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Monday, July 14, 2025

Swift News

10 Jul 2025

Four More Crew Saved From Eternity C, 11 still missing

Credit: Screenshot/Video by Yemeni Armed Forces

Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen's coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack.

19 Jun 2025

MacArtney to Equip N-Sea’s Altera CLV Newbuild

© MacArtney Offshore Wind Solutions

MacArtney Offshore Wind Solutions, in collaboration with Subsea Cable Assets (SCA) and Enersea, has secured the contract to design and deliver a fully integrated cable lay spread, a tailored solution for N-Sea’s new cable laying vessel (CLV), Altera.The project will combine MacArtney’s advanced mission equipment and control systems, SCA’s fabrication and EPCI expertise, and Enersea’s deck layout and integration design.It is expected to result a turnkey system designed to enhance operational efficiency…

16 Jun 2025

Aramco CEO: Realism Must Anchor Global Energy Transition, Especially in Asia

Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser used his address at Energy Asia 2025 to deliver a pointed message: the global energy transition must be rebalanced with pragmatism, especially for fast-growing regions like Asia that are still heavily reliant on conventional energy.In his speech, Nasser said that the transition narrative of recent years — one that promised a swift, seamless move away from oil and gas — has not aligned with the realities of global demand, particularly in Asia. “We were told it would be rapid, painless, and inevitably mean the collapse of conventional energy.

13 Jun 2025

Learning from Ukraine, Taiwan Looks to Sea Drones to Counter China

Copyright David/AdobeStock

In the shadow of the Taiwan Strait, a new chapter in asymmetric naval warfare is unfolding. Drawing lessons from Ukraine’s strategic use of maritime drones in the Black Sea, Taiwan is adapting similar technologies as a low-cost, high-impact defense against an increasingly assertive Chinese Navy.Off Taiwan’s eastern fishing port of Wushi, Thunder Tiger — a local defense technology company — has been testing the SeaShark 800, an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) capable of carrying 1,200 kg of explosives across distances up to 500 km.

11 Jun 2025

Cautious Optimism on US, China Tariff Truce

Copyright Dilok/AdobeStock

U.S. and Chinese officials said on Tuesday they had agreed on a framework to get their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade tensions.At the end of two days of intense negotiations in London, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters the framework deal puts "meat on the bones" of an agreement reached last month in Geneva to ease bilateral retaliatory tariffs…

09 Jun 2025

Update on Wan Hai 503 Container Ship Fire

Credit: Singapore Government

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been notified by the Indian authorities that 18 crew were safely transferred from lifeboats to an Indian Navy ship, which is en route to New Mangalore Port.Four crew—two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia—remain missing. Search and rescue (SAR) operations are ongoing.Of the 18 rescued crew, five are reported to have sustained injuries. The injured crew are receiving medical treatment onboard the Indian Navy ship en route to port.As at 20:30pm on June 9…

30 May 2025

India Diesel Exports to Southeast Asia in May at Highest in Four Years

© Adobe Stock/panithi33 - stock.adobe.com

India's diesel exports to Southeast Asia for May are expected to be the highest in at least four years, according to shiptrackers and three trade sources, as traders eyed higher profits in Asia and as higher freight costs deterred shipments to Europe.Increased diesel exports from India, one of the largest suppliers in the region, is cooling spot premiums for the fuel in Asia and pressuring derivatives markets, while tightening the fuel's availability in Europe and supporting prices there.Shipments on the India-Southeast Asia route climbed to 600…

19 May 2025

Mexican Navy Ship Slams into Brooklyn Bridge: 2 Dead, 17 Injured in NYC Tragedy Update

Source: social media

A Mexican Navy sailing ship festooned with lights and a giant flag crashed into the landmark Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, shearing the top of its masts, killing two people and injuring several others, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.Videos online showed the training vessel Cuauhtémoc as it approached the bridge over the East River, close to the Brooklyn side of the span, which connects the borough with Manhattan.Its 147 foot (45 metre) masts were too tall to clear the arched bridge at that point and toppled when the vessel…

