How Many Ships have been Attacked in the Gulf Since Start of Iran War?
The Iran war has threatened Gulf ports and disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that ships passing through the narrow Strait will be targeted, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the country on February 28.Below is a list of reported attacks:MARCH 1A crew member was killed on board Marshall Islands-flagged crude tanker MKD VYOM after it was hit by a projectile as the vessel sailed off the Omani coast…
Hapag-Lloyd Earnings Down from Last Year
Hapag-Lloyd has published its annual report for the 2025 fiscal year, announcing that the group EBITDA stood at $3.6 billion (EUR 3.2 billion) and profits at $1.0 billion (EUR 0.9 billion).The result was at the upper end of the earnings forecast, but below the previous year, particularly owing to lower freight rates and higher operational costs.“2025 was a good year for Hapag-Lloyd with solid results. We have grown our volumes and outperformed the market. Our Gemini network delivered 90% schedule reliability and customer satisfaction reached another record high.
African Bunkering Hubs Gain as Ships Reroute Around Cape
Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…
Bunkering Hubs Along African Coast See Surge as Vessels Reroute
Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift,…
Accelleron, HD HMS Conduct EPLO on Hapag-Lloyd Container Vessels
Accelleron and HD HMS (HD Hyundai Marine Solution) have conducted Engine Part Load Optimization (EPLO) projects on two vessels owned by leading container line Hapag-Lloyd. The 14,000TEU Basle Express and Essen Express had main engine tunings and turbocharger components modified for lower engine loads, with sea trials and subsequent operations showing fuel savings of more than 10g/kWh, equivalent to 5% of overall consumption in specific load ranges.Accelleron and HMS’s EPLO product ensures that vessels operating at engine speeds lower than their original design…
Maersk Redistributes Bunker Fuel to Ensure Supplies
Container shipping group Maersk said on Wednesday it is redistributing fuel to ensure supplies for its vessels as the Iran war disrupts the flow and storage of maritime fuel in the Middle East.The Danish carrier, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, has 10 ships stranded in the Gulf. U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have fueled hostilities that threaten one-fifth of the world's oil, which sails out of the region via the Strait of Hormuz - the globe's most important…
ZIM Navigates Cooling Container Markets, Hapag-Lloyd Deal Looms
The container shipping sector continued its gradual normalization in 2025, and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services’ latest financial results offer a clear snapshot of the industry’s transition away from the extraordinary profits generated during the pandemic-era freight surge.For the full year 2025, the Israeli liner carrier reported revenue of $6.9 billion, down from $8.4 billion in 2024 as freight rates softened across major trade lanes. Net income reached $481 million, a sharp decline from $2.15 billion the previous year…
Vessels Diverted Around Cape of Good Hope
Shipping companies Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are rerouting vessels around Africa, away from the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz."Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided...to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being," Danish container shipping group Maersk said in a statement on Sunday.The company last month announced a gradual return of some services to the Suez route…
Container Shipping Consolidation Continues with $4.2B ZIM Acquisition
In a move that further reshapes the global liner landscape, Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.2 billion, the companies announced today.Under the terms of the merger agreement, Hapag-Lloyd will acquire ZIM for $35.00 per share in cash, representing a 58% premium to ZIM’s prior-day closing stock price, a 90% premium to its 90-day VWAP, and a 126% premium to its unaffected share price of $15.50 in August 2025 prior to market speculation.The transaction…
WiseTech Global and Hapag-Lloyd Launch IoT Container Tracking Pilot
Supply chain technology solutions company WiseTech Global has partnered with Hapag-Lloyd to trial the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time global container visibility, tracking and data collection.Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet of 2 million containers are equipped with IoT devices that frequently transmit location updates directly to WiseTech’s ecosystem of platforms for the logistics, global trade and supply chain industry. This pilot specifically tests the ability to ingest and process millions of data points daily…
Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd to Resume Red Sea Transits with Naval Escorts
Shipping groups Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will resume some transit routes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal this month under their shared services network, Maersk said on Tuesday.Shipping companies are weighing a return to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor after vessels were rerouted around Africa in late 2023 following attacks in the Red Sea, which Yemen's Houthis said were to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd's joint ME11 service, a route connecting India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean, will resume routing through the Red Sea and the Suez Ca
CMA CGM Reacts to Harsh Atlantic Weather
French shipping and transport company CMA CGM said on Thursday it was taking measures to put some of its vessels in areas of safety due to harsh weather in parts of the Atlantic."Severe weather conditions are currently impacting the navigation conditions in the Atlantic, along the French, Spanish and Moroccan coastlines, with an event of exceptional intensity and duration, particularly in the Bay of Biscay," it said."As a precautionary measure, CMA CGM Group has decided to place vessels transiting the area in safe positions to ensure the safety of crews and cargo.
