By news volume, the Middle East conflict: 40% of disruption coverage. Tradlinx analysis of 4,380 articles, Aug 20 – Nov 11, 2026
Tradlinx analyzed 4,380 articles from shipping and logistics media, collected through the Tradlinx Supply Chain Issue Monitoring API between August 20 and November 11, 2026. Of those, 918 (21.0%) reported on a supply chain disruption. They were sorted into 10 issue types by headline.
The most covered issue was the Middle East conflict around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, with 365 articles, or 39.8% of all disruption coverage.
The Middle East conflict was in the news 77 days out of 84
The Middle East conflict appeared in the news on 77 of the 84 days in the period. Coverage peaked on September 10 with 14 articles in one day, when reports of US and Iranian strikes on tankers overlapped with the Houthi capture of Mocha port.
The Russia-Ukraine war came second with 153 articles (16.7%). Coverage rose in early and mid October, when merchant ships were hit by drones in the Black Sea. Port congestion and operational disruption followed with 114 articles (12.4%), and ship and port accidents with 101 (11.0%).
| Rank | Issue | Articles | Share | Days covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle East conflict (Hormuz, Red Sea) | 365 | 39.8% | 77 |
| 2 | Russia-Ukraine war (Black Sea) | 153 | 16.7% | 64 |
| 3 | Port congestion and operational disruption | 114 | 12.4% | 59 |
| 4 | Ship and port accidents | 101 | 11.0% | 52 |
| 5 | Canal transits (Panama, Suez) | 80 | 8.7% | 47 |
| 6 | Weather and natural disasters | 54 | 5.9% | 37 |
| 7 | Strikes and labor disputes | 46 | 5.0% | 37 |
| 8 | Tariffs and trade restrictions | 31 | 3.4% | 21 |
| 9 | Piracy and hijacking | 29 | 3.2% | 19 |
| 10 | Cyberattacks | 15 | 1.6% | 13 |
Two conflicts made up 56% of coverage
Articles on the Middle East and Black Sea conflicts totaled 515 after removing overlap, or 56.1% of all disruption coverage. That is 11 times the number of articles on strikes and labor disputes (46).
Labor coverage, including the port strikes in Germany and the Netherlands and the yard strike at India’s Mundra port, was concentrated in early September. Conflict coverage appeared in every one of the 12 weeks. The Middle East conflict alone drew at least 22 articles every week and peaked at 48 in the week of September 10.
Berthing delays at Khor Fakkan and the Panama Canal
Data from the Tradlinx Port Congestion API showed delays at ports linked to the most covered issues. From August to October, berthing delays at Khor Fakkan, which sits outside the Strait of Hormuz, averaged 116.6 hours. At Jebel Ali, inside the strait, they averaged 15.2 hours.
At the Panama Canal, a cut in daily transit slots was reported on August 21. Weekly average delays measured 37 hours in the first week of August, 60 hours from August 22 to September 4, and 26 hours in the last week of October.
Methodology
- Period: August 20 – November 11, 2026 (12 weeks)
- Source: English-language articles from shipping, logistics and business media, collected through the Tradlinx Supply Chain Issue Monitoring API
- Duplicates: Of 4,399 collected articles, 19 with the same headline from the same outlet were removed, leaving 4,380. Articles from different outlets on the same event were counted separately.
- Classification: Disruption articles were sorted into 10 issue types by headline. An article that fits more than one type is counted in each.
- Port delays: Tradlinx Port Congestion API, August 1 – October 31, 2026
- These figures measure news coverage, not the scale of logistics losses.
More detail on Tradlinx data APIs is available at https://www.tradlinx.com/products/integrations.
About Tradlinx
Tradlinx is a unified logistics data platform that connects global supply chain stakeholders and systems with reliable, actionable data. Since launching Korea’s first export-import logistics platform in 2015, Tradlinx has served more than 60,000 businesses, tracked over 13 million containers and built 98% global carrier coverage. Its flagship product, Tradlinx Ocean Visibility, is used by more than 3,000 companies worldwide. AI-ETA, Tradlinx’s arrival prediction model, delivers a most-likely arrival time together with earlier- and later-arrival scenarios for ocean shipments. Learn more at www.tradlinx.com.
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