Good morning, nice people, and happy almost-weekend for you all. It appears that the news cycle slowdown ended yesterday, leaving us with a slew of updates signalling a mix of strategic expansions and operational caution for the region’s logistics landscape.

Up first: AD Ports has acquired the Balenciaga Astilleros, a Spanish shipyard specializing in making offshore logistics vessels. We think this is a smart move that will help the company grow its offshore wind logistics market share in Europe amid global shortages of these specialized vessels.

ALSO- GFH Partners closed a co-investment in the US-based player Cold-Link Logistics, effectively expanding its US logistics portfolio and securing a foothold in the robust cold-chain market in North America.

Meanwhile, on the global shipping front, the mood is more cautious after CMA CGM said it will reroute three services back through the Cape of Good Hope route, citing a generic “uncertain” context.

Happening this week

All eyes are on the US Supreme Court this week, as it is expected to make a final ruling on whether Trump’s use of the Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs is lawful. While the Trump Administration appears confident it will get a ruling in its favor, the administration is ready to introduce alternative duties immediately, using other regulatory provisions if the court rules against it, Trump’s trade negotiator and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the New York Times last week.

Watch this space

SHIPPING — CMA CGM is signaling caution about the return to the Red Sea shipping lane, after it said it will reroute vessels on its French-Asia Line 1, French-Asia Line 2, and Mediterranean Club Express back through the Cape of Good Hope. The company cited a “complex and uncertain international context” in its statement, but did not explain the exact drivers of the decision. Its Indamex Service, though, will continue going through the Suez Canal.

Why it matters: The decision, which comes after the major French liner tested Red Sea transits for the three affected services in 4Q 2025, serves as a reality check following rising hopes of a swift return to the maritime route. It also comes after Maersk signalled a return to the canal after rerouting its MECL service connecting India and the Middle East to the US East Coast.

REMEMBER- It’s not just security concerns that the big shipping lines weigh when they debate whether to reactivate or mothball a line — demand for many lines is already saturated, and bringing back fresh capacity out-of-step with demand could push already-struggling freight rates down.

^^ Our must-read on the topic: We sat down with Simon Heaney, container industry analyst at London-based maritime consultancy Drewry, to gain a better understanding of what a full return to the Red Sea route in 2026 means for the industry.

AVIATION — Turkey inaugurates EUR 298 mn expansion of Ankara airport: The Turkish government has launched the first phase of Esenboğa Airport’s upgrade in Ankara — a development carried out by TAV Airports in public-private partnership (PPP) with EUR 298 mn investment. The expansion has added a third runway, a new air traffic control tower, and an 85k sqm cargo apron to the Ankara-based airport.

What’s next? The company operating the airport will pay EUR 560 mn in rent over a 25-year lease period to the government, which has not financially contributed to the expansion. A second phase expansion will also be launched soon, covering a new terminal building, a general aviation apron, and taxiways, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.

Turkey is upping its aviation capacity in 2026, with several airport infrastructure projects scheduled for delivery this year, the Daily Sabah reports, citing government documents. Expansion work is currently underway at Yozgat, Hatay, and Bayburt-Gümüşhane airports, along with a major development at Istanbul Airport, where the fourth main runway is slated to go online in 2026.

DATA CENTERS — G42’s AI buildout is picking up pace: The first 200 MW of the state AI firm’s planned 5GW Abu Dhabi AI campus — part of Washington’s USD 500 bn Stargate program — will come online “in the next couple of months,” CEO Peng Xiao told Bloomberg (watch, runtime: 11:15). Capacity is then expected to scale at 200-500 MW per quarter, pulling the timeline forward from earlier guidance which pointed to initial capacity starting from 3Q 2026.

Chips are next, with guardrails: Xiao said the first batch of advanced US chips, “mostly Nvidia,” alongside Cerebras and AMD, is also due to ship to the UAE in the coming months after the company secured export license approvals. Those approvals came with security conditions from the US. “It was not just a theoretical pledge,” he said, citing safeguards against diversion and unauthorized remote access that G42 says it has already put in place.

Market watch

Oil prices took a dip this morning as rising inventories in the US overshadowed concerns over an EU-US trade war and a production halt in Kazakh oil production, Reuters reports. Brent crude futures were down USD 0.76 to trade at USD 64.16 / bbl as of 04:45 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slid by USD 0.60 to USD 59.76 / bbl.

The Baltic Index on an upward momentum: The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index — which tracks rates for the capesize, panamax, and supramax vessel segments — increased 4.8% to 1,729 points on Tuesday. The capesize climbed up 7% to 2,570 points, while the panamax index gained 3.2% to 1,570. Meanwhile, the smaller supramax index rose 13 points to hit 983.

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