16 May 2025

US Freight Industry Hopes for Back-to-School Demand Boost After Tariff Truce

© Adobe Stock/be free

A 90-day trade thaw between Washington and Beijing could prove to be a welcome reprieve for the U.S. freight industry, as importers rush to lock in shipments ahead of the busy back-to-school period, experts said.The $906 billion U.S. trucking industry, in particular, has been facing a nearly three-year-long slowdown due to overcapacity, which was worsened by President Donald Trump's recent tariffs on the country's largest trading partners.But an agreement on Monday between the world's two largest economies to slash tariffs for at least 90 days…

01 May 2025

The Frozen Frontier's Hidden Threat - Cybersecurity in the Arctic's New Era

The Arctic region has become an area of intense geopolitical interest and competition. Field technicians assigned to the Arctic Submarine Laboratory prepare to remove ice from the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) at Ice Camp Whale on the Arctic Ocean, during Operation Ice Camp (ICE CAMP) 2024. ICE CAMP is a three-week operation that allows the Navy to assess its operational readiness in the Arctic, increase experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic env

The Arctic, once a remote and isolated frontier, is rapidly transforming into a hub of activity. Increased shipping, resource exploration, and scientific research are reshaping the region, ushering in a new wave of challenges – particularly in the critical domain of cybersecurity. As a maritime cybersecurity expert, I observe unique threats emerging in this icy environment, where fragile infrastructure, escalating geopolitical tensions, constrained communication bandwidth, and…

03 Apr 2025

Bureau Veritas Delivers Final CMA CGM Container Ship in Series

Naming and delivery ceremony of CMA CGM TIGA. Credit: Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has successfully delivered the CMA CGM TIGA, the last of ten 5500TEU container ships built for CMA CGM at CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding. This marks the completion of a major project for which BV provided classification services and Bureau Veritas Solutions M&O provided advisory services, helping to ensure compliance with international safety, structural integrity and environmental protection requirements.The CMA CGM TIGA, a new-generation…

31 Mar 2025

Senator Wicker Warns “Putin Cannot Be Trusted in Peace Talks”

Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Image courtesy Senator Wicker's Office

In a stark address to the U.S. Senate, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered a firm warning to American policymakers and defense stakeholders: Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted to negotiate a legitimate or lasting peace in Ukraine.Speaking amid ongoing peace talks in Riyadh and growing speculation about sanctions relief, Wicker sought to dispel any optimism about the Kremlin’s intentions. “President Putin values peace as little as any piece of shredded paper he would deceitfully sign,” Wicker said.

03 Apr 2025

Fugro’s Geophysical Survey Vessel Brought Safely to Port

Pictured is the Fugro Helmert.
Image Credit: Fugro

Dutch geological data specialist Fugro, has reported that its Fugro Mercator vessel, which run aground off Italy, has been safely towed to a shipyard for inspection.The 42-meter long geophysical survey vessel had run aground on the north coast of Elba on March 22.With no injuries to people and no harm to the environment, Fugro is thankful that the impact of the incident has remained limited.The vessel will now be fully inspected at the shipyard. Fugro will also conduct a full…

26 Mar 2025

US to Evaluate Russian Demands for Black Sea Ceasefire

© Garnelis / Adobe Stock

The United States will evaluate demands made by Russia after Moscow had agreed "in principle" to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.The U.S. announced separate Black Sea agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday - following talks in Saudi Arabia - to ensure safe navigation, stop attacks, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S.

25 Mar 2025

With Sea, Energy Truce in Play, Washington to Seek Easing Russia Sanctions

Soviet cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov on a cloudy morning, Novorossiysk. Copyright Anna/AdobeStock

The United States reached deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia on a truce in the Black Sea and a pause in attacks on energy facilities, with Washington also pledging to push for the lifting of some financial sanctions against Moscow.The separate agreements are the first formal commitments by the warring sides since the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is pushing for an end to the war and a rapid rapprochement with Moscow that has alarmed Kyiv and European countries.The U.S.

