Maritime Law & Regulations News

Ballast water equipment maker Erma First expands its portfolio and brings "the world’s smallest" ballast water treatment system to the international market through its acquisition of US firm oneTANK LLC.oneTANK, a subsidiary of Glosten, developed a small scale innovative, low-cost, IMO Revised G8 Code and United States Coast Guard compliant system. Based on a patented mixing technology developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the system can be installed in larger vessels’ aftpeak tanks. It is also suitable for use aboard workboats, tugboats, semi-submersibles, fishing vessels and superyachts.

A federal appeals court late on Friday reversed course and let stand a lower court order prohibiting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from enforcing coronavirus-related cruise ship rules in Florida.The decision is a win for Florida that had filed a lawsuit arguing the CDC curbs made it tough for the cruise industry to recover from the pandemic.The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta had only on Saturday voted 2-1 to block the lower court decision.But in its latest brief statement…

A court in Lagos sentenced 10 men to 12 years in prison on Friday for kidnapping the crew of a Chinese-flagged merchant vessel last year, the navy said, a verdict that officials hope will help tackle piracy in the waters off Nigeria's coast.Federal high court Justice Ayokunle Faji, who also fined each man 250,000 naira ($608) for each of the three counts for which they were charged, said their actions in kidnapping 18 crew from the FV HAILUFENG II in May 2020, were "an embarrassment…

Northern Lights announced a new partnership with MAN Engines & Components, when on June 30 2021, Northern Lights acquired MAN Engines West Coast distributor Rabaul Diesel Inc (RDI). Northern Lights  said the deal with MAN is a great addition to its family of products including Northern Lights marine generators, Technicold air conditioning, refrigeration, ice machines & Lugger propulsion engines.Also headquartered in Seattle, WA Northern Lights intends to operate under Northern Lights Power and Energy for the Western US and Canada.

Noble Corp and a consortium that includes Transocean Ltd and Dolphin Drilling are competing to acquire the assets of Seadrill Ltd, the bankrupt offshore oil driller controlled by Norwegian-born tycoon John Fredriksen, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.Seadrill is trying to emerge from its second U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy in four years: like many in the industry, it expanded its drilling rigs too aggressively in the mid-2010s to withstand a subsequent plunge in energy prices and rig hire rates.

As many as 17 people were missing from a cargo ship that sank off the coast of Liberia over the weekend despite being barred from setting sail, the Maritime Commissioner said.The Liberian-registered Niko Ivanka left the capital Monrovia on Saturday for a port in the West African country's south, despite being under a detention order for failing to meet basic safety requirements.The vessel sent out a distress signal that afternoon, notifying the coastguard that it had taken on water.

International Seaways, one of the world's oil largest tanker operators, petroleum products, has completed the previously announced merger with Diamond S Shipping Inc. The combined company will continue to operate as International Seaways and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol INSW. International Seaways expects to achieve cost synergies in excess of $23 million and revenue synergies of $9 million, which are expected to be fully realizable within 2022."Following the completion of the merger…

A U.S. appeals court late Saturday in a 2-1 ruling put on hold a lower-court decision that said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could not enforce its coronavirus cruise ship rules in Florida.Last month, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday in siding with Republican-led Florida found the state was "highly likely" to show the CDC exceeded its authority in adopting rules governing the resumption of cruise ship sailing.The brief order from the 11th Circuit panel came about 10 minutes before Merryday's ruling was to take effect on Sunday…

Missouri prosecutors filed state charges on Friday against three employees involved in a 2018 boat accident on a lake in the tourist town of Branson in which 17 people were killed.Kenneth McKee, the boat's captain, and managers Curtis Lanham and Charles Baltzell each face 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter for taking the World War Two-style duck boat out in stormy weather.Stone County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Selby and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the charges…

The Mexican government’s decision to loosen its policy of keeping a fishing-free zone around a protected area in the Gulf of California region was a “setback” to keeping alive a near-extinct porpoise species, a conservation group said on Thursday.There are thought to be only between six and 20 vaquita porpoises left and the species is on the brink of extinction as more die each year in fishing nets than are being born, biologists say.Mexico had previously banned boats entering the species’ last sanctuary off the coast of Mexico, known as the “zero-tolerance zone”.

