News

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order containing new measures to support U.S. shipbuilding, centered on a new "Maritime Action Plan."

After the abrupt suspension of the Trump administration's "reciprocal" tariffs, markets in the U.S. and Asia soared upwards, regaining much of the losses posted over the past week. Only China remains subject to the White House's steep nation-by-nation tariff schedule, and its exporters now face a crippling levy of 125 percent.

As China and South Korea celebrate continued dominance in global shipping, Turkey has recorded a decline for another consecutive year in a sector that was once lucrative for the country. Recent data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) indicate that shipyard exports in the first quarter decreased by 27.5 percent to $328 million.

This review examines the laden container volumes of these countries imported and exported by sea only, since waterborne container traffic in Ukraine is about 30% of the total. The total increase achieved by these three countries for the period was 12% compared to the same period last year and comprised 1,015,563 TEU.

For the first time, a small squadron of nine octocopter cargo drones will sail with HMS Prince of Wales and her carrier strike group, according to the Royal Navy. It is a money-saving technological milestone, and marks the first use of unmanned aircraft for replenishment and stores transfer between ships in the task force.

World markets are still trying to adjust to the reality of a U.S. market with steep tariffs, and U.S. consumers are weighing the impact of rising prices for foreign goods. Luckily for consumers, those price hikes will likely be tempered by two things: cheaper oil, thanks to an OPEC production hike and a weakening economic outlook; and falling costs for ocean freight, thanks to reduced demand for shipping.

The California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is hoping to propel oceanographic research to the next level after taking delivery of its newest research vessel, a project that has taken over a decade to actualize.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) has begun operations at its new Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), located at Sri Lanka’s Port of Colombo. The terminal has been under construction since 2022, almost a year after the Adani Group signed the port deal.

The latest Chinese port operation to come under pressure is Australia’s Port of Darwin which is now a headline issue in the upcoming federal elections. Today, April 4, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared during a radio interview that Darwin “should be in Australian hands.” Concerns have been brewing over the now decade-old deal that ceded control of the port to a Chinese company. 

On Sunday, the crew of the Philippine Coast Guard cutter BRP Cabra narrowly averted a head-on collision with an aggressive China Coast Guard cutter, according to the PCG. 

The shipper of a cargo of Russian crude oil loaded aboard a sanctioned shadow tanker has found a creative way around Indian regulations that were barring the ship from offloading.

Two European river cruise boats were involved in separate collisions over the past week, one on the Rhine near Duisberg and another near Szczecin, Poland. 

Japan’s leading energy company ENEOS is joining with A.P. Moller Holding and A.P. Moller – Maersk investing $100 million in C2X, the green methanol developer launched in 2023 by A.P. Moller Holding.

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch released initial results from its ongoing investigation into the “very serious marine casualty” resulting from the containership Solong hitting the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate.

South Korea’s Hanwha Group is continuing its efforts to build its position in shipbuilding including the U.S. naval market by renewing its interest in Austal. Six months after reporting it was discontinuing its efforts to acquire Austal, Hanwha today announced it is moving to become the largest shareholder in the Australia-based shipbuilder.

The only heavy icebreaker in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet USCG Polar Star arrived back in San Francisco completing her annual deployment to Antarctica and now she is preparing for the final phase of her ongoing life extension.

Upset by Belgium’s new collation government’s plans for budget cutting, public and private workers walked on their jobs on Monday, March 31, for a 24-hour strike that stopped many parts of Belgium for the day.

Norway marked a milestone in its efforts to be a leader in green shipping with the introduction of the first of two vessels that will be powered with bio-methanol. The containerships which are operating in a partnership between North Sea Container Line and MPC Container Ships will expand Norway’s trade with Europe while also lowering emissions.

Japan celebrated the naming and launch of its first purpose-built ice-class Arctic research vessel, Mirai II. Construction on the vessel began in 2021 and it represents a significant step forward for the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which will be responsible for the vessel’s operations.

Japan’s NYK Group highlights that it has become one of the largest operators of LPG carriers as part of its growth strategy. The company last year agreed to take over the shipping business from ENEOS and reports it completed the acquisition on schedule, today April 1, for an estimated cost of just over $500 million.