Chamber News

Hess Corp on Wednesday said its board has set April 12 as the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to vote on the proposed merger with Chevron Corp.Shareholders will vote on the proposed deal in a meeting whose date is yet to be set, the company said in a U.S. securities filing. Neither Chevron nor Hess can predict the actual date on which the transaction will be completed, it said in the filing.Exxon Mobil and CNOOC Ltd filed cases before the International Chamber of Commerce last month…

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Publications has launched the fifth edition of Shipping and the Environment: A Guide to Environmental Compliance.This latest edition offers comprehensive updates and expanded insights into the intricate relationship between shipping operations and environmental protection.The fifth edition is a definitive guide, providing a holistic introduction to companies and crew members navigating this complex subject matter. Recognising the need for accessibility…

China and Europe face a "slow motion train accident" as a rising tide of protectionism threatens to become a full trade war, the head of a European business lobby group warned on Wednesday, a day after Germany's chancellor conveyed European concerns to Beijing.Jens Eskelund, president of the European Chamber in China, said that while some worries about trade in both countries were legitimate, there was a risk of unproductive decoupling if European and Chinese leaders did not increase…

A Portuguese-flagged container ship, the MSC Aries, was seized by Iran on April 13 for "violating maritime laws", Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday, adding that there was no doubt the vessel was linked to Israel.Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized the cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz days after Tehran vowed to retaliate for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. Iran had said it could close the crucial shipping route."The vessel was diverted…

MSC is the manager and commercial operator of a vessel seized on Saturday by Iranian authorities, international shipping company Zodiac Maritime said in a statement."MSC is responsible for all vessel activities including cargo operations and maintenance. Title to the vessel is held by Gortal Shipping Inc as financier, and she has been leased to MSC on a long-term basis. Gortal Shipping Inc is affiliated with Zodiac Maritime," said the company, partly owned by Israeli businessman…

For Cheryl “Cherrie” Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,” Felder said. “But as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.”And that’s when Felder’s doorway to the maritime industry swung open…

Maritime Partners,a Louisiana-based provider of maritime financing solutions primarily focused on Jones Act vessels, announced the addition of Stephen J. Bordes and Greg Chase to its executive leadership team.Bordes joins Maritime Partners as its chief financial officer, and Chase as as the firm’s chief legal officer.Bordes brings to the company more than 20 years of experience in the fields of finance and fund management. Prior to joining Maritime Partners, he served as the CFO for New York-based American Industrial Partners…

Demopolis Lock—which suffered a recent catastrophic failure—is a cautionary tale for other locks and those in Congress and the White House who may fail to see the urgency and importance of investing in the inland waterways system.The nation’s inland waterways lock and dam infrastructure, largely constructed in the 1930s, has seen modernization and rehabilitation across the system, albeit very slowly. Despite those efforts, lock failures continue, and the risk of failure persists.While…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued a statement following the conclusion of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC81) Meeting last week.“We welcome the progress made during these intensive negotiations to achieve net zero emissions from shipping, and the support received from around 60 Member States for a flat rate contribution system per tonne of GHG. The purpose of the proposed system, put forward by the ICS, is to reduce the cost gap and incentivise the accelerated uptake of green marine fuels…

As a speed boat carrying more than a dozen Somali pirates bore down on their position in the western Indian Ocean, the crew of a Bangladeshi-owned bulk carrier sent out a distress signal and called an emergency hotline.No one reached them in time. The pirates clambered aboard the Abdullah, firing warning shots and taking the captain and second officer hostage, Chief Officer Atiq Ullah Khan said in an audio message to the ship's owners."By the grace of Allah no one has been harmed so far," Khan said in the message, recorded before the pirates took the crew's phones.

The European Union, Canada, Japan and climate-vulnerable Pacific Island states are among 47 countries rallying support for a charge on the international shipping sector's greenhouse gas emissions, documents reviewed by Reuters showed.The documents, being discussed at an International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting now entering a second week, outline four proposals with a combined 47 backers for imposing a fee on each tonne of greenhouse gas the industry produces.Support for…

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…

The UK Chamber of Shipping announced the appointment of Rhett Hatcher as its next chief executive, replacing Sarah Treseder.Hatcher has recently retired from the Royal Navy. He brings with him a broad wealth of experience. His last role was as the UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive at the UK Hydrographic Office. He gained a thorough understanding of Whitehall while in senior appointments at the Ministry of Defense, where he was responsible for global strategy…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has launched a set of industry principles for establishing effective measures to combat and eliminate harassment and bullying in the maritime sector.The principles have been published against the backdrop of a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) – alongside Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) and Gallup – on experiences of violence and harassment at work. The first of its kind global survey and analysis benefitted from insights of 74,364 respondents in employment across a range of sectors in 121 countries and territories.

