News

South Korean officials are highlighting an uptick in the country’s market share for the newbuilding orders and the potential that they have been able to regain market share from China on the eve of the introduction of the U.S. port fees on Chinese-owned, operated, and built ships.

The world’s first methanol bunker barge was launched last week in China and is destined for operations in Singapore. It is viewed as a key step in the expansion of the infrastructure to support alternative fuel operations.

Iranian oil exports to China, which over the previous three months averaged 1.52m bpd, fell to 1.4m bpd in September. From January to August, the average monthly figure was 1.45m bpd, so the figure for September shows a fall below this average, and Vortexa estimate that the figure for October is already set to fall further.

With Brazil working on guidelines to decarbonize its maritime transport, the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ) has announced progress at five ports in reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions.

The Royal Marines have adopted a U.S. Coast Guard tactic for the task of stopping smuggling boats in the Gulf of Oman. The location may be different, but the method remains the same: shooting out the outboard engines.

CalMac's ill-starred ferry Glen Sannox is suffering repeated hull cracking issues just eight months after delivery, and the problem is related to an unresolved and severe vibration issue in her propulsion system, according to Scottish paper The Herald.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its interim report on the incident involving bulk carrier FMG Nicola (260,840 dwt) while departing Port Hedland in Western Australia in February this year.

The United States and Finland signed a deal on October 9 that sets out the framework for the construction of a total of up to 11 icebreakers using Finnish designs and expertise. It comes after months of negotiations between the two countries and builds on a 2024 agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Finland to share expertise to build a new generation of polar icebreakers.

The National Retail Federation is predicting that U.S. imports will see accelerating year-over-year declines in volumes for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. The trade group for the U.S. retail industry cites the continuing rise in tariffs as well as retailers' efforts to build inventory early due to the timing of the introduction of tariffs.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s port fee program is due to go into effect in less than a week, and with no more guidance having been issued, speculation remains rampant on the full impact of the program.

One of the growing areas of concern, and likely future regulation, is underwater noise due to its potential impact on marine wildlife. In a pioneering program, tanker operator Hafnia and DNV have partnered to test new systems that could contribute to future vessel design and operations to reduce the levels of underwater noise emitted by vessels.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority is in the process of determining the winner for a tender it launched earlier this year as a first step toward modernizing key parts of its aging fleet. With financing from the World Bank to repair essential logistics infrastructure, the authority intends to purchase a multifunctional port vessel for use at Izmail and on the Danube.

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is joining the effort to develop an ammonia bunkering operation in Australia’s Pilbara as part of the efforts to establish a green shipping corridor between the iron ore region and Asia.

A multi-year Japanese project sponsored by the government is reporting that it has achieved much higher than anticipated reductions in unburnt methane emissions (methane slip) during demonstrations on an in-service bulker operated by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

The latest data from consultancy Project44 shows that blank sailings have surged to new heights as demand on U.S.-China routes has fallen. The blanks for October are on track to exceed levels seen during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumer demand in the West cratered and imports fell off quickly. 

The Dutch Coast Guard is reporting a close call on Saturday night, October 4, as a product tanker lost propulsion and was drifting dangerously close to the Netherlands’ largest offshore wind farm.

Dutch shipping company Spliethoff issued a statement today, October 6, confirming that one of the two seriously injured crewmembers from its vessel Minervagracht passed away in a hospital in Djibouti.

Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc. (CSI) is acquiring its fourth drydock, marking a significant milestone for the oldest continuously operating family-owned shipyard in the United States. According to company officials, the new drydock represents a major company investment of over $79 million. Drydock #4 is expected to have an approximate lifting capacity of 25,000 tons, positioning CSI to further enhance its capabilities in providing critical ship repair and maintenance services to a diverse range of maritime clients. 

The Helsinki District Court issued a surprise judgment on Friday, October 3, in the case of the master and two officers from the tanker Eagle S who had been charged with aggravated vandalism related to the damage to subsea cables.

The Belgian police ended the blockade by Greenpeace protestors of the Zeebrugge LNG terminal. The group confirmed its activists have been removed and arrested after 29 hours while its sailboat was moved to a dock in the port, and the flow of LNG carriers has resumed.