Industry News – IAM

300,000 TEUs Stranded in Hormuz

Will Kohudic — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:25:04 +0000

IAM’s Core Members Management Board representatives for the Middle East, Ankit Bhalla and Shankar Ram, together with IAMX Validated member Move One, have provided fresh news updates as Iran struck a United Arab Emirates oil port and the United States announced plans to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. According to figures from Sea Explorer…

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UK Home Sales Plunge 41%

Will Kohudic — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:41:59 +0000

The number of homes bought and sold in the United Kingdom in March crashed 41% compared to the year before, according to figures from the country’s tax and customs authority. HMRC property transaction data showed that 104,070 homes were sold in Britain in March 2026, compared to 176,390 12 months earlier. Although the property market has suffered from economic uncertainty and higher mortgage…

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Indians Become Australia’s Largest Migrant Group

Will Kohudic — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:39:40 +0000

People born in India have become the largest migrant group in Australia, overtaking the English for the first time. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) highlighted that at least 971,020 people born in India were living in the country as of June 30, 2025, slightly more than the 970,950 people born in England. Chinese-born people totaled 732,000 in third place…

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Oil Giants Grow Interest in Venezuela

Will Kohudic — Fri, 01 May 2026 17:20:12 +0000

After a period when many energy companies believed that Venezuela was still too risky for investment, many of them are taking a second look. After Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods described the country as “uninvestable” in January, the company, together with ConocoPhillips, recently sent technical teams to assess prospects to revive Venezuela’s oil fields as the government moves to change…

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First Human-Less Commercial Truckload in History

Will Kohudic — Fri, 01 May 2026 11:48:00 +0000

A Houston-based autonomous carrier has completed the first commercial truckload journey in American history without a safety driver or in-cab observer. Bot Auto, founded in 2023, completed the journey hauling 231 miles from northeast Houston to Dallas to meet the shipper’s overnight delivery window. Bot Auto revealed that the human-less cost per mile was US$1.89, compared to an industry…

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Law Firms Press for Return to UAE

Will Kohudic — Fri, 01 May 2026 11:46:00 +0000

As the U.S. Embassy lifted its “shelter-in-place” advisory, some law firms in the United Arab Emirates are facing pushback from lawyers after companies press employees to return to their offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Originally reported by the Financial Times, American law firms including Jones Day and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton have requested workers in the region to resume in-person…

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Middle East Regional Update

Will Kohudic — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:38:58 +0000

IAM’s Core Members Management Board representatives for the Middle East, Ankit Bhalla and Shankar Ram Ganapathy, have provided the latest update after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boarded two container ships under the control of MSC Mediterranean Shipping. Craig Reilly of IAMTrusted member DASA and IAMX Validated member Move One have also provided fresh news updates.

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France Votes to End Low-emission Zones

Will Kohudic — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:45:27 +0000

The French parliament has passed a law that abolishes low-emission zones (ZFE) in the country which were intended to restrict the movement of the highest-polluting vehicles, particularly in cities. The original introduction of ZFE was aimed at improving air quality, but has been controversial in France for the social and economic burden placed on lower-income households that are unable to…

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Hormuz Crisis Increases Panama Canal Delays and Costs

Will Kohudic — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:17:27 +0000

As Asian buyers seek alternatives to oil as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal is coming under greater strain with the auction price for passage rocketing. While energy cargo does not normally come from the Atlantic basin to Asia, the Hormuz crisis is increasing demand for propane and butane exports from the U.S. Gulf via the Panama Canal.

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More than 50,000 Home-Purchase Contracts Fell Through in March

Will Kohudic — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:40:25 +0000

The number of homes going under contract in the United States increased month-over-month in March, but an additional 13.4% of home-sale agreements were canceled due to high costs and economic uncertainty. According to analysis of Multiple Listing Service by property website, Redfin, nearly 53,000 home-sale agreements fell through in March, up from 12.5% a year earlier.

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