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The jump, flagged at an IBPC Dubai logistics session, reflects a wider disruption in maritime corridors linked to Middle East tensions, fuel-cost volatility, security-risk surcharges and capacity constraints. Paras Shahdadpuri, Governor of IBPC Dubai and Chairman of Nikai Group, said the disruption had tested businesses while reinforcing confidence in the UAE’s ability to respond effectively. “Freight rates have risen from $1,000 to $7,000, putting pressure on businesses, but the speed of response here has helped maintain confidence in uncertain times,” he said.

The impact is being felt most sharply by businesses with thin margins or long replenishment cycles. Consumer electronics, appliances, automotive parts, food products, textiles, building materials and pharmaceutical consignments are among the categories most exposed to higher freight, delayed vessel schedules and tighter booking windows. Importers face a difficult choice: absorb added costs, renegotiate supply contracts, delay shipments or pass part of the burden to consumers.

Dubai’s response has centred on route diversification, customs facilitation and closer coordination among ports, logistics operators, carriers and government agencies. The Green Corridor linking Dubai and Oman has become a critical pressure valve, allowing cargo arriving through Omani ports and airports to move overland through streamlined procedures. Customs declarations through the corridor rose from about 12,000 in March to nearly 100,000 in April, while the value of goods moved increased from Dh1 billion to more than Dh8 billion.

The corridor has helped sustain flows for containers destined for Jebel Ali, goods entering the local market and re-export cargo bound for other destinations. More than 100,000 TEUs have already moved through Green Corridor initiatives, underlining how quickly shippers have adapted to alternative supply routes. Food security shipments and refrigerated cargo movements have remained stable, a key benchmark for a market dependent on uninterrupted imports.

Freight inflation is not confined to the UAE lane. Global container benchmarks have moved higher as peak-season demand started earlier than usual and conflict risk reshaped vessel deployment. The World Container Index climbed to $3,549 per 40ft container in mid-June, while Asia-Europe and transpacific routes also recorded rate increases. Fuel costs, insurance premiums and route deviations have widened the gap between contracted and spot-market pricing.

The UAE’s logistics model has so far avoided the deeper breakdown seen during earlier global supply-chain shocks. Jebel Ali remains central to regional trade, while Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Omani gateways have gained strategic importance as alternative access points. Cargo owners are mixing sea, land and air solutions to balance cost against reliability, making multimodal logistics a boardroom issue rather than a back-office procurement function.

The pressure comes at a sensitive time for India-UAE trade, which has expanded under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that entered into force in 2022. Bilateral trade reached $101.25 billion in FY2025-26, with the UAE ranking as India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. Higher freight costs risk eroding some of the tariff and market-access gains achieved through the pact, particularly for mid-sized exporters and distributors operating on fixed price commitments.

Business groups say the crisis is accelerating changes that were already under way. Importers are adding supplier options in Southeast Asia and the GCC, splitting shipments across ports, increasing buffer stocks for critical items and using digital tracking tools to manage delays. Logistics providers are offering blended products that combine ocean freight, bonded trucking and air cargo, while retailers are reviewing inventory cycles before the next seasonal demand peak.

The strain is also prompting fresh attention to contract design. More companies are inserting freight-adjustment clauses, separating shipping costs from product pricing and seeking clearer force-majeure language for geopolitical disruption. For smaller traders, the biggest challenge is cash flow: a container that once required a modest upfront freight payment can now tie up several times more capital before goods even reach the warehouse.

Refreshed five-year Encompass roadmap highlights accelerated fleet decarbonisation and proactive talent integration as key competitive advantages

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 June 2026 – The Caravel Group, a diversified global conglomerate with core businesses in maritime services, commodity trading and investment management, today released its fifth annual Responsibility Report, Encompass. The report details the Group’s progress, key achievements and future targets in running a sustainable and resilient business, with a particular focus on its ship management subsidiary, Fleet Management Limited.

Guided by the four core pillars of the Encompass strategy—Navigating Responsibly, Evolving Environmental Stewardship, Safeguarding People and Working Together—the 2025 report demonstrates how the Group has successfully translated high-level ESG ambitions into measurable, accountable day-to-day operational practices across ship and shore.

