Morgan Stanley: Middle East conflicts bring short-term interruption risk to container shipping industry.

Morgan Stanley released a research report stating that before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, about 3% of container trade was transported through the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, 1.4% of global container capacity is trapped in the Persian Gulf. Since the disruption in transportation, global freight rates have increased by 37%, which is still considered moderate. The bank maintains a "sell" rating on Maersk and the broader global container shipping sector. The report indicates that the Middle East conflict has brought short-term disruption risks to container shipping. Market tightness in 2026 exceeds the bank's expectations, but supply-demand models show that this is unlikely to offset structural overcapacity. Past events have shown that without stronger demand, the increase in freight rates will be temporary.