Shipping News

Countries at the U.N. shipping agency struck a deal on Friday on a global fuel emissions standard for the maritime sector, which will impose an emissions fee on ships that breach it and reward vessels burning cleaner fuels.The U.S. pulled out of the climate talks at the International Maritime Organization in London this week, urging other countries to do the same and threatening to impose "reciprocal measures" against any fees charged to U.S.

Beijing increased its tariffs on U.S. imports to 125% on Friday, hitting back against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to hike duties on Chinese goods and raising the stakes in a trade war that threatens to up-end global supply chains.China's retaliation intensified the economic turmoil unleashed by Trump's tariffs, with markets tumbling further and foreign leaders puzzling how to respond to the biggest disruption to the world trade order in decades."Recession risk is much…

The European Union will pause its first countermeasures against U.S. tariffs after President Donald Trump temporarily lowered the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.The bloc was due to launch counter-tariffs on about 21 billion euros ($23.25 billion) of U.S. imports from next Tuesday in response to Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. It is still assessing how to respond to U.S. car tariffs and the broader 10% levies still in place."We want to give negotiations a chance," von der Leyen said on X.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ‘restoring American maritime dominance’ through the revival of domestic shipbuilding industry and weakening China’s grasp on the global shipping market.The Order directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to revitalize U.S. maritime industries, which will provide a strategy with specific actions to restore and create sustained resiliency for the American maritime industry.Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget…

The United States has withdrawn from talks in London looking at advancing decarbonisation in the shipping sector and Washington will consider "reciprocal measures" to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships, a diplomatic note said.Delegates are at the UN shipping agency's headquarters this week for negotiations over decarbonisation measures aimed at enabling the global shipping industry to reach net zero by "around 2050".An initial proposal by a bloc of countries including the European Union, which was submitted to the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO), had sought to reach agreement for the world’s first carbon levy for shipping on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions."The U.S.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Japan's second-largest shipping company, aims to capitalize on opportunities that emerge from a shift in trade routes driven by new U.S. tariffs, CEO Takeshi Hashimoto said.The highest U.S. tariffs in more than a hundred years came into force on Wednesday, roiling global markets."Trade routes will inevitably be reshuffled," Hashimoto told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday."We'll likely see increased trade from low-tariff countries and declines from high-tariff ones…

The GTT Group, through its smart shipping arm Ascenz Marorka, has signed an agreement with global provider of multi-segment shipping services TMS Group to provide smart shipping solution to its entire fleet of fleet of over 130 ships.The agreement includes TMS Dry, TMS Bulkers, TMS Takers and TMS Cardiff Gas, encompassing a fleet of tankers, bulkers, gas carriers (LNG and LPG) and container vessels.The contract covers access to Ascenz Marorka’s comprehensive digital platform designed to optimize vessel performance…

Spanish wind propulsion system supplier bound4blue has installed ‘world’s largest’ suction sails onboard the juice carrier MV Atlantic Orchard, chartered by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and owned by Wisby Tankers.The four bound4blue’s 26-meter high eSAILS were installed in under a day per unit, as planned. When sailing, the 2014-built vessel, which was originally a dry bulk vessel before undergoing a conversion in 2020, will now enjoy simplified FuelEU Maritime compliance, taking advantage of the Wind Reward Factor…

Morocco-based OCP Group, through its Specialty Products & Solutions (SPS) Strategic Business Unit, and Maersk, have signed a global Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance innovative, resilient, and sustainable supply chain solutions.The agreement includes ocean and inland transportation, logistics services, digitalised supply chain management, educational programs and ambitious sustainability initiatives.Strategic areas of collaboration:Ocean and logistics services: Enhancing ocean freight capacity…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published a time line of the collision between the Portugal registered container ship Solong and the US registered oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate.The collision resulted in one fatality, 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head at the entrance to the Humber Estuary, England, on March 10, 2025.On 27 February 2025, the Stena Immaculate departed Agioi Theodoroi, Greece, with a cargo of aviation fuel. The tanker was bound for Killingholme…

The global economy is bracing for renewed turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of sweeping new tariffs, triggering fears of a global trade war and sparking immediate market and political reactions.According to the White House, the new measures include a 10% minimum tariff on most imported goods, with certain products - particularly those from major U.S. trade partners like China, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union - facing duties as high as 25%.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City said on Wednesday it and U.S.-based Lanco Group have sold the Panama Canal Railway Company to a unit of Denmark's Maersk, one of the world's largest container shipping groups.The Canadian railway company did not disclose terms of the deal, but added the deal would help it focus on its core assets in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.The acquisition "represents an attractive infrastructure investment in the region aligned to our core services of intermodal container movement…