Dr. Harry S. Banga, Founder & Executive Chairman of The Caravel Group, said: “Five years ago, we established Encompass as our guiding compass. This fifth annual report is a testament to how we have built a business trusted to perform responsibly, adapt with discipline and remain relevant in a volatile maritime industry. By formally embedding ESG metrics into performance reviews for all onshore employees and establishing strategic initiatives like our LNG bunkering joint venture, we have ensured that responsibility and performance are no longer separate conversations.”

Key Sustainable Milestones in 2025:

1. Evolving Environmental Stewardship & Accelerated Decarbonisation

• The Group achieved a 42% reduction in managed ship GHG emission intensity from its 2008 baseline, significantly exceeding its established 2030 target of a 30% reduction.
• Currently, 74% of the managed fleet is equipped with advanced Energy Saving Devices (ESDs), including high-performance hull paint, Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCFs) and variable speed motors, keeping the Group firmly on track to equip 100% of its fleet by 2030.
• The Caravel Group entered a strategic joint venture with Celsius Shipping to co-own and operate a new fleet of high-specification LNG bunkering vessels, supporting the maritime sector’s wider transition towards cleaner fuels.

2. Navigating Responsibly & Digital Innovation

• The Group continued the active pilot deployment of Captain’s Eye, an AI-powered maritime safety solution using onboard CCTV to detect smoke, leaks and safety hazards in real-time.
• Upgrades to PARIS (integrated fleet management platform) and NOVA (data analytics) provided vessel owners with real-time financial, EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime compliance reporting, bolstering transparency and proactive risk management.

3. Safeguarding People & Safety Excellence

• Port State Control (PSC) detentions across the fleet plummeted from 22 in 2023 to just 5 in 2025, driven by the Group’s increasingly rigorous safety protocols and strengthened reporting discipline.
• The Group recorded an exceptional 91% wellbeing score in its annual employee survey, surpassing its 78% target set for 2028 ahead of schedule.

4. Working Together, Talent & Community Engagement

• Following its landmark acquisition of the International Maritime Institute (IMI) in India, the Group integrated a highly reliable, Group-aligned talent channel, welcoming over 500 job-ready cadets to Fleet Management in 2025.
• The Caravel Group recorded a 92% employee engagement score and a 93% Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) score.
• In line with its pledge to commit at least 2% of average net profits over the previous three years to social causes, the Group contributed USD 1,529,993 to community partnerships, education initiatives and disaster relief programmes.

Mr. Angad Banga, Group Chief Executive Officer of The Caravel Group, added: “In today’s market, sustainability is no longer a future consideration—it is an active operating condition. Regulatory frameworks like FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS carry real economic consequences, and our clients look to us for the systems, judgment and commercial depth to navigate this landscape. By pairing digital tools with a robust talent pipeline through the IMI, we are building organisational capability before the moment it is needed, creating a lasting competitive advantage.”

To explore the detailed performance data, future targets, and the full version of the Encompass: Responsibility Report 2025, please visit The Caravel Group Website: https://www.caravel-group.com/our-impact/responsibility-reports

Hashtag: #FleetManagementLimited

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About The Caravel Group Limited

The Caravel Group, headquartered in Hong Kong, is a privately held and globally diversified group with operations across maritime services, dry bulk commodity trading, institutional investment management, and philanthropy. Its maritime division includes Fleet Management Limited, one of the world’s largest third‑party ship managers, with more than 500 vessels under management, and strategic investments, including a major stake in Pacific Basin (HKEX: 2343). Caravel also owns the International Maritime Institute (IMI) in India, reinforcing its commitment to maritime talent development. Through Caravel Asset Management, the Group invests globally across public markets and private equity, while its philanthropic arm, The Caravel Foundation, supports the education and well-being of underprivileged youth across Hong Kong, China, and India.

Learn more: www.caravel-group.com

About Fleet Management Limited

Fleet Management Limited, part of The Caravel Group, is one of the world’s largest third‑party ship managers, with more than 500 vessels under management. This scale bears testament to the resilience and commitment of thousands of seafarers and onshore maritime professionals serving shipowners worldwide.