President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed on Thursday to settle their dispute over Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline but said they agreed that Moscow must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon to coerce its neighbors."Good friends can disagree," Biden told reporters after two meetings with Merkel at the White House, adding that both leaders had asked their teams to look at practical measures they could take together if Russia's actions posed a…

South Korea is sending a medical team to the Middle East to tackle a coronavirus outbreak on one of its ships on anti-piracy patrol while at home, new daily infections are hovering around record levels with 1,600 reported on Thursday.South Korea was for months a coronavirus success story as it kept outbreaks under control with testing, tracing and social distancing but the Delta variant has been fueling a new wave of persistent infections in recent weeks.The outbreak on the South Korean destroyer with some 300 service members on board operating in the Gulf of Aden is another headache for the a

Oman's state-owned Asyad is considering buying ports and terminals abroad and could divest assets outside its core logistics business, such as a college and project management operation, its chief executive said on Thursday.The plans by the company, which is owned by the Oman Investment Authority, align with the small oil producing Gulf state's broader strategy to reduce reliance on crude revenues and expand its non-oil industries.Chief Executive Abdulrahman Salim Al Hatmi told…

Italy on Tuesday banned cruise liners from Venice lagoon to defend its ecosystem and heritage, moving to end years of hesitation and putting the demands of residents and culture bodies above those of the tourist industry.The government decided to act after the United Nations culture organization UNESCO threatened to put Italy on a blacklist for not banning liners from the World Heritage site, cabinet sources said.The ban will take effect from Aug. 1, barring ships weighing more than 25…

Top oil shipping companies say they have tightened operational guidelines and deployed technology to prevent accidental breaches of sanctions, as the countries hit by ever tougher restrictions fight back with elaborate strategies to dodge them.Washington has ramped up shipping-related sanctions over the last two years to make it harder for countries, such as Iran and Venezuela, to export the oil that provides their main source of revenue.In response, Iran and Venezuela have developed sophisticated methods to bypass sanctions…

Ukraine can be confident that Germany and the European Union will guarantee its status as a transit country for Russian gas even after the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has opened, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday.Merkel made the remarks during a news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy three days before she holds talks in Washington with U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration is against the almost completed pipeline."The European Union and Germany will see to it that this continues in the future beyond 2024," said Merkel.

The United States Federal Maritime Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on Monday agreed to boost cooperation and communication in their respective oversight and enforcement responsibilities of the ocean liner shipping industry.FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei and Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers signed the first-ever interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two agencies on Monday. The MOU comes in succession to the executive order…

Egypt's Suez Canal revenue rose to a record $5.84 billion in its 2020-21 financial year (July-June), up from $5.72 bln in the previous year, the Suez Canal Authority said on Sunday.The Authority also said the canal's revenues in the first six months of this year increased to about $3 billion compared with $2.76 billion in the same period last year, despite the grounding incident of container ship Ever Given in March.The Ever Given blocked the canal for six days in March and disrupted world trade.

Ciramar Shipyards and Fassmer Technical Projects ink a deal to Create Dominicana Caribbean ShipyardsCiramar Shipyards signed a strategic alliance with Fassmer Technical Projects that establishes the basis for cooperation in various areas, including design and construction of new ships and multipurpose vessels manufactured in the Dominican Republic. The scope of the deal also includes maintenance, manufacture and local marketing of mechanical products, including propellers, stabilization and steering systems…

Greece on Wednesday concluded a tender for the sale of Hellenic Shipyards SA, the country's biggest shipyard which has been under special administration, its finance minister said.The debt-laden shipyard, based in Skaramangas near Athens, offers maintenance services to the Greek navy and the sale has been part of Greek government drive to overhaul its loss-making Greek defense industry and boost the country's defense capabilities.

Subsea energy services firm Subsea 7 said Thursday it had agreed to merge its renewables business with OHT, and Oslo-listed heavy lift and transportation vessel owner which is building a fleet of offshore wind installation vessels, too.The combined company will be renamed Seaway 7 ASA and will initially retain OHT’s listing on Oslo’s Euronext Growth market, with a view to a future listing on the main board of Oslo Børs. Subsea 7 will own 72% and OHT’s shareholders 28% of Seaway 7 ASA.