25 Mar 2025

Deal Facilitated to Enable Black Sea Shipping

Copyright olinchuk/AdobeStock

Russia said on Tuesday the U.S. had agreed to help it lift restrictions on food, fertilizer and shipping companies in exchange for agreeing to a maritime security deal in the Black Sea.The United States further said it had also agreed with Russia and Ukraine to implement a ban on military strikes on each other's energy installations.If implemented, the deals would represent the clearest progress yet towards a wider ceasefire that Washington sees as a stepping stone towards peace…

24 Mar 2025

Shipbuilding Plan Could Undermine U.S. Operators, Industry Execs say

Copyright Stimmungsbilder1/AdobeStock

A Trump administration proposal aimed at reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry may backfire by imposing steep fees on China-linked vessels—penalties that industry leaders say would hurt American ship operators and ports rather than help them, industry executives said at U.S. Trade Representative hearings on Monday.At issue are proposed, stacking fees on China-built vessels that could top $3 million per U.S. port call. The Trump administration says the fees would curb China's growing commercial and military dominance on the high seas and promote domestically built vessels. U.S.

17 Mar 2025

AMSA Fines Uncooperative Owner

Source: AMSA

In Australia, Gladstone Magistrates Court has fined Universal Shipping Alliance Ltd, owner of the bulk carrier KMAX Leader, A$63,000 ($40,000) for failing to comply with an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) written direction and ordered them to pay court costs.KMAX Leader, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier, entered the Port of Gladstone in October 2023 due to propulsion issues. The vessel undertook extensive work in November 2023 which failed to repair the ship’s propulsion.Concerned with the lack of an effective repair plan…

30 Jan 2025

Court Overturns Approval for Two Massive UK North Sea O&G Fields

Copyright Jay/AdobeStock

A Scottish court has invalidated Britain's approvals for two major North Sea oil and gas projects, delivering a significant victory to environmental groups and raising uncertainty over future fossil fuel developments in the UK.The Court of Session in Edinburgh found that the government had unlawfully granted approval for Shell's Jackdaw gas field and Equinor's Rosebank oil and gas field by failing to consider the emissions generated when the extracted fuels are burned—known as downstream emissions.

17 Jan 2025

Baldwin Applauds Shipbuilding Report, Calls on Trump to Act

(c) Marketingshotz / Adobestock

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is applauding the newly released report from the United States Trade Representative outlining how China has used unfair trade practices to undercut American shipbuilding, hurting American workers, businesses, and national security.Senator Baldwin called on the administration to fight China’s unfair trade practices, leading her colleagues in support of the United Steelworkers’ (USW) effort to have United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai initiate a full investigation into China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

16 Jan 2025

USTR Finds China's Shipbuilding Dominance is Actionable Under Law

© Juozas55 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Trade Representative's office on Thursday said it has found China's targeted dominance of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors is "unreasonable" and is "actionable" under U.S. trade law.The findings of a USTR probe, first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, did not include a specific recommendation of penalties against Beijing, leaving next steps up to President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday.USTR said its report "supports a determination that China's targeting of the maritime…

24 Jan 2025

USCG rescues 4 after collision south of Block Island

A post-collision image of two fishing vessels south of block Island (c) USCG

The Coast Guard rescued four people Thursday night from a fishing boat after a collision between two fishing boats occurred approximately 10 miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island. At approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a distress call via VHF-FM channel 16 of two fishing boats colliding.Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and dispatched crews aboard a Coast Guard Station…

11 Feb 2025

Singapore Leads Table-Top Oil Spill Response Exercise

Source: ITOPF

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has conducted a table-top exercise with Indonesia and Malaysia to enhance regional coordination and strengthen response capabilities for oil spills. The exercise brought together over 20 representatives from MPA, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Malaysia’s Environment Department, and oil spill response experts from ITOPF.As part of Singapore’s chairmanship of the Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) from April 2022 until March 2027, MPA led the exercise to foster collaboration.