Fleet manages a range of vessels, including bulk carriers, containers, car carriers, oil tankers, gas carriers and chemical tankers from 600 to 320,000 DWT in size – with many being young and energy-efficient with an age profile below the industry average. The company also has a dynamic newbuilding supervision department.

Learn more: www.fleetship.com

Overseas funds bought a net US$160.4 million of Vietnamese shares on Monday, the largest daily inflow since 10 September 2020. The buying helped steady a market that had been under pressure from rising oil prices, global risk aversion and sustained foreign withdrawals despite Vietnam’s long-awaited move towards emerging-market status.

The VN-Index rose 0.43 per cent to 1,799.31 on Monday and moved back above the 1,800-point area on Tuesday, keeping the benchmark close to levels that still represent a strong annual advance even after a pullback over the past month. The shift was part of a wider rebound across Asian emerging markets after the United States and Iran agreed on terms aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns over inflation and fuel costs.

The reversal is notable because foreign investors have remained net sellers of Vietnamese equities this year. Even after Monday’s inflow, overseas funds have sold about US$2.6 billion of Vietnamese stocks in 2026, following withdrawals of roughly US$4.8 billion last year. Those outflows reflected concerns over market concentration, heavy exposure to a few large-cap groups, tariff uncertainty, currency pressure and the impact of higher energy prices on a manufacturing-led economy.

“De-escalation in the Middle East and Vietnam’s own underperformance have created a textbook re-entry set-up for foreign capital,” said Quynh Cao, head of institutional business at VNDirect Securities. “Positioning was already tight and it does not take much to flip that.”

Vietnam’s appeal to global investors rests on more than a single trading session. FTSE Russell has confirmed that the country will be reclassified from frontier to secondary emerging-market status from 21 September, with inclusion in global equity indices to be phased through 2027. The upgrade is expected to bring passive inflows of about US$1.5 billion, with broader active flows potentially lifting the total to several billion dollars if market reforms continue.

The reclassification follows changes aimed at improving foreign access, including the removal of full pre-funding requirements for equity trades and the development of a global broker model. These reforms address long-standing obstacles for institutional investors, who had complained about settlement risk, limited access channels and operational frictions that made Vietnam harder to replicate within global index portfolios.

Large-cap names expected to draw attention include Vingroup, Masan Group, FPT Corp and Hoa Phat Group, alongside banks, securities firms, industrial stocks and consumer companies with sufficient liquidity and foreign room. Average daily trading value in Vietnamese equities this year has been around US$789 million, underscoring the market’s growing depth, though liquidity remains uneven across sectors.

The macroeconomic backdrop remains supportive. Vietnam’s economy expanded 8.02 per cent in 2025, helped by strong exports, public investment, manufacturing activity and resilient consumption. Foreign direct investment disbursement rose to about US$27.6 billion last year, while exports reached roughly US$475 billion. Growth is expected to moderate this year, but projections still place Vietnam among Asia’s faster-growing economies.

Higher oil prices had complicated that outlook. Vietnam is exposed to imported fuel and energy costs, making any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz a direct risk to inflation, transport costs and factory margins. The drop in crude prices after the US-Iran accord helped restore confidence among investors looking at countries with strong structural growth but sensitivity to external shocks.

The market is not without vulnerabilities. Retail investors remain a major force in daily trading, making sentiment swings sharper when liquidity thins. Foreign ownership limits continue to constrain buying in some leading companies. Corporate governance, disclosure quality and settlement infrastructure also remain areas under watch as Vietnam seeks eventual MSCI emerging-market status.

Analysts say the latest inflow will need to be sustained before it can be treated as a durable turning point. A single large session can reflect short-covering, index positioning or tactical buying after a sell-off. A lasting reversal would require more consistent foreign participation, firmer currency conditions, stable oil prices and evidence that earnings growth can match valuations after the market’s strong run.

By Dr. Nilanjan Banik The Indian economy, to quote from Charles Dickens’ novel, looks like A Tale of Two Cities. Recent estimates suggest India’s real GDP expanded by 7.8%, with strong growth noted across sectors: services (9.3%), manufacturing (10.7%), and construction (7.4%). Consumption expenditure, which is the largest component of GDP explaining 58% of GDP, […]

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