Africa's largest annual maritime security conference kicked off in Ghana this week amid a sharp rise in piracy and armed robberies in the Gulf of Guinea over the last 12+ months.Hosted by the Ghanaian Navy and Air Force in Accra from July 6-8, the International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC 2021) has brought together several West African Chiefs of Naval Staff and government leaders such as the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, alongside experts…

The owner of the Ever Given container ship said on Wednesday that the vessel would undergo a dive survey at Egypt's Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal, before proceeding to the next port where its cargo would be discharged."We regret the impact that the voyage delay has had on those with cargo stuck onboard but we can assure all cargo interests that throughout this matter, every effort has been made to minimize the delay and to secure the release of the vessel as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.(Reporting by Nadine Awadalla and Aidan Lewis; Editing by Jon Bo

A settlement between the Suez Canal and the owner and insurers of the Ever Given container ship stipulates that neither party would make further demands, the head of the canal authority said on Wednesday.Osama Rabie told reporters that the agreement included the payment of a lump sum, without giving further details. He said the SCA would not change rules for passage of ships in bad weather, but that the Ever Given’s grounding had accelerated plans for the waterway’s expansion.(Reporting by Nadeen Ebrahim and Nadine Awadalla; Writing by Aidan Lewis)

The Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, resumed its journey to leave the Suez Canal on Wednesday, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway for nearly a week and disrupting global trade.The Ever Given started to head north in the late morning across the Great Bitter Lake, which separates two sections of the canal and where it had been moored with its Indian crew since being refloated on March 29.It then joined the back of a northbound convoy…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a large naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya's unity president,Egypt says the July 3 base will help it protect strategic and economic interests as well as helping guard against irregular migration as it boosts its naval presence on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.At the inauguration, two Mistral helicopter carriers…

Yara Marine Technologies acquired Lean Marine, a company, a company which provides automated fuel-saving, performance management, and reporting solutions, today installed on more than 200 vessels.In a release announcing the deal, it was touted that Lean Marine systems can help cut fuel consumption and CO2emission up to 25 percent. The FuelOpt system optimizes a vessel’s propulsion line in real-time based on the commands from the bridge, enabling automated control of vessel speed and fuel consumption, and avoiding fuel overconsumption.

An Egyptian court has lifted the detention order on the Ever Given container ship, allowing its expected release from the Suez Canal on Wednesday, a lawyer and judicial sources said.The Ever Given's owners and insurers announced on Sunday that they had reached a settlement with the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) over compensation for the ship becoming grounded in March and blocking traffic in the waterway.The ship has been held under court order in a lake between two stretches of the canal since it was dislodged on March 29 as the SCA pushed for compensation from its Japanese owner Shoei Kisen and

French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Monday an MSF vessel that rescued hundreds of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean last month has been detained in Italy, suggesting the seizure was politically motivated.Thousands of migrants embark each year on the crossing, often departing in small, inflatable boats from Libya with hopes of reaching Europe.So far this year, 866 migrant deaths have been recorded in the Mediterranean, according to the U.N. migration agency.

Havyard said its shipyard in Leirvik won a contract with Fjord1 for modification of the car ferry MF Lote, a ferry that will operate the route Skarberget–Bognes over the Tysfjord in Nordland county.The conversion contract is seen as strategically important by the shipyard, particularly as it nears completion of a large-scale newbuild program and shifts its focus towards the modification and repair market. In recent years, the yard has been working on building and delivering ferries, wellboats and SOV vessels.

The owners and insurers of the Ever Given container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March said on Sunday a formal settlement had been agreed in a compensation dispute, and the canal authority said the vessel would be allowed to sail on July 7.The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has held the giant ship and its crew in a lake between two stretches of the waterway since it was dislodged on March 29, amid a dispute over a demand for compensation by the SCA.The Japanese-owned Ever Given had become stuck in high winds and remained wedged across the canal for six days…

Israeli defense officials were checking whether Iranian forces were behind a possible attack on a cargo ship under partial Israeli ownership on Saturday on its way from Jeddah to the United Arab Emirates, Israel's N12 Television News reported.The crew was not hurt and the ship, possibly hit by a missile, was not badly damaged and continued on its journey after the incident, N12 said, citing unnamed sources within Israel's defense establishment. Lebanese pro-Iranian TV channel Al Mayadeen had reported the incident earlier.N12 said the vessel…

De Nora announced it has completed its acquisition of Calgon Carbon Corporation's UV Technologies Division (CCUV), including the products, brands and assets of UV ballast water management systems (BWMS) manufacturer Hyde Marine as well as municipal and industrial water treatment brands RAYOX, SENTINEL and C3 SERIES UV.The acquisition – first announced last month – creates one of the world's largest ballast water management system (BWMS) manufacturers. Through the De Nora BALPURE electrolytic disinfection (EC) BWMS and the Hyde Marine ultra-violet (UV) Hyde GUARDIAN BWMS…

Seattle-headquartered Saltchuk Holdings informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has proposed to buy the Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) shares it doesn't already own for $3 each, lifting shares of the Tampa, Fla.-based marine transportation company on Friday.As of June 29, Saltchuk beneficially owned 15.2 million (17.5%) of OSG's outstanding shares, Saltchuk said in the SEC filing. The unsolicited bid reflects a premium of 43% to OSG's closing price of $2.10 on June 29.