Danish shipping company Maersk has benefited from robust U.S. demand so far this year and expects that to continue, though the outlook could be clouded by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans, it said on Wednesday.Maersk's regular global market outlook was published before Trump is expected to announce fresh tariffs later on Wednesday against nations that have duties on U.S. goods."U.S. growth is (the) main scenario, but volatile geopolitics cloud economic visibility," the…

Nippon Yusen (NYK), Japan's largest shipping line, is concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs could push up the cost of automobiles and daily goods, denting consumer demand and slowing cargo flows, its president said."The tariffs are not directly borne by consumers, but the burden ultimately falls on them, which in turn reduces the actual flow of goods. That's our biggest concern," President Takaya Soga told Reuters in an interview on Monday.Trump last week unveiled plans to impose a 25% tariff on automobile imports, a move expected to hit Japan's export-driven economy.

Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine River in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Tuesday.Low water is hampering shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.At Kaub, cargo vessels can only sail about 50% full.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp has purchased three 8,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel-ready container ships from Japanese ship leasing company Shoei Kisen Kaisha.The vessels, being built by Imabari Shipbuilding, are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2029.Yang Ming said the acquisition will strengthen its global service network and reinforce its commitment to providing customers with reliable and sustainable transportation service.To support business growth and maintain core competitiveness…

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping company Flex LNG has informed its chief executive officer (CEO) Øystein Kalleklev resigned from the role.Kalleklev joined Flex LNG in October 2017 and was appointed CEO the following year.Following Kelleklev’s resignation, the company’s board has appointed Marius Foss, chief commercial officer, as interim CEO.Kalleklev will remain available in an advisory capacity until end of the third quarter to ensure a smooth transition period.“On behalf of the Board…

Russia's leading tanker group Sovcomflot's saw transportation volumes drop around 16% to 63 million metric tons last year compared to 2023, Russian news agency Interfax reported on Friday, citing the group's CEO Igor Tonkovidov as saying.The United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on state-controlled Sovcomflot and its fleet in 2024 in an effort to reduce Russia's revenue from oil sales that it can use to finance its war in Ukraine. The company's net profit dropped by 55% to $424 million last year.Sovcomflot hopes that the transportation volume of oil…

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the world’s largest RoRo vessel operator, has renewed a shipping contract with a European based automotive manufacturer, lasting five years.The contract has an estimated value of $380 million over the contract period.The new five-year contract lasts starts on April 1, 2025, with the rates are in line with current market levels, according to the company."We are pleased to announce this multi-year agreement with a long-term customer strengthening our existing…

Some drugmakers are taking the unusual step of sending more medicines by air to the U.S., two executives and two logistics firms said amid fears President Donald Trump's April 2 tariffs announcement could include products made in Europe.Two European-headquartered drugmakers told Reuters this week they are sending as much of their medicines across the Atlantic as possible over the past several weeks and heard other pharmaceuticals companies were doing the same.One of the executives…

Danish shipping company Norden has announced the addition of two Capesize newbuilding leases with purchase options, reinforcing the company’s commitment to building a highly efficient and modern Capesize fleetThe vessels will be built in Japan with expected deliveries in 2026 and 2027.This brings Norden’s core fleet of owned and leased Capesize vessels to 13 ships, including seven newbuildings, with an average age of two years.“This will enhance our ability to serve customers…

RobotPlusPlus has demonstrated its cargo hold cleaning robot at Sea Asia 2025 in Singapore.The HighMate C20 robot is designed to simplify maritime cleaning, blasting and painting tasks. It simplifies cargo hold cleaning with efficient operations in most sea conditions, covering up to 95% of the hold's surface and reducing the risks of manual cleaning at heights.The robot was debuted at SMM 2024 and features advanced driving controls with a flexible design allowing it to precisely navigate confined spaces.The HighMate C20 performs even with a closed cargo-hold hatch, eliminating cherry picking.

Increasing incidents of interference with aviation, maritime and other satellite telecommunications services mean States need to urgently enhance their protection of a critical radio-frequency band, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and IMO said in a joint statement.These cases of harmful interference are in the form of jamming and spoofing that disrupt Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) operating in the frequency bands allocated to the Radio Navigation Satellite Service (RNSS).