocean rates are staying surp
Special Episode: Getting Your IEEPA Tariff Refunds (Eventually)
The Supreme Court tossed IEEPA tariffs out, but don't pop the champagne just yet. The White House pivoted with a (temporary-ish) 10% global tariff under Section 122 just four days later. It's currently sitting well below the 15% to 20% ranges we saw previously, but with the July expiration date looming, the USTR is sprinting through 122 new trade investigations.The billion-dollar questi
Ep. 24: Fuel Surcharges Ahead and the Middle East Starting to Come Back Online
The Middle East isn't exactly "business as usual," (you knew that) BUT the cargo heart is starting to beat again. We’re moving past the total shutdown and into the "creative logistics" phase. That's a polite way of saying everything is moving by truck on two-lane highways and costing a fortune.The real story this week isn't just the closure of the Strait; it’s th
Episode #22: Strait to It, Creative Surcharges and Supreme Court Wins
Welcome back to the pod! This week, I (Eytan) and Judah (not me) dive into why the Straits of Hormuz is the latest headache for your bottom line, even if your containers aren't actually in the Gulf. We’re tracking "Emergency Contingency Surcharges" (top-tier naming, guys) that are adding $300-$400 per container just as we hit the post-Lunar New Year lull.On the bright side, the Supr
Unfiltered Freight Episode 10: The Vibe Coding Revolution
Special edition for you independent forwarders out there.SMB forwarders are tired of being told they’re "dinosaurs" by Silicon Valley. They’re tired of waiting for ERP roadmaps that never arrive. And they're tired of being told they can't compete with the $100M tech budgets of the global giants.They’re wrong.In this episode, I sit down with Farouk Gomati, President of Interworl
Episode #21: Tariff Whiplash
Welcome back to another "uneventful" week in Global Freight. 📍 This week, Eytan opens with a dad-joke for the ages: What is the White House's favorite craft beer? An IEEPA. 🍺 (International Emergency Economic Powers Act). It’s a bitter brew that the Supreme Court just poured down the drain.In this episode #21, Judah and Eytan break down the Section 122 Pivot. After SCOTUS struck dow
Episode #20: The $4,000 Port Fee Gamble and the "Out-of-Office" Index
They never thought we'd make it, but here we are: Episode 20. We’ve been talking about Lunar New Year for six weeks, but we were still blindsided by the reality of it this week. Forget the traditional benchmarks—Judah’s inbox is currently the world’s most accurate economic indicator, overflowing with hundreds of out-of-office replies.In this episode, we break down the Ocean Rate Cliff, with E
Episode #19: Flower Power and the $2 Billion Coin Flip
We’re back for episode 19, and with Lunar New Year just days away (Feb 17th), the "Gear Down" is officially here. Manufacturing is slowing down, and for the first time this year, we don't have a major geopolitical change to talk about. It almost feels... quiet.In this episode, we break down the LNY Rate Slide: Asia-Europe is down to $2,400/container and the Med has plummeted to $3,6
Episode #18: The 18% Handshake and the Atlantic Wall
Welcome back to Freightos' Container Bytes, Episode 18. Judah and I were just reminiscing about the fact that we don't have theme music. We still don't. But what we do have is a weather report that’s actually scarier than the geopolitics for once. Storm Kristin just put the North Atlantic in a chokehold, grounding vessels from Spain to the English Channel and proving that Mother Nat
Episode #17: The Davos Pivot and South Korea and Canada’s Tariff Headache
Welcome back to Freightos' Container Bytes, Episode 17. We’re only four weeks in, and we’ve had more trade "wars" than I’ve had hot coffees. This week, Eytan and Judah track the whiplash of the Greenland deal—shoutout to Davos for the "peace framework"—and the immediate shift of the tariff-cannon toward our neighbors to the North.While the US threatens 100% tariffs on Cana
Episode #16: The Greenland Gambit and the Red Sea Reversal
Time for a high-stakes episode of "Where in the World is the Trade War?" with our Greenland Bingo card. ❄️In this episode, Judah and Eytan break down the sudden 10% tariff threat on the EU (which apparently wasn't on anyone's 2026 forecast) and why the EU is dusting off its "Big Bazooka" in retaliation. We also check in on the Red Sea, where Maersk is leaning in just
Episode #15: The Hormuz Headache and the Lunar "Red Zone"
Welcome back to Freightos' Container Bytes, the podcast that is technically Episode 15, despite the fact that our team’s ability to count past 14 has recently been called into question.We dive into the geopolitical soup of the Strait of Hormuz. While the headlines are screaming about oil, we’re looking at the real logistics casualty: the UAE’s Jebel Ali port. If the "Ocean-to-Air" b
Stop Reading the Manual: Glyn Hughes (TIACA) on Phigital Logistics and the PlayStation Trap
This is an episode from Freightos' Unfiltered Freight series, shared here too.Welcome to a masterclass in air cargo reality with Glyn Hughes, the Director General of TIACA and a 40 year industry veteran who has seen it all. From the early days of faxed rate sheets to the current AI revolution, Glyn is here to explain why the industry is currently stuck in a psychological trap of its own makin
Episode #14: Pasta Wars, Rate Spikes & The Lunar New Year Rush
Welcome to 2026! We are already 3% of the way through the year, so if you haven't hit your KPIs yet, you're officially behind. JK, kinda.Ocean freight is starting the year with a hangover and a double shot of espresso. Rates are climbing fast, with Asia-Med is up 20% to $4,800 and Transpacific rates jumped 22% just to kick off January. It’s the classic pre-Lunar New Year rush, fueled by