Fort Worth, Texas based Pilot Thomas Logistics’ (PTL) said it will unify its family of marine companies including Economy Boat Store, General Petroleum, Radcliff/Economy Marine Services, Rainier Petroleum and Maxum Petroleum under one brand, PTL Marine, to simplify commercial, operational and administrative aspects of the business.“Recognizing the 85th Anniversary of our oldest company this year, we are excited to honor our legacy while moving forward as one,” said Dennis Cassidy, President and CEO of PTL. “PTL Marine will be led by David Reynolds and our experienced management team, which we believe the market has come to know as reliable and trusted partners.”Headquartered in Memphis…

The crew change crisis that has been plaguing the maritime industry for more than a year and a half is raging on and only getting worse, data from 10 of the world's top ship managers suggests.The number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contract has continued rising from 7.2% to 8.8% in the last month, and the number of seafarers onboard vessels for over 11 months has risen from 0.4% to 1%, according to the latest monthly Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator.The…

Ship owners could be forced to pay for pollution from their vessels or face bans from European Union ports under draft plans to add shipping emissions to the bloc's carbon market.Shipping does not at present face EU emissions targets, but that is set to change under proposals to make its economy greener which are due to be published next month.A draft proposal, seen by Reuters, would expand the carbon market to cover shipping emissions within the EU, international voyages to the…

A Dutch court on Wednesday ruled in favor of Inmarsat in a dispute over the use of 5G bandwidth in the Netherlands, ordering the government to suspend a decision to reserve the bandwidth for telecommunications as of Sept. 1, 2022.Inmarsat currently uses the 3.5 MHz frequency for satellite communications with distressed ships. The Rotterdam District Court said in a summary of its ruling that the state had "insufficiently understood" the importance of that use and wrongly made it…

British professional services provider Lloyd’s Register (LR) has agreed to sell its business assurance and cyber security division to Goldman Sachs Asset Management as the company focuses on maritime activities, executives said on Tuesday.The deal is expected to be completed during the second half of 2021 subject to regulatory approval, the companies said.When asked about the value of the transaction, an LR spokeswoman said it “exceeds $100 million”.LR’s business assurance & inspection…

Carnival Corp said on Monday it would sell shares worth $500 million, as the cruise operator restarts its operations after a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Money raised will be used to purchase ordinary shares of Carnival Plc, trading in the United Kingdom, and for general corporate purposes, the company said.The cruise operator has raised over $2.5 billion by selling its shares over the past year as travel restrictions due to the pandemic brought its business to a standstill.With…

Russia warned Britain on Thursday that it would bomb British naval vessels in the Black Sea if there were any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine.Britain said Russia was giving an inaccurate account of the incident.

The operator of a giant cargo ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March said on Thursday that it would take more time for the vessel to be released from detainment while a final agreement with Egyptian authorities was being concluded.The Japanese owners and insurers of the ship were locked in a compensation dispute with the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), but announced on Wednesday that an agreement in principle had been reached."It may take some further time for the agreement to be concluded…

Brunswick Corporation entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Navico for $1.05 billion, bringing to Brunswick's Advanced Systems Group (ASG) well-known marine electronics brands such as Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP."The acquisition of Navico and its award-winning brands will immediately accelerate Brunswick’s ACES (Autonomy, Connectivity, Electrification and Shared-Access) strategy, and support our vision to deliver distinctive new products and technology-enabled experiences,” said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO.

Russia said on Wednesday it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of waters Moscow claims in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimea peninsula.Britain rejected Russia’s account of the incident, saying it believed any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian “gunnery exercise”, and that no bombs had been dropped. But it confirmed that its destroyer, HMS Defender, had sailed through what it described as waters belonging to Ukraine.The…

A representative for the owners and insurers of a giant cargo ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March on Wednesday said that an agreement in principle had been reached in a compensation dispute with the canal authority.Work was under way to finalize a signed settlement agreement as soon as possible and arrangements for the release of the Ever Given vessel would be made after formalities had been dealt with, Faz Peermohamed of Stann Marine said in a statement.The Ever Given container ship has been anchored in a lake between two stretches of the canal since it was dislodged on March 29.

