Bulk Carriers News

Iron ore prices have been a model of stability in recent months despite the increasing clouds over the outlook for the key steel raw material.The benchmark Singapore Exchange contract ended at $95.25 a metric ton on Monday, down from $95.89 at the previous close but up from the recent nine-month low of $93.35 on July 1.However, the range in the price between that low and the high so far in 2025 of $107.81 a ton on February 12 is a narrow $14.In 2024 the range between the high and the low was around $52 a ton…

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.9 million tons in June, a decrease of 9.6% from 2024. Shipments were 1.2% below the month’s five-year average.Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 16.6 million tons, a decrease of 16.1% compared to the previous year’s total. Iron shipments are below their five-year average by 8.9% for the first half of the year.Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry…

“During the first half of 2025, global coal shipments fell 6% y/y amid weak import demand in large markets. Cargo loadings headed to China and advanced economies slowed considerably, partly due to stronger electricity generation from renewables and to weaker steel production,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.In recent years, China has joined several of the world’s advanced economies in rapidly phasing out fossil fuels from its electricity generation, thus reducing import dependence.

Four seafarers on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C were killed in a drone and speedboat attack off Yemen, an official with knowledge of the issue said on Tuesday, the second incident in a day after months of calm.The Red Sea, which passes Yemen's coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities but traffic has dropped since the Iran-aligned Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.The deaths on the Eternity C…

Medi Giannutri, a bulk carrier operated by NYK, has rescued two sailors from a disabled sailboat in the Pacific Ocean. on June 19 (local time).While en route to the U.S. port of Long Beach, the bulk carrier received a search and rescue request from the U.S. Coast Guard on June 19, and immediately headed to the scene.The two individuals rescued are reported to be in good health and disembarked at the port of Long Beach following the rescue operation.

Turkish shipowner Susesea has streamlined its vessels operation by upgraded the cylinder lubrication strategy across its fleet of six bulk carriers with Chevron’s Taro Ultra Advanced 40 (TUA 40).Working with Chevron Marine Lubricants and its regional distributor, Petrol Ofisi, Susesea has reduced cylinder oil feed rates by approximately 33%, delivering both technical and commercial benefits.The six Japanese- and Chinese-built vessels, each with an average deadweight of 64,000 tons…

There’s a master on the run right now.It was 4am, about 10 years ago. Two crewmembers died, 15 others were hospitalized. The master didn’t receive prior notification of the cargo fumigation that occurred, yet it is the master who is being held accountable.Captain Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General of InterManager, recounts the story as he explains why he is pleased about some of the outcomes of MSC 100 but feels more work still needs to be done.“Very often people onboard a ship do not have enough information.

“During the first half of 2025, US seaborne grain shipments increased 9% y/y, driven by stronger maize exports. While an increase in import tariffs led to a 57% y/y drop in volumes to China, the US has been able to find alternative markets for most of its cargoes,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.In March 2025, China introduced higher tariffs on US grain shipments, significantly reducing the competitiveness of US cargoes. As a result, the share of US grain cargoes destined for China plunged from 26% in the first half of 2024 to just 10% in 2025.

The Lake Carriers’ Association reports that shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in June, an increase of 6.5% from 2024.However, this June’s loadings were below the month’s five-year average by 1.9%.Loadings out of U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of 12.2%t compared to last year. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 639,301 tons, a decrease of 13.4%.Year-to-date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 9.1 million tons, a decrease of 6.5% compared to a year ago.

The global dry bulk fleet is facing a sharp contraction in younger, more efficient tonnage, with the supply of vessels under 15 years of age projected to fall by 22% by 2028, according to new analysis shared by Oliver Kirkham, Senior Valuation Analyst at Veson Nautical, a global leader in maritime freight and fleet management solutions.Speaking at the 2025 Marine Money Week in New York, Kirkham told delegates that the anticipated drop in younger dry bulk tonnage reflects a structural shift brought on by the historical imbalance in newbuilding activity…

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the leading dry bulk carrier owners, to install NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity service on board an initial five ships.Hong Kong-based Pacific Basin is prioritizing enhancements to both crew and business communications aboard its growing fleet of geared Handysize and Supramax bulk carriers, as part of a connectivity and digitalization strategy that also supports fuel efficiency and emissions reporting.Through its unique network bonding technology…

The collective scramble to move as much physical copper as possible to the U.S. before the imposition of import tariffs is creating shortages in the rest of the world.London Metal Exchange (LME) stocks have fallen to nearly two-year lows with time-spreads flaring into backwardation as inventory drains away.This tariff trade will continue until U.S. President Donald Trump's administration makes up its mind whether to add copper to the lengthening list of metals subject to penal import duties.The Section 232 investigation launched by the administration in February comes with a 270-day deadline.

