COMMENT The new norm?
May/June 2026 I
s upheaval the new norm? We dealt with the sub-prime debt crash and a global pandemic. However, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents a very different kind of crisis to Covid. During the pandemic, lockdowns saw consumerism surge, leading to healthy stats for box ships as container freight took off. Conversely, fuel shipping saw one of its biggest declines as vast swathes of the population stayed home and stopped using their cars. And it has been hit again – at the time of writing, crude oil shipments have slumped even lower than they did during the global pandemic. In addition, the inflationary impacts of soaring energy prices are dampening spending by consumers and businesses alike. Typically, this translates into lower container shipping volumes – Dewry is now forecasting flat growth for 2026 if the strait remains closed.
And yet, against this backdrop, your latest edition of Dockside Lift & Move is packed with positive stories. We talk mobile harbour cranes with Andreas Ritschel from Liebherr, noting that the company has taken a commanding
market share of new orders in this segment. Dive into the details in our In the Dock feature, including how Andreas went from fixing cars and defrosting fish to leading a sales team. In addition, the breakbulk handling market remains an exciting area, thanks in part to the deployment of wind turbines as
we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. And the industry is preparing to gather for Europe’s second big show of the year, Breakbulk Europe.
Behind all the upheaval, one constant trend is safety. The drive to reduce risk for personnel in ports and terminals is ongoing – and we are making great progress thanks to new technologies. It’s important to ensure that these positive impacts are not lost in the noise of a crisis.
Phoebe Galbraith, editor
ii | May/June 2026 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
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