Ongoing hostilities in the Middle East are causing further delays in the negotiation of trans-Pacific service contracts. Three major ocean carriers have informed the Journal of Commerce that they are unable to commit to specific volume allocations with their customers until there is more certainty regarding the duration of the conflict. This uncertainty is impacting the predictability of shipping routes and capacity, making it difficult for carriers to finalize long-term agreements. Meanwhile, Europe's persistent port congestion, as highlighted in TPM26, is expected to persist despite short-term solutions, continuing to disrupt Asia-Europe supply chains, affect vessel schedule reliability, inventory management, and ultimately influence freight rates, according to Drewry. In separate but related news, BIMCO has expressed reservations about President Trump's offer of shipping insurance in the Persian Gulf, emphasizing the need for clarification even as the resumption of vessel movement in the war-affected region is deemed important. Additionally, TPM26 reports suggest that a crackdown on US trucking is likely to have a delayed impact on the drayage sector, and stakeholders are closely scrutinizing the UP-NS merger proposal.