Iran said on Wednesday the United States had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran's oil and shipping but Washington said "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed" in talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.The remarks by outgoing President Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi echoed previous assertions by officials in Rouhani's pragmatist camp that Washington is ready to make major concessions at the nuclear talks in Vienna that began in April.The indirect talks adjourned on Sunday for consultations in capitals…

MPC Container Ships ASA (MPCC) announced it has reached a deal to acquire fellow Norwegian-based container shipping company Songa Container AS for $210.25 million on a debt and cash free basis. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of July 2021.Upon closing, MPCC will acquire Songa’s fleet of 11 container vessels, with an average size of 2,250 TEU and an average age of 11.9 years , creating a combined fleet of 75 ships and a total capacity of roughly 158,000 TEU.

U.S. terminal and logistics company Enstructure announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Patriot Port Holdings LLC. Patriot Ports, the ports division of Patriot Rail & Ports and a sister company of Patriot Rail Company LLC, works in breakbulk, specialty cargo and cold storage, operating six terminals in Jacksonville, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; and Sunny Point, N.C. with approximately 1.2 million square feet of industrial warehouse capacity, including 10.2 million cubic feet of cold storage.Following the acquisition…

A Federal court in Tampa on Friday granted Florida a preliminary injunction against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) decision to prevent an immediate resumption of cruise operations.The order will prevent the agency from enforcing against a cruise ship arriving in, within, or departing from Florida.The lawsuit was filed in April by Republican Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the state had sought a quick lifting of a "nationwide lockdown" on the cruise industry that has been in place since March 2020.Early in the pandemic…

Forto has raised $240 million from investors led by Softbank (9984.T), the freight technology startup said on Monday, and will invest in expanding its platform for organizing trade shipments between China and Europe.The five-year-old Berlin firm offers a single platform for managing the journey of a shipping container from origin to destination - a task long handled with pen, paper and post-it notes, said Forto CEO and co-founder Michael Wax.“A shipment from Shanghai to a warehouse in Berlin should not be more difficult than a payment via Paypal or Stripe today…

The owners of a container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March have made a new offer in a compensation dispute with the canal authority, and a court ruling on the case was postponed for two weeks on Sunday to allow more time for negotiations.The giant Ever Given container ship has been anchored in a lake between two stretches of the canal since it was dislodged on March 29. It had been grounded across the canal for six days, blocking hundreds of ships and disrupting global trade.The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) demanded $916 million in compensation to cover salvage efforts…

The United Nations shipping agency on Thursday adopted a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic region while green groups said the regulations contained loopholes which will allow many vessels to keep sailing without enough regulatory control.Antarctic waters are protected by stringent regulations, including a ban on heavy oil fuel (HFO) adopted in 2011, even though no cargo moves through the turbulent southern waters. For the Arctic, the rules have been looser.In a virtual…

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA) has added a new patrol boat to its security force.The new 44-foot port security boat was purchased using a combination of Port Security Grant Program funds from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as matching funds from the PCCA. The new boat replaces one existing police vessel that has been in operation for more than a decade and had limitations when operating in severe sea states.

The U.N. shipping agency approved further measures on Thursday to boost the energy efficiency of commercial vessels although critics said the move fell short of what was needed to cut the industry's carbon footprint.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) formally adopted the rules to reduce the carbon intensity of existing ships after member states reached agreement on the plans at a virtual meeting this week.The measures add to already adopted energy efficiency regulations…

Spain has detained a tanker ship for illegally dumping fuel in waters off the Canary Islands and creating a 55-square km (21 square miles) oil spill, the Transport Ministry said.Spanish maritime authorities ordered the Liberia-flagged Aldan to dock in the southern port of Almeria last Sunday after the European Union's Maritime Safety Agency detected the spill through satellite imagery.Refinitiv shipping data showed the Aldan, which had been heading eastwards through the Mediterranean to Greece, diverted to Almeria on Sunday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased its warnings for cruise ships from level 4, the highest, to 3 as operators prepare for summer trips from U.S.

