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Weak demand and tariff effects are weighing on companies as the U.S.’ recent military operation in Venezuela adds more uncertainty to the mix.

With inflation increasing, consumer confidence declining and unemployment on the rise, US imports from Asia are not expected to see the typical pre-Lunar New Year surge in January and February.

Power generation cargoes gave the heavy-lift sector a welcome boost in 2025, and it’s a cargo stream that will not dry up anytime soon.

Few blank sailings have been announced for January, and none this week, as shippers in Asia get their cargo on the water ahead of China’s Lunar New Year factory shutdown.

The deals for nine feeder container ships and four multipurpose and heavy-lift ships total around $490 million, according to Cosco and shipbrokers.

While the new delay — on products reliant on wood imports —provides a respite for importers of the affected goods, it prolongs for another year a period of uncertainty over how tariffs might impact the cost of what they sell.

MPV carriers confessed they were keeping a wary eye on the other sectors that traditionally compete with MPVs, with the container sector expected to cause the most angst heading into 2026.

Love’s and Circle K were among the retailers to sign new or expanded supplier deals, while Kwik Trip and RaceTrac opened distribution centers.

But tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper could present challenges for energy and data center construction projects.

With vessel capacity outstripping volumes on the major trade lanes, analysts expect carriers to fall into the red as early as the first quarter, culminating in a multi-billion-dollar combined loss for the full year.