News

There continues to be a lot of speculation in the industry over the full extent of the looming U.S. port fees for Chinese-owned, operated, or built vessels calling at U.S. ports. Industry analyst Alphaliner presented a potentially worst-case scenario based on current deployments that shows the 10 largest container carriers could be confronted with approximately $3.2 billion in fees in 2026 to the U.S., if the USTR program proceeds as planned.

The investigation into the shadow fleet tanker that has been accused of various incidents, including the drones over Denmark, has deepened. The French news agency Agence France-Presse is reporting that the police have taken into custody two officers of the vessel, while BFMTV is posting images of the French Navy boarding the tanker.

The U.S. Coast Guard is moving quickly to capitalize on the massive supply of cash for shipbuilding and repair work that it received in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It has finalized orders for more Offshore Patrol Cutters and Fast Response Cutters, commissioned major upgrades at several bases, and is investing to expand its aircraft fleet. 

The Port of Vancouver in British Columbia is already Canada’s largest port, and as the country looks to expand trade with Asia, the port is handling record volumes. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority reports it handled a record 85 million metric tons of cargo in the first half of 2025 as the country expands its trade beyond the U.S.

The first U.S. Military Sealift Command support ship has arrived at the HD Hyundai shipyard in South Korea for maintenance. It is the first U.S. MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) assignment for Korea’s largest shipbuilder and part of its strategy to expand repair work and to support the United States.

The first inland cargo barge that combines methanol and hydrogen electric for a more efficient operation was launched earlier this month in China. The vessel also represents an expansion of Chinese auto manufacturer Geely’s methanol technology into the maritime sector as the company looks to expand its international operations.

In what appears to be the first attack by the Houthi militants on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden in nearly 14 months, a Dutch cargo ship has been heavily damaged, forcing the crew to abandon ship after an apparent missile strike.

Japanese shipowner NYK has doubled down on robotic hull cleaning through an agreement with Neptune Robotics, one of the first firms to market with this technology. The new agreement will expand the use of Neptune's hull-scrubbing systems across NYK's entire fleet, consisting of about 800 owned and chartered-in vessels.

Bloomberg and the political pressure group United Against a Nuclear Iran have recently published a report suggesting that in the face of exposure to criticism, Malaysia has reduced its exports of crude oil to China.

Seaspan is seeking to secure its competitive advantage in Canada’s shipbuilding following the completion of an outfitting pier at its Vancouver shipyards. The pier provides the company with extra capacity, giving it the required muscle to battle for large navy and coast guard vessels contracts that Canada is implementing through its National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

Open-source vessel tracking would indicate that there are at least six Bermuda-flagged fishing vessels operating in jurisdictions outside of Bermuda – one in Canada, one in Brazil, one in Iran, and three in China.

After a coordinated drone raid shut down Copenhagen Airport and grounded dozens of flights, investigators' attention quickly turned to possible maritime launch pads. Three Russia-linked vessels were in the general vicinity during or just after the attacks, and one of them appeared to have slowed down in order to time its arrival in the Oresund, just a few cables away from the airport.

The U.S.’s only icebreaker capable of completing the annual supply missions to Antarctica, Polar Star, returned to her homeport of Seattle on September 23. The vessel had been away for 308 days, completing the annual trip to McMurdo Station and then to California for critical maintenance to keep the nearly 50-year-old vessel operational.

The Indian government approved financing and a series of steps designed to support the ambitious plan outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transform Indian shipbuilding to be among the top five worldwide.

France’s Ministry of Industry and Energy announced the selection of a consortium headed by TotalEnergies for the development and operation of the country’s largest offshore wind farm to date.

NYK reports it recently completed its first ship-to-ship transfer involving liquified ammonia. Building the expertise and transfer capabilities for the highly toxic material is seen as a critical element in building the structure to support the growth of ammonia transport and its use as a marine fuel.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is lashing out at China and calling for immediate action a day after The Financial Times revealed that a Chinese-owned containership has established service into Russian-occupied Crimea.

The freighter Thamesborg was en route from China to Quebec when it grounded in Franklin Strait, just southeast of Prince of Wales Island. Though the vessel suffered hull damage and is immobilized, there has been no pollution due to the grounding, and the crew are all safe.

Meyer Turk in Finland has secured a long-term agreement to build cruise ships for Royal Caribbean Group through 2036. The yard, which reports it has built 25 ships for Royal Caribbean since the mid-1990s, received a firm order for a fifth mega cruise ship of the Icon class as well as an additional option for a seventh ship of the class.

The Danish authorities have identified three Russian-linked ships that potentially could have been used as launch platforms for drone overflights that closed down Copenhagen Airport on the night of September 22.