Container freight rates have jumped 201%, nearing the 250% increase recorded during the 2021 container shortage, while VLCC (very large crude carrier) daily rates have reached an unprecedented $1,241,097 on the Middle East-to-China TD3C route. The pressure is being driven by geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, along with limited vessel availability. Bank of America retail analyst Lorraine Hutchinson said U.S. average diesel prices are approaching $6.50 per gallon, squeezing trucking margins and raising overland freight costs. She said companies exposed to spot rates could face a headwind in 2027 because many contracts fixed pricing in the spring. Saudi Aramco has redirected some crude through Hormuz and ship-to-ship transfers near Sohar, Oman, while attacks have disrupted its East-West pipeline and temporarily halted loading at Yanbu. The alternative has increased tanker demand, with about 15% of the global VLCC fleet near Oman, while rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope adds about two weeks and roughly $1 million per vessel. Rates have also risen in Atlantic tanker markets, dry bulk shipping and container freight. Higher logistics, insurance, financing and war-risk costs are squeezing refiners and could be passed through to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices. Saudi Arabia is repairing the pipeline, but market rebalancing may lag any restoration because vessels remain committed to longer voyages and shuttle services. Future fuel prices will depend not only on Brent crude but also on tanker rates, Hormuz traffic, Bab el-Mandeb security and the pipeline recovery.