Lori Ann LaRocco

Lori Ann LaRocco is the author of Trade Alert on Substack, the president of supply chain data and trade policy analysis firm LaRocco Consulting, creator of supply chain symposium Containers Don't Lie,  and columnist for GCaptain. LaRocco is an award-winning author, including the best-selling book, “Trade War Containers Don’t Lie”.  LaRocco worked at CNBC for 26 years and was recently the network’s senior editor of guests and global supply chain reporter. 


Friday, April 24, 2026
A tanker transits the Panama Canal Locks
News

Panama Canal Pushes Back on ‘Line Jumping’ Claims as Auction Slot Prices Surge

Panama Canal authorities are trying to debunk the misconception that auction slots are a free pass to cut the

2 hours ago
Total Views: 145

Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Aerial view of a heavy loaded crude oil tanker traveling over open ocean during sunset time
News

Interview: America’s Oil Surge Is Pulling Tankers West — and Reshaping Global Trade

The United States continues to export record amounts of oil. Demand for U.S. black gold shows no signs of lessening. The long line of tankers dotting the ocean

April 22, 2026
Total Views: 1397

Friday, April 17, 2026
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz
News

Hold the Champagne: Oil Recovery Faces Weeks of Delay as Supply Chain Shocks Deepen

Don’t be fooled by the latest declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is “open.” Many things still need to be put in place for that to truly happen. There

April 17, 2026
Total Views: 1957

Monday, April 13, 2026
Busy container traffic in Pier 300 Channel
News

Port of Los Angeles Posts Strong March as Trade and Energy Risks Build

By Lori Ann LaRocco – The Port of Los Angeles was a beehive of activity in March, but details are emerging on the impact of the U.S./Israel war with

April 13, 2026
Total Views: 572

Friday, March 27, 2026
cosco containership
News

Iran Signals New ‘Permission-to-Transit’ Regime in Hormuz After Blocking COSCO Vessels

By Lori Ann LaRocco – Iran says it has begun enforcing new controls over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it blocked multiple container

March 27, 2026
Total Views: 2513

Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Containers are seen stacked at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port
Ports

Container Contagion: Global Trade Choked as War-Driven Congestion Hits Ports

Multiple sources of trade data are showing the significant impact of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and how it is going to continue to get worse before it gets

March 24, 2026
Total Views: 2350

Sunday, March 22, 2026
Laden crude oil tanker approaches the port of Qingdao, China in the morning fog. Photo credit: Shutterstock/Igor Grochev
News

The Oil Shell Game: Peeling Away the Bluster of the Latest Oil Announcements

Trade is agnostic, and because it is a physical entity that can be tracked, it can blast away the bluster of trade announcements. The reality is in the trade

March 22, 2026
Total Views: 2234

Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Panama Canal Expansion milestone
News

Panama Canal Sees LNG Surge as Hormuz Disruption Reshapes Global Trade

LNG bookings average one per day as Canal positions itself as key alternative for disrupted Middle East energy flows By Lori Ann LaRocco – LNG transits

March 18, 2026
Total Views: 1361

Friday, March 13, 2026
FILE PHOTO: Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz
News

Shadow Fleets Cash In as War Disrupts Gulf Oil Flows

The second set of U.S. waivers on Russian oil and vessel tracking data shows both the Iranian and Russian shadow fleets are profiting off the U.S./Israel war

March 13, 2026
Total Views: 621

Thursday, March 12, 2026
U.S. Coast Guard Debunks Tankers Registering For U.S. Compliance
Shipping

U.S. Coast Guard Debunks Tankers Registering For U.S. Compliance

The U.S. Coast Guard is quashing the latest rumor on tankers looking to reposition to the Atlantic and Pacific trades instead of staying in the Middle

March 12, 2026
Total Views: 5215

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Jet Fuel Shock Looms on U.S. West Coast as Asian Exports Dry Up
Energy

Jet Fuel Shock Looms on U.S. West Coast as Asian Exports Dry Up

Energy export data shows South Korean jet fuel exports to the United States West Coast is dropping as countries around the world are holding onto the energy

March 10, 2026
Total Views: 1295

Friday, March 6, 2026
FILE PHOTO: Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz
Featured

Iranian Shadow Fleet and Greek Affiliated Ships Lead Strait of Hormuz Transits

Recent vessel tracking data details the continued movements of Iranian dark vessels as well as other ships moving through the Strait of

March 6, 2026
Total Views: 24641

Thursday, March 5, 2026
Containership and cranes at DP World Jebel Ali
News

Over 270,000 TEU Stranded as Container Carriers Halt Gulf Cargo Bookings

Hundreds of thousands of containers are in limbo after ocean carriers suspend cargo bookings to Arabian Container

March 5, 2026
Total Views: 2335

Monday, March 2, 2026
An anchored tanker ship at night
News

Shadow Fleet Surge: Iran Moved Record Crude Before Operation Epic Fury

By Lori Ann LaRocco – Three vessels involved in the transport of sanctioned Iranian oil have been struck in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury. Oil

March 2, 2026
Total Views: 1466

Saturday, February 28, 2026
Oil tankers navigate Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman in Persian Gulf
Shipping

Tankers Diverting Strait of Hormuz Region as U.S./ Israel Strikes on Iran Intensify 

Tankers Vessel tracking data show the magnitude in the amount of trade trying to safely navigate around the U.S./Israel strikes on Iran and Iran’s

February 28, 2026
Total Views: 2959

Friday, June 20, 2025
Containership and cranes at DP World Jebel Ali
Shipping

Middle East Tensions Drive Surge in Gulf Freight Rates as Maersk Suspends Haifa Port Calls

By Lori Ann LaRocco – Ocean freight spot rates from Shanghai to the Arabian Gulf’s largest port, Jebel Ali, are surging. Xeneta average spot rates

June 20, 2025
Total Views: 1259

Monday, June 16, 2025
Stacked containers are shown as ships unload their cargo at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 22, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Ports

A Key Freight Indicator Is Flashing Red — Here’s What It Means for Global Trade

By Lori Ann LaRocco – A key supply chain data point is flashing red, warning that the pullback in freight orders will continue. Empty container exports

June 16, 2025
Total Views: 6503

Friday, June 6, 2025
Morning Midas on Fire
Accidents

Allianz Warns EV Fire Risks at Sea ‘Not Under Control’

By Lori Ann LaRocco – Global insurer Allianz Commercial warns the Morning Midas fire is the latest example of an underling safety problem facing seafarers.

June 6, 2025
Total Views: 2367

Monday, January 27, 2025
ship at anchor close-up
Shipping

ITF: Seafarer Abandonments Skyrocket in 2024 to Record Highs

By Lori-Ann LaRocco – New data released by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) shows a skyrocketing year-over-year increase of

January 27, 2025
Total Views: 9328

Monday, January 20, 2025
FILE PHOTO: Ships and shipping containers are pictured at the port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Shipping

Are US Shippers Ready for an Emergency Order on Tariffs?

Lori Ann LaRocco – The world of logistics handicapped a Trump win starting in the late winter and early spring of 2024, with discussions and

January 20, 2025
Total Views: 7412