2026 Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference Breakbulk & Project Cargo
“ The world is hungry for energy, especially electricity,” Felix Schoeller, CCO at AAL Shipping, told the conference.“ Demand for power generating capability and oil and gas exploration have remained strong. Industries that were written off may come back, like renewables. The biggest challenge for forwarding and shipping companies is,‘ Can we execute?’”
In the short term, however, war-linked energy cost increases and continued trade policy uncertainty in North
“ Iran will maintain the capacity to, at any point in time, resume its attacks on shipping.”
America could have a chilling effect on demand, said Michael Ruediger, director of projects / North America at logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss.
“ I feel good about 2027 and beyond, but late summer this year is going to be ugly,” he said.“ Companies with an abundance of staff will do some bloodletting to get through the summer.”
Robert Drew, vice president / North American trade development at Menzell Döhle Logistics Gmbh, said the current market volatility makes it nearly impossible to assemble an accurate project cost assessment.
“ The challenges of tariffs are a huge one,” particularly US tariffs on imported steel products used for projects, Drew said.“ Geopolitical issues, the increase in fuel rates...
Tactical response
Shippers urged to pivot from typical view of tariffs, trade compliance
Project cargo and breakbulk shippers need to shift their thinking on tariffs and trade compliance from“ strategic weapons” to“ strategic and tactical” tools, according to sector specialists who spoke at the Journal of Commerce’ s Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2026.
Mance Adams, logistics manager and duty drawback project manager at oilfield services company SLB, said many companies treat tariffs and trade compliance as a secondary consideration.
“ I’ ve talked to supply chain procurement, and they’ ve come to me a year after a contract is negotiated, saying,‘ Can you help me calculate the tariff on this?’ So, they had never calculated a true landed cost,” Adams said.
“ When I told them that they have been paying 28 %, they almost laughed me out of the office,” he added.
Adams urged companies in the sector to consider trade compliance and the handling of tariffs and other import
and export costs as something strategic and tactical.
Elizabeth Lowe, Venable LLP partner and co-chair of the International Trade and Logistics Group, warned companies to“ brace” for further US tariffs this year.
“ We don’ t really know what exactly it’ s going to look like when it comes out, but I do think folks should be bracing for there being pretty broad tariffs that go back into effect in July,” she said.
By Carly Fields
“ It will be pushed through. Whether it is done correctly or not is another question.”
Lowe said that those tariffs will likely be challenged because of a rushed process, but stakeholders should start looking at mitigation options now.
“ It will be pushed through,” she said.“ Whether it is done correctly or not is another question.”
Refund window open
After tariffs implemented by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act( IEEPA) were ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court in February, shippers are now facing so-called Section 122 tariffs of 10 % through July and the possibility of new tariffs resulting from ongoing Section 301 investigations.
12 Journal of Commerce | June 2026 www. joc. com