News

Finland joined its neighbor Estonia in reporting a continuing increase in the number of suspicious vessels sailing in the Gulf of Finland and the waterways of the Baltic to and from Russia. The Finnish Coast Guard recounted an incident where a laden tanker had to be warned off the course it was on heading toward a shoal, the second in just months involving a shadow tanker.

Algoma Central Corporation, known for its dry bulk operations, has commissioned the first of two newly built product tankers that will be used for service in conjunction with Canada’s Irving Oil. The vessels will service Canada’s largest refinery with deliveries to ports in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. East Coast.

Supporting the Indian government’s ambitions to build the country’s role in international shipping, CMA CGM Group today marked the transfer of one of its ships to the Indian register. India which is already home to many seafarers wants to develop its shipping operations and expand its shipbuilding industry to more international shipping.

Bow Olympus just completed a voyage from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Terneuzen, powered by four suction sails and a bunker stem of 100 percent biofuel in her tanks. Without even paying the steep cost of electrofuels, the tanker met both FuelEU Maritime Targets for 2050 and IMO "direct compliance" carbon targets for 2044, decades ahead of time. 

The Panhellenic Seaman’s Federation and other unions in Greece are demanding an investigation and better enforcement of safety regulations after a seafarer was killed as a ferry was unloading overnight in Patras.

After two weeks, Estonian authorities are saying they continue to wait for word from the managers of a detained tanker that the issues leading to its detention have been resolved. The Kiwala (115,000 dwt) remains anchored in Muuga Bay and is being guarded by the Navy including with its flagship and patrol boats.

The Liverpool Bay CCS project which is a key element of the UK’s HyNet Cluster designed to support industry in the North West of England and North Wales cleared its financial hurdles and will move into construction.

The dramatic container explosion aboard the boxship YM Mobility at Ningbo last year was caused by thermal runaway in a cargo of organic peroxides, according to China's Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA).

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and shipbuilder China Merchants are highlighting the delivery of the world’s largest capacity car carrier. The naming ceremony took place for BYD Shenzhen on April 22 in Yizheng, China as the new vessel prepares for its maiden voyage to Brazil.

The fight over shipping's carbon is far from over, even though IMO member states passed a framework agreement at MEPC 83. Many of the key details about qualifying fuels and well-to-wake measurement have yet to be worked out, and even the framework itself still has to be formally signed at MEPC 84.

Global trade volume and global economic growth will both be reduced if new U.S. tariff policies continue on their current course, according to the International Monetary Fund's latest World Economic Outlook forecast.

Antwerp-Bruges released its first quarter throughput performance highlighting the strength of its container business while reporting an overall decline largely driven by a sharp decrease in bulk volumes. Container throughput however was up 4.6 percent in tonnage and 4.5 percent in TEUs.

China's drills around Taiwan and its ambitions in the South China Sea get plenty of attention, but officials in South Korea warn that it is also encroaching on a contested space in the Yellow Sea - and may be attempting to move in with a durable presence. 

The surge in boardings and robberies is showing no signs of abating in the area around the straits of Singapore and Malacca. The monitoring operation ReCAAP has been raising the concern and now reports two additional vessels were boarded on Sunday and Monday after a two-week lull.

The Trump administration's steep tariffs on Chinese goods have prompted carriers to deeply slash sailings on Asia-U.S. routes, a sign of plummeting bookings. So far, freight rate indexes have not collapsed, suggesting that the carriers are pulling out ships quickly enough that slot supply is dropping as fast or faster than the drop in demand.

Grimaldi’s fire-damaged Conro Grande Brasile was towed from the Port of Antwerp, Belgium where it had laid for the past two months after a devastating fire in the English Channel. The hulk is being sent to scrapyards in Aliaga, Turkey for recycling, but before she left, she created one further incident in the port.

While recognizing the Trump administration softened the financial impact of its port fees on Chinese-built shipping for many carriers, the shipping industry was quick to respond raising serious concerns after the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office released the structure of the fees.

The Coast Guard has initiated the final of five planned phases of the service life extension program (SLEP) for Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the service’s sole operational heavy icebreaker. Polar Star arrived at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California, on March 30 to begin the remaining SLEP activities.

Former FESCO co-owner and Board Chairman Andrei Severilov has opened a new venture targeting the West African freight market.

Less than a year after becoming the first port in Europe to offer shore power for large containerships, Hamburg, Germany is on track to complete the installation of shore power capabilities at all its terminals for large containerships.