INTERCARGO, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners, reports encouraging progress in bulk carrier safety, with vessel losses and fatalities continuing to decline over the last decade. However, serious security threats in 2024 demand urgent international action to protect seafarers and uphold freedom of navigation.The Bulk Carrier Casualty Report 2025 identifies the loss of 20 bulk carriers (≥10,000 dwt) between 2015 and 2024, resulting in 89 seafarer fatalities.

CMB.TECH and Golden Ocean Group have signed an agreement and plan of merger for a stock-for-stock merger, as contemplated by the term sheet previously announced on April 22.The transaction is structured as a merger, with Golden Ocean merging with and into CMB.TECH Bermuda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMB.TECH, with CMB.TECH Bermuda as the surviving company.The merger will create one of the largest listed diversified maritime groups in the world with a combined fleet of approximately 250 vessels.CMB.TECH’s strategy of diversification and decarbonization was in full swing in Q1 2025…

As a result of a major White House office wake-up call or Executive Order 14269 determining it is time to start building ships again, Washington DC announced America’s maritime industry has been “dangerously declining” and with that decline we have allowed China to become the dominant force in global shipbuilding. Hard to believe that for nearly 65 years we have overlooked how Japan first got ahead of us or the fact that Korea took the lead not soon after Japan. All that progress was ignored prior to anyone worrying about China.

Emirates Global Aluminium's (EGA) subsidiary in Guinea has accumulated a stockpile of nearly two million metric tonnes of bauxite since the suspension of its operations last year, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.EGA, equally owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, and Dubai sovereign wealth fund the Investment Corporation of Dubai, operates one of the largest bauxite mines in Guinea through its Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) subsidiary.The standoff with Guinea's government highlights the aggressive push by the military authorities to increase benefit

A methanol dual-fuel bulk carrier chartered by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, an NYK Group company, from KAMBARA KISEN was delivered at the TSUNEISHI Factory in Japan.At the naming ceremony, held on May 13, Yuko Tsutsui, Managing Executive Officer and Chief Executive of Sustainability & Transformation Headquarters of NYK, named the vessel Green Future.The vessel is the first bulk carrier in the NYK Group to be equipped with a dual-fuel engine that uses methanol and fuel oil.Methanol has a lower environmental impact than fuel oil…

The Lakes Carriers' Association reports that limestone shipments in the Great Lakes totaled 1.8 million net tons, a decrease of 21.6% compared to a year ago. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 15.7%.Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 1.5 million tons, a decrease of 18.2%. Loadings at Canadian quarries decreased by 35.3% to 297,064 tons.Year-to-date, the limestone trade stands at 2 million tons, a decrease of 22.7% from 2024. Shipments from U.S. and Canadian ports decreased by 19.4% and 37.3%, respectively, from the previous year.

‘Bingo42’ is namesake of an innovative new 42,000 dwt bulk carrier that will be jointly developed and marketed by Onomichi Dockyard and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, a pair of historic Japanese shipbuilders. The name Bingo 42 is derived from ‘Beyond Innovation, Navigating Green Ocean’, and the initiative was driven by the recognition of a shared challenge concerning the design workload for new vessels. In Japan, shipyards typically undertake all stages of design, from basic design to production, on an individual company basis.

CMB.TECH and Golden Ocean Group have signed a term sheet for a contemplated stock-for-stock merger, with CMB.TECH as the surviving entity, based on an exchange ratio of 0.95 shares of CBM.TECH for each share of Golden Ocean.The Term Sheet has been unanimously approved by CMB.TECH’s Supervisory Board and by Golden Ocean’s Board of Directors, including its special transaction committee composed of disinterested directors.The transaction would be structured as a merger with Golden Ocean merging with and into CMB.TECH Bermuda Ltd.…

Brazil's Santos Port Authority, which administers the largest port in the Southern Hemisphere, said the draft of the port will be deepened to attract larger vessels in coming years.Speaking at the headquarters of the Santos Trade Association, Beto Mendes, director of port operations, said on Thursday the plan is to deepen the draft to 16 meters and then 17 meters, potentially by 2031.Attracting larger vessels would allow Brazil to strengthen trade ties with commercial partners such as China…

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes were below one million tons in March, a decrease of 39.1% compared to 2024, reports the Lake Carriers’ Association. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 19.4%.Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at nearly three million tons, a decrease of 31.9% compared to a year ago. Iron ore shipments are 15.2% below their five-year average for the first three months of the year.Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has completed a biodiesel-blended marine fuel (biofuel) bunkering on its capsize bulk carrier, Midnight Dream.In March 2025, the vessel was supplied with about 1,000 tons of biofuel in Singapore, initiating MOL’s first biofuel utilization in collaboration with BHP Group on a capesize bulk carrier.Biofuel is made from organic resources (biomass) of biological origin, such as agricultural residues and waste cooking oil.The biofuel bunkered in the most recent operation is a blend of about 24% biodiesel (B24) with Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO)…