This Week’s Maritime Intelligence Brief: Five Flashpoints To Watch As 2026 Begins

The first week of the year has delivered a familiar message to shipowners, operators and insurers: risk doesn’t reset on 1 January, it compounds.

Dryad Global’s Maritime Intelligence Brief (MIB), updated 5 January 2026, brings together the events, signals and operational implications that matter most for commercial shipping, with a global risk-and-impact view, incident dashboards, and analyst commentary designed for quick decisions and better planning. 

What’s inside this week 

1) Red Sea risk is back on the agenda

One of this issue’s headline analyses focuses on the return of disruption risk in the Red Sea and what that could mean for Asia–Europe trade planning. Subscribers get the detail: what’s driving the change, what scenarios matter, and what to watch next.

2) Taiwan / South China Sea: exercises with real shipping consequences

The MIB assesses Chinese drills simulating blockade dynamics around Taiwan, including the implications of activity near major ports and the wider operating environment for routes through the region. 

3) Western Hemisphere shockwaves — and what they mean for sanctions enforcement

This week’s brief also examines fast-moving developments in the Caribbean / Venezuela context, and what they could mean for maritime enforcement posture, inspection intensity, and compliance vigilance for operators trading near sensitive waters. 

Read the full analysis and data:

4) Subsea infrastructure and “grey-zone” risk in Northern Europe

From cable damage incidents to the subsequent security response, the MIB highlights how critical infrastructure disruption can quickly translate into operational friction — even when ports and shipping lanes remain open.

5) Maritime cyber: code momentum, evolving phishing tradecraft

On the cyber side, this issue tracks rising interest in a Maritime Cyber Code as well as ongoing criminal innovation — with practical takeaways for fleets, ship managers and maritime service providers. 

Why subscribers use Dryad global's WEEKLY MARITIME INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

Because it’s not just “what happened” it’s what it means for commercial operations: route risk, compliance, port impact, and the early indicators that help teams act before a story becomes a disruption.

Subscribe for 2026: introductory rate $100 for the full year

Get the weekly Maritime Intelligence Brief for all of 2026 at our introductory rate of $100 — and start the year with a clearer view of what’s coming over the horizon.