Shipping Companies Mull Return to Suez Canal
Major shipping companies are devising strategies for a return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruptions due to security risks in the Red Sea.They have been rerouting vessels via longer, costlier routes around Africa since November 2023, following attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi forces, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza.A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 led some companies to explore resumption plans, though U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings of possible U.S.
Maersk Ramps up Suez Canal Return
Maersk said on Thursday that one of its services will resume using the Red Sea and Suez Canal this month, marking a key step towards ending two years of global trade disruption due to attacks on ships by Yemeni Houthi rebels.The Danish shipping group's share price fell more than 5% on the news, reflecting the likelihood of lower freight rates as vessels gradually return to the shorter Suez route.Shipping companies are weighing a return to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor…
Major Shipping Companies Plan to Return to the Suez Canal After Years of Disruptions
Major shipping companies are devising strategies for a return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruptions due to security risks in the Red Sea.They have been rerouting vessels via longer, costlier routes around Africa since November 2023, following attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi forces, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza.A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 has led some companies to explore resumption plans, although security remains a key concern.
Maersk is exploring more ethanol for green fuel in order to reduce its reliance on China.
The Financial Times published an interview with Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, on Sunday. This could reduce the company's dependence on China, and help the industry to decarbonise.Clerc stated that the U.S. and Brazil are the leading producers of ethanol in the world.Clerc told FT that if all the benefits are concentrated in China then some countries may object. But if they're more evenly distributed then many more will be supportive. It will allow more countries to see the benefits of the green transition. The shipping industry is more difficult than others to reduce emissions.
Maersk Tests Red Sea Route as Gaza Ceasefire Offers Hope
Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday that one of its vessels had successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years, as shipping companies weigh returning to the critical Asia-Europe trade corridor.The company stated that while it had no firm plans to fully reopen the route, it would take a "stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation" via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Maersk declined to further elaborate on its plans.Maersk and rivals…
Red Sea Return Imminent for Container Shipping
Major carrier CMA CGM has announced its INDAMEX service will transit Suez Canal on fronthaul and backhaul voyages between India/Pakistan and US East Coast in a notable step towards a largescale return of container ships to the Red Sea region.The first vessel to complete a full service loop via Suez Canal will be CMA CGM Verdi, sailing from Karachi to New York on 15 January. eeSea by Xeneta data shows voyages via Suez Canal rather than Cape of Good Hope reduces full loop transit time on this service by two weeks…
Return to Suez will be Gradual, Hapag-Lloyd CEO Says
There is no specific timeline for when the shipping industry will resume sailing through the Suez Canal, but any return would be gradual, the chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container company, said on Thursday.Shipping companies have been sailing costly routes around Africa since November 2023 to avoid attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi militants, who said they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war in…
Ports and Geopolitics Driving Container Fleet Renewal
This week, container ship ordering news was dominated by the order by Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) for eight 13,400 TEU container ships.In a newly released report, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) notes that the container fleet is aging. As of August 2025, the average fleet age of the top 10 shipping lines is relatively mature at around 13 years old, although there is variation amongst the different shipping companies. Evergreen and HMM currently operate the youngest fleet with an average age of nine years…
Hapag-Lloyd Pledges to Address Costs as Nine-Month Profit Drops 50%
German container shipper Hapag-Lloyd posted a 50% drop in nine-month net profit to 846 million euros ($989 million) on Thursday and lowered the top end of its full-year earnings forecast, blaming volatile markets and pledging to be strict on costs.The company revised its full-year earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) projection to between 500 million and 1 billion euros, trimming the upper end from a previous range of 200 million to 1.1 billion euros announced in its August earnings.Security concerns in the Red Sea that necessitated longer re-routings and frequent shifts in U.S.
Hapag-Lloyd Records 50% Profit Drop, Lowers Full Year Outlook
German container shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd on Thursday posted a 50% drop in nine-month net profit to 846 million euros ($986.6 million) and lowered the top end of its full-year earnings outlook, citing market volatility and rising costs.The company narrowed its full-year earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) forecast to between 0.5 billion and 1.0 billion euros, reducing the upper end from a previous range of 0.2 billion to 1.1 billion euros announced in its August earnings."(We) will respond agilely to changes in global trade and maintain strict cost discipline…
Orders for Less Polluting Ships Hold Share
Cleaner-fuel burning ships accounted for 37% of cargo vessel orders in the first 10 months of 2025, unchanged from the year-ago period, as buyers were uncertain about when global rules for cutting maritime emissions will take effect, data from shipping consultancy AXSMarine showed.Overall gross tonnage (GT), an industry measure for vessel capacity, totaled 78 million from January through October, down from 113 million from the year-ago period, AXSMarine data showed.Orders for all of 2024 surged to a 17-year high after ships were rerouted to avoid Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea…