Commercial Shipping News

As GPS jamming and spoofing incidents escalate across Europe, disrupting aviation and posing security risks, the maritime sector faces similar vulnerabilities that threaten global trade and safety. AST Networks, a provider of satellite communication solutions and marine electronics, warns that vessels relying on GPS for navigation are increasingly at risk and must seek countermeasures to ensure operational integrity.GPS jamming occurs when a device deliberately transmits signals on the same frequencies used by GPS satellites…

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment notes a total annual revenue for 2024 of $500 million and pre-tax profit of $65 million. 2024 has seen growth in all customer segments, including commercial shipping, offshore, cruise and ferries, and defense and professional.The figures in recent years mean that VIKING already reached its strategic goals for 2025 last year. The company has now entered a new strategy period and the growth is expected to continue, but at a more normal pace.Key figures over the past five years.

Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, ending a period of relative calm starting in January with the Gaza ceasefire.The Houthis had launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from November 2023, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.During that period, the group sank two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers in an offensive that disrupted global shipping…

A nuclear-propelled containership designed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) received approval in principle from ABS.The design for a 15k TEU vessel uses a propulsion system comprised of a molten salt reactor (MSR) for heat and a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) system for power generation. Unlike conventional ships, nuclear-powered vessels do not require engine exhaust systems or fuel tanks. HD KSOE has optimized the space previously occupied by large engine room equipment to accommodate additional containers, enhancing economic efficiency.

Subsea Global Solutions, an underwater maintenance and repair services specialist, has named Eric Smith as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).With a career spanning leadership roles in maritime operations, commercial management, and strategic business development, Smith brings a wealth of industry expertise to the Subsea Global Solutions team.Prior to joining Subsea Global Solutions, Smith served as Director of Shared Resources at Resolve Marine, overseeing worldwide assets, vessels…

“New nuclear technology is a global decarbonization solution and a commercial shipping disruptor. There is no net zero by 2050 without nuclear.”That was the view from ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki, speaking at the Core Power New Nuclear for Maritime Houston Summit.“New nuclear is a transformational technology. It disrupts the commercial model, the economics of shipping, as well as the operation of vessels and, of course, their design,” said Wiernicki. “Not only does it offer zero carbon operations but higher power with faster transit speeds…

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has strengthened its position in boat manufacturing by setting up a new manufacturing facility in Norway.The new building covers 3,400 sqm and is designed to meet requirements for high-end freefall boats in the offshore segment and for special boats in the defense segment.As the supplier of lifeboats and fast rescue boats for the commercial shipping, offshore, and defense segments, VIKING has existing boat manufacturing facilities in China, Greece…

U.S. President Donald Trump will restore his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran and drive its oil exports down to zero, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz for traffic as a retaliation for Western pressure. That would shut down the region's trade and lead to a spike in oil prices.The Streit of Hormuz & OilThe strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point…

The Mosel river in west Germany has been reopened to cargo shipping after repairs to a damaged lock were completed faster than expected, navigation authorities said.The river, an important transit route for grains and rapeseed between Germany and France, was closed to inland waterways shipping in December after an accident which damaged a lock at Mueden south of Koblenz.New lock gates have now been installed and the river was reopened to commercial shipping over the weekend, said inland navigation agency WSA.

The Mosel river in western Germany could reopen to cargo shipping later this week as repairs to a damaged lock are making fast progress, navigation authorities said on Monday.The river, an important transit route for grains and rapeseed between Germany and France, was closed to inland waterways shipping in December after an accident which damaged a lock at Mueden south of Koblenz.New lock gates have now been installed and are being prepared for the first test vessel transits expected on Thursday to Friday…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday re-designated Yemen's Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a "foreign terrorist organization", the White House said.The move will impose harsher economic penalties than the Biden administration had applied to the Iran-aligned group in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against U.S. warships defending the critical maritime chokepoint.Proponents of the move say it is overdue, though some experts say it could have implications for anyone seen as aiding the Houthis…

Yemen's Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israel-linked ships after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), said.The HOCC, which liaises between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, also said in an email dated Jan. 19 that if the U.S., Britain or Israel resumed strikes on Yemen, then attacks on vessels affiliated with these countries would resume.(Reuters - Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Editing by Gareth Jones)

