TRADE & SHIPPING UPDATE · September 24, 2026
Track Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb separately when reviewing China shipping routes
The latest verified traffic report covers two different waterways and an earlier observation date. For China buyers, the useful next step is to map the actual booked route and its connections before revising a delivery plan.
September 23 report: low observed traffic at two chokepoints
Reuters reported on September 23 that three commodity vessels crossed Hormuz on Tuesday, September 22, below a ten-day moving average of about fifteen. It also reported twenty-two commodity-vessel crossings at Bab el-Mandeb that Tuesday, compared with a recent average of around twenty-six.
The report describes preliminary tracking data, which can change when vessels switch off transponders. These observations concern commodity ships and do not establish container-service availability. They are September 22 movements reported on September 23, not a live count for September 24.
Reuters, September 23: shipping traffic at Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb (via Devdiscourse)
Buyer analysis: identify the waterway relevant to your booking
Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are separate locations. Ask your logistics provider which, if either, is involved in the booked movement, including any transshipment leg. Avoid applying a Gulf traffic headline to every Asia-Europe or China export shipment.
Request the loading port, connecting port, discharge port, vessel and voyage, plus the current routing confirmation. Keep a timestamp and identify who supplied the information. A sales quotation alone should not be treated as evidence that the proposed vessel has sailed.
Compare the complete revised movement
If the provider proposes a route change, ask for its impact on final delivery, cargo handling and the written cost breakdown. Separate a revised estimate from a confirmed transport event. Preserve the original schedule so the receiving team can see what changed.
Use the shipment’s actual cargo-ready date, document status and warehouse release status when discussing alternatives. An earlier sailing is not a usable recovery plan if your cargo cannot meet its receiving and documentation requirements.
Keep the receiving evidence ready
Buyer action: give the receiving warehouse a shipment reference, expected carton count and a simple exception-recording procedure before arrival. If damage is discovered, preserve dated receiving records and identify affected goods before discussing responsibility. Today’s buyer guide explains how to organize that evidence.
No new September 24 freight index, blanket route reopening or universal surcharge is claimed here. This briefing uses a dated Reuters report and separately labeled buyer analysis; shipment-specific carrier instructions remain necessary.
Continue your buyer checks
Damaged goods evidence checklist →