Philippines News

The Philippines has received an assurance from Iran that it will allow the safe passage of Philippine-flagged vessels, fuel and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, Manila's foreign ministry said on Thursday.The assurance came after Philippine foreign minister Ma.

An environmental activist vessel deliberately collided with a Norwegian krill harvesting vessel near Antarctica on Tuesday, damaging its hull, the vessel's owner, Aker QRILL Company, said on Wednesday.The company said the Norway-flagged trawler Antarctic Sea was deliberately struck by Bandero, a 65-metre (213 ft) vessel operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.Aker QRILL said Bandero struck near the stern of its vessel, where its diesel fuel tank sits, causing minor damage."If the steel plates ... had ruptured, it could have caused a spill.

Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are lining up to buy Russian oil as the Iran war blocks supplies, raising the possibility that demand may exceed supply, several sources including Russia said.Since the war in Ukraine prompted European customers - once the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas - to shun Moscow, India and China have accounted for around 80% of Russian oil exports. Turkey has also been a significant buyer.But in recent weeks…

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

China called for an end to conflict in the Gulf and said the safety of waterways should not be disturbed on Thursday, adding that it was ready to work with Southeast Asia to address energy shortages as oil markets reel from supply shocks.While the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has allowed China to cast itself as the more reliable superpower, analysts say it is wary of global energy market uncertainty, not least because it needs the resources it has been stockpiling since the late 2000s…

The Philippines said on Monday it rejected Beijing's assertion of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, disputing a claim by China's embassy that a Filipino diplomat had once conceded the disputed Scarborough Shoal was not part of Philippine territory."China must be reminded that maritime and territorial claims are subject to established international legal procedures and dispute settlement mechanisms, not through unilateral proclamations or social media posts," Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva told a briefing.Villanueva said the Philippines had "indivisible…

The U.S. Coast Guard has accepted delivery of the 62nd Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), in Key West.Danz was serving in the New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, ESU Truck 3, when he responded to the World Trade Center as part of a massive emergency response and was killed when the World Trade Center collapsed. He was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. His actions that day embodied the Coast Guard's core values of honor…

On February 18, as part of the official engagements with maritime stakeholders in the Philippines, Arsenio Antonio Domínguez Velasco, secretary-general of the IMO, visited NYK-Fil Maritime E-Training Inc. (NETI) and NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA), the NYK Group’s training center and maritime academy in the Philippines.The visit included a tour of NETI’s advanced simulator facilities, showcasing cutting-edge maritime education and training technologies that support global shipping operations.

The Philippines' ambassador to the United States on Tuesday underscored the need to "cool" the temperature with China, after both sides signaled their willingness to set aside tensions in the South China Sea and explore areas of economic cooperation.Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said Manila's relationship with Beijing should not be defined solely by maritime disputes, even as the Philippines continues to call out actions it deems unlawful."We have a continuing bilateral conversation with them," Romualdez told reporters.

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year was jailed for six years on Thursday for causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel, on March 10, 2025.The collision started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Philippines national and Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

Growing electricity demand from AI and data centres, together with rising fuel use in Asia and European gas needs could turn an expected global liquefied natural gas supply glut into a shortage by 2030, Qatar Energy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday.LNG coming online between 2026 and 2029 has raised concerns of a supply glut that could depress prices, with projects like Golden Pass LNG on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Qatar's North Field Expansion expected to contribute sizeable volumes."We…

The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off the east coast of Britain in March last year was found guilty in a London court on Monday of causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel.The March 10 crash started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

The militaries of the Philippines and the United States sailed together this week at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, Manila's armed forces said on Tuesday, in joint exercises aimed at easing cooperation between the treaty allies.Military engagements between them have soared under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has pivoted closer to Washington in response to China's growing presence in the South China Sea.The 11th such drill between the United States and…

Brazilian beef exports will remain stable in 2026 compared with last year, beef lobby ABIEC said on Monday, projecting shipments between 3.3 million and 3.5 million metric tons this year.That compares with 3.5 million tons of beef exported in 2025, including fresh and processed products, when Brazil's beef shipments had their best year on record both in volumes and revenue, according to trade data. Roberto Perosa, ABIEC president, said exports would remain broadly unchanged after top importer China imposed safeguards to protect its industry…

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding’s Philippines-based yard Tsuneishi Heavy Industries has delivered the world’s first methanol dual-fuel KAMSARMAX bulk carrier, Brave Pioneer.By adopting methanol as a propulsion fuel, the vessel achieves a reduction of approximately 10% in carbon dioxide emissions, 80% in NOx and 99% in SOx compared with conventional vessels. The use of green methanol further enhances the vessel’s potential to reduce environmental impact.The vessel features both a shallow draft and low air draft, enabling access to a wide range of ports worldwide.

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) issued its 2025 annual report on piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia highlighting that 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported to in 2025 - a 23% increase over the 107 incidents reported in 2024.One hundred and eight of these were located in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), a 74% increase over 2024 numbers. This is the highest number of incidents recorded in the SOMS during the 19-year period from 2007 to 2025.The incidents were mostly opportunistic theft committed during hours of darkness between 8pm and 6am.

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and "expelled" a Philippine aircraft that "invaded" airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

She Sails, CMA CGM's internal program to accelerate the integration of women into maritime transport careers, is celebrating its first anniversary. The program, launched in December 2024, which aims to significantly increase the presence of women on board CMA CGM vessels, has already doubled the number of women serving on board, from 200 sailors in 2024 to 403 at the end of 2025Building on these successes, the group has now set a target of 1,000 female seafarers by 2030, while promoting the professions and opportunities offered by CMA CGM.

Brazil's Federal Audit Court (TCU) on Monday voted six to three to recommend that operators of existing container terminals at the Santos port be barred from participating in the first phase of bidding for a planned mega terminal, citing concerns over market concentration.The decision deals a blow to companies such as Danish shipping group Maersk, MSC and others already operating container terminals in Latin America's largest port, as these companies will only be able to enter a second phase of the auction if the first does not attract valid bids.The two-phase model, proposed by port regulator

The IMO Assembly has elected the following Member States to serve on three categories of the IMO Council.The UK successfully campaigned to keep Russia off the Council by working closely with international partners and lobbying other Assembly Members. This underscores the international community’s unified and resolute stance against Russia’s continued violations of international law, including at sea, said the UK Department of Transport in a statement.Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China…

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.

“Due to low contracting volumes in 2022, the crude tanker order book/fleet ratio bottomed out at 2.8% in March 2023. It has climbed steadily since and has now hit a nine-year high of 14.1%. The order book may kickstart the renewal of a fleet that has grown older on average since 2018,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Since 2023, 325 crude tankers with a deadweight capacity of 68.7m tonnes have been contracted and the order book now contains 309 ships totalling 65.8m deadweight tonnes (DWT).The three largest shipbuilding nations in the world…