On January 16, 2025, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) formally withdrew its August 1, 2022, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that sought amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule that would have had the unintended consequences of endangering pilots, weakening navigation safety, and damaging the maritime supply chain on the East Coast. While the American Pilots’ Association (APA)  announced that it welcomes the proposal’s withdrawal…

BMT is delighted to announce the appointment of Panagiotis (Panos) Kasionis as Marine Consultant, strengthening its presence in the marine surveys market across The Netherlands and Europe.A rising talent in the maritime industry, Panos brings a wealth of operational experience, expertise in marine inspections, and a passion for advancing maritime consultancy. His appointment underscores BMT’s commitment to delivering industry-leading marine surveying and consulting services, ensuring…

The U.S. Department of Defense released on the Federal Register on January 7, 2025 a "Notice of Chinese military companies operating in the United States." A trio of prominent maritime companies Cosco Shipping Holdings Co.; China State Shipbuilding Corp. and China Shipbuilding Trading Co. made the list, as "the Deputy Secretary of Defense has determined that the entities listed ... qualify as “Chinese military companies” in accordance with the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National…

The bipartisan, bicameral bill will fuel U.S. economy, strengthen national security by responding to China’s threat over the oceans. Currently, the number of U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce is 80; China has 5,500.Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. After decades of neglect, the United States has a weakened shipbuilding capacity, a declining commercial shipping fleet that is dwarfed by China, and a diminished ability to supply the U.S. military during wartime.

The maritime industry is witnessing a technological revolution that is fundamentally changing how ships operate, improving safe and efficient performance and reducing emissions, all to meet increasingly restrictive environmental standards. Adopting cutting-edge digital technologies enables ship owners and operators to optimize fleets, boost safe and efficient performance and reduce emissions while satisfying ever-developing environmentally beneficial requirements. Digitalization lies here and on the horizon of commercial vessel operations…

Despite becoming a major developer of alternative fuels for the maritime sector, Sweden is facing limited access to the wider European market. Nils Igelström, Managing Director of GAC Sweden, discusses the need for greater clarity to prevent shipping’s energy transition stalling.Sweden is in a very strong position to support the maritime sector’s alternative fuel development. Tied closely to the country’s own goal of reaching net zero by 2045, it is investing heavily in infrastructure project to develop biofuels…

Two undersea fibre-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea, including one linking Finland and Germany, were severed, raising suspicions of sabotage by bad actors, countries and companies involved said on Monday.The episode recalled other incidents in the same waterway that authorities have probed as potentially malicious including damage to a gas pipeline and undersea cables last year and the 2022 explosions of the Nord Sea gas pipelines.The 1,200-kilometre (745-mile) cable connecting Helsinki to the German port of Rostock stopped working around 0200 GMT on Monday…

A vessel 60 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's Aden reported on Monday a missile splashing into the sea in its close proximity, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.UKMTO added that the vessel and its crew were safe. The same vessel was passing through the Red Sea 25 nautical miles west of Yemen's Mokha on Sunday when it reported a missile splashing into the sea nearby, UKMTO said.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year to try to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's year-long war in Gaza.

A ship passing through the Red Sea 25 nautical miles west of Al-Mukha, Yemen, reported on Sunday that a missile had splashed into the sea nearby, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.It did not name the vessel or the owner but cited the relevant company security officer as saying the vessel and crew were safe and proceeding to the next port of call.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year in a bid to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in I

Hapag-Lloyd's CEO said on Thursday he expects continued strength in container shipping volumes, which are driven by global demand for transporting goods and seen as a proxy for trade and a health barometer for the world economy.The volume of twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers moved by its 292 ships rose to 9.3 million metric tons in the nine months from January to September, up 5% from 8.9 million in the same period a year ago, the German company said."I don't see much of a change there in the fourth quarter…

Van Oord has finished dredging two new port basins in Ain Sokhna Port, successfully completing a project that forms part of a port expansion program meant to improve and develop the Suez Canal Economic Zone and harness the potential of the Suez Canal as a global hub for maritime transport.The General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Egypt awarded Van Oord the contract to dredge approximately 21 million cubic meters of soil to create two new port basins.