Episode #14: "Weird" Peak Season, AI Air Rates, and...Curling
Welcome to the final Container Bytes of 2025! It’s been a year. We laughed, we cried, we watched spot rates do things that defy physics. (I’m not crying – you are).The "Blink-and-You-Missed-It" Peak This year's peak season on the Trans-Pacific was… weird. Like, "my kids eating their veggies" weird. It was skewed entirely by the trade war front-loading. We saw rates hit $6,
Surviving Your 2026 Ocean Freight Procurement: Special Interview with Stephanie Loomis, Noatum Logistics
This is an episode from Freightos' Unfiltered Freight series, shared here too.Welcome to a special edition of Container Bytes, featuring 30-year ocean veteran Stephanie Loomis, who's navigated everything from Hanjin's collapse to pandemic-era chaos. Her market predictions are legendary, and she's not sugarcoating what's ahead for your freight procurement in 2026.Carriers h
Episode #12: Air Cargo Defies Death, Rates Spike Past Last Year's Peak
We're back and pumped to talk freight. Get your freight Christmas sweater on.🧣Transpacific air rates hit $7.50/kilo, beating out last year's $7.30 peak despite recession fears and front-loading concerns (take that, 2024!). Meanwhile, Asia-Europe stays flat at $3.60/kilo as carriers shift more capacity there.And....the Red Sea is showing signs of life! I'm not crying - you are.Houthi
Episode #11: Red Sea Flippity Floppity and Air Cargo Peak
BREAKING: So... the Suez Canal Authority is that friend who tells everyone you're definitely coming to their party when you clearly said "maybe next year." Meanwhile, carriers are playing Red Sea chicken while rates do whatever the heck they want (mostly staying flat by YMMV).Air cargo is peaking harder than my acting career (I was a lollipop in Willy Wonka in second grade, nbd). ,
Episode #10: The No Big Deal 48% WoW (!) China - US Rate Increase
Got good news and bad news for your today, freight podcast friend.Good news? The Houthis said they would stop firing on ships in the Red Sea (but container liners aren't holding their breath).The bad news? A 48% increase in China - US West Coast rates (and a confusing 3% drop on China - US East Coast).Ready for a game of GRI Madness? Then how about throwing in a healthy dose of tariff Supreme
Episode #9: Wut? More Stability but Ocean Rates Are Still Up?
That's not how this was supposed to work. I'm taking my ball and going home.Ocean freight rates climbed despite increased stability, with some major drivers of stability for the next year on China-US trade. Judah breaks down air cargo rates, ocean rates, why the GRIs might be sticking and which ones aren't.Also, yolo, no port fees! Party time!This podcast is a little experiment from
Episode #8.5: The "Trade Summits Mean We Do .5 Episodes Now Too" Episode
Bro, how am I supposed to run a podcast if everything changes every day?Less than 24 after the last weekly podcast was published, a trade summit between China and the United States changed everything. So we tacked on our quick view on what that means at the end of this episode. Just another reminder of how everything can change, every day.This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may
Episode #8: "The Soybeans and Port Fees Episode"
Soybeans! Port fees! GRIs! This week has all the drama that Shakespeare forgot. Journal of Commerce put out estimates of $42M (!) in reciprocal port-call fees, we touch on the upcoming 🇺🇸-🇨🇳 summit and more. Plus...blanked sailings pushed Transpacific and Asia–Europe spot rates up (Asia→USWC jumped ~18%, and Asia→EU is back towards ~$2,300/FEU). We also talk early peak season demand in air cargo p
Episode #7: Ocean Rates Jump 18% (The “Questionable GRI” Edition)
What's up in freight? Thought you'd neve ask.Asia→US West Coast popped from ~$1,400 to >$2,000/FEU and Asia→Europe to ~$2,300—driven by mid‑month GRIs and capacity pulls, not tariffs. We break down why this smells opportunistic in slow season, whether Nov 1 sticks, and what carriers are blanking next, we talk about the impact of the new port‑call fees' minimal impact and air dema
Episode #6: Red Sea Rumblings (But Rates Are Still Dropping)
Sorry, we kinda said it all in the title.But you're here so let's keep going. Ceasefire chatter isn’t sending carriers sprinting back through Suez...and even when they do, expect a short scheduling mess, then more capacity and more downward pressure. We break down where rates are (hello, 2023 vibes), the tariff/port‑call fee volley (USTR vs. China, rare earths), who’s actually exposed, a
Episode #5: Port Fees are Coming (But Rates are Loooow)
Sorry, we kinda said it all in the title. Port fees for Chinese vessel calls are coming soon. We break down what it means, how rates are responding, the costs that Chinese carriers are swallowing, and more. This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed weekly freight updates delivered str
Episode #4: Typhoons and Trade Wars
In yet another episode of Container Bytes, we talk about the logistics impact of Typhoon Ragasa, dive into air and ocean rates, and even talk a bit about trade wars. It just wouldn't be a 2025 freight update if we didn't, amiright?This podcast is a little experiment from Freightos—and may not be around forever—so if you dig quick bites of freight wisdom, let us know. For more detailed w
Episode #3: From TikTok to USTR
TikTok negotiations might be thawing US-China trade tensions (swipe up?), but don't expect freight rates to plummet until that 30% tariff stops trending (see what I did there?). Transpacific rates surprised with a 30% September jump despite a weak peak season, hitting $2,300/container. Meanwhile, the upcoming USTR port call fees for Chinese vessels (starting Oct 14th) are scrambling carrier
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