Argentina's Parana River, a global grains thoroughfare, reopened to shipping traffic on Tuesday after a grounded ship was freed, though vessels were told to load less grain while the damage to the channel was assessed.Shipping traffic had been snarled after the ship Clara Insignia, loaded with wheat, ran aground near the waterway's main channel and was stuck for several days, blocking the channel down river from the Rosario grains port hub.The bulk carrier was freed late on Monday…

The international maritime industry, led by the International Chamber of Shipping, has joined together to express their concern for the seafarers from the Galaxy Leader who have been held hostage and call on the Houthis to release them.Monday February 19, 2024 marks the three-month anniversary since the Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers in the Red Sea.The roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier was seized on November 19.“The 25 seafarers who make up the crew of the Galaxy Leader are innocent victims of the ongoing aggression against world shipping…

Sanmar rounded off 2023 with delivery of two new heavy-duty tugs to the Directorate General of Coastal Safety at a ceremony attended by leading politicians and maritime industry executives.Built at Sanmar’s Altinova Shipyard in the heart of the Turkish maritime sector, KURTARMA 17 and KURTARMA 18 are both 29.4m long, 13.3m wide and have a maximum draft of 5.75m. They are each powered by two high-speed Caterpillar 3516C main engines enabling them to achieve an impressive towing force of 82 tons.Known as BIGAÇAY Xlll and BIGAÇAY X before being renamed by their new owner…

A new table published by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) indicates continuing positive performance by the vast majority of the maritime industry's flag states.Merchant ships are required to register under a flag state, which determines the vessel's nationality and gives jurisdiction under which to operate. Flag states have the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under their flag, including those relating to inspection, certification…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has submitted a detailed proposal to the IMO for a Zero Emission Shipping Fund.In recognition of the urgency to move forward with workable solutions to meet ambitious net zero targets, shipowners globally have agreed to mandatory contributions on ships’ GHG emissions to raise billions of dollars annually, says ICS.The shipping industry’s updated proposal is co-sponsored by Bahamas and Liberia (two of the world’s largest flag State administrations, measured in gross tonnage).

Sustained attacks by Yemen's Houthis on vessels using Red Sea shipping lanes could have a "substantial" impact on economies and a knock-on effect on prices, a key Cypriot shipping industry group said on Thursday.Attacks by Houthis have disrupted a vital trade route, particularly of oil, as vessels access the Suez Canal via the Red Sea. Some shipping lines have been forced to divert vessels from the Red Sea to longer routes, threatening supply bottlenecks."Where countries heavily depend on raw materials…

Shipbuilder Austal USA announced it is planning to boost capacity at its Mobile, Ala. shipyard with the addition of a new manufacturing facility.The infrastructure expansion, which will be to the south of Austal USA’s current waterfront facility, will include a new assembly building, waterfront improvements, and a new Pearlson-designed shiplift system. Start of construction on the project is planned for summer 2024.The construction of this new building and waterfront support area continues the expansion Austal USA began in March 2021 with the groundbreaking of the steel panel line.

The United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has taken delivery of ADNOC MD 01, the first in a series of two new dive support vessels.The aluminum catamaran was designed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Grandweld Shipyards in Dubai for local diving operations in the UAE.ADNOC MD 01 and its to-be-delivered sister vessel were designed and constructed to the following notation: BUREAU VERITAS 1 ✠ HULL • MACH, SPECIAL SERVICE, FAST DIVING SUPPORT…

It might be easy to blame EALs, but the ongoing causes of stern tube damage are varied, and possibly declining.Environmentally Acceptable lubricants (EALs) gained market traction with the introduction of US VGP regulations in 2013. Since then, DNV has observed two major trends. The first, starting in 2013 was early life damage, either during sea trials or within the first five years of operation, where aft stern tube bearings typically failed under extreme load conditions. Then from around 2018…