Hong Kong providers of shipping services are breathing a sigh of relief after authorities announced they would ease strict quarantine restrictions imposed last July on vessels calling at the Asian shipping hub, trade sources said.From Tuesday, crew of non-cargo goods vessels visiting Hong Kong for shipping services, including bunkering and provision supplies, will be exempt from the curbs, subject to conditions, the Marine Department told shipping firms in a letter.“This is a long overdue relaxation as the trade had already demonstrated to the health authority here in Hong Kong that there is n

Deutsche Bank is on course to make up to $1 billion on a long-shot bet on Israeli shipping firm Zim after it surged in value on the back of record-high global freight rates, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the report said that Mark Spehn, a distressed debt trader at the German bank, had wagered less than $100 million over the past five years on building a position in the company through bond and bank loans as shipping rates fell. Zim recovered to float on the stock market on Jan.

Oil and gas services company Proserv Controls, has acquired the Middle Eastern operations of Dron & Dickson Electromechanical Contracting (DDEC) LLC, for an undisclosed fee. DDEC is a UK-based specialist in the supply, assembly, and maintenance of hazardous areas and industrial electrical equipment."The deal reinforces and expands the breadth of offering and capability that Proserv delivers in the Middle East and North Africa, where it has multiple sites including in Abu Dhabi…

Global commodities trader Trafigura on Thursday posted its highest-ever first-half net profit and core earnings, largely driven by the economic recovery.The Geneva-based trader's net profit rose to $2.1 billion for the period ending March 31, from 500 million the previous year. The company's financial year ends on Sept. 30.Revenue rose 19% to $98 billion while core earnings were $3.7 billion, up over 50% from a year before. Gross profit rose similarly to $4.3 billion from $2.8 billion…

De Nora said it has acquired Calgon Carbon Corporation's UV Technologies Division (CCUV), including the products, brands and assets of UV ballast water management systems (BWMS) manufacturer Hyde Marine as well as municipal and industrial water treatment brands RAYOX, SENTINEL and C3 SERIES UV.The acquisition was signed on June 7 and is expected to close on July 1, De Nora said.By combining De Nora BALPURE electrolytic disinfection (EC) BWMS and the Hyde Marine ultra-violet (UV) Hyde GUARDIAN BWMS, De Nora will offer both UV and EC BWMS over a full range of flows.

When Dutch boat captain and engineer Ernst-Jan de Groot applied to continue working in Britain after Brexit, he became ensnared in a bureaucratic nightmare because of an online glitch and says he is now likely to lose his job.Under new immigration rules coming into force, de Groot faces the prospect of losing the right to come to Britain to work unless he can successfully apply for a visa through a government website by the end of June.Following its departure from the European Union’s orbit at the end of December…

Shipbroker McQuilling Partners Inc. and emissions trader Vertis Environmental Finance have partnered to offer carbon offsetting and advisory (CO&A) services to the shipping industry.The agreement will provide ship-owners, oil companies, refiners and traders with direct access to carbon offsetting and advisory solutions to address their environmental sustainability and carbon-neutral shipping needs, as well as their future environmental compliance requirements.With carbon market experience in similar sectors like aviation…

After it in recent months acquired MMT and Abyssal, marine robotics and offshore survey company Ocean Infinity has now acquired maritime services company, Ambrey for an undisclosed fee.UK-based Ambrey offers offshore services including, security, crisis and risk management, intelligence, insurance, fleet operation, and vessel design and build.With a management team of over 150 full-time staff globally together with over 1350 contractors and crew, Ambrey operates a fleet of over 40 patrol…

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it is accepting applications from qualified members of the international trade community wishing to serve on its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC).The federal advisory committee will provide information, insight and expertise pertaining to conditions in the ocean freight delivery system to the Commission. Specifically, the committee will meet at least once a year and will advise the Commission on policies relating to the competitiveness…

Greek headquartered ballast water equipment manufacturer ERMA FIRST said it has acquired German marine water treatment specialist RWO GmbH.RWO provides water and wastewater treatment systems for ships, ports and offshore installations. Its product portfolio includes the treatment of drinking and process water, oily waters, ballast, wastewater as well as sales spare parts and services..“This is a win for ERMA FIRST and a win for RWO’s customers and staff. We have acquired a world leader in water treatment systems for the shipping industry with a strong customer base and a reputation for excellence and reliability,” said ERMA FIRST managing…

The below e-mail recently received by the author paints the picture we are seeing a thousand fold in the current ocean shipping marketplace in the inbound/outbound Asia trade lanes which underscores the serious disconnect currently between ocean common carriers and shippers in these U.S trade lanes:“Carlos:We are seeing examples where there was a rate agreed upon and the cargo was tendered to the carrier. In many cases the freight gets rolled and sits at the original terminal for an additional 1-2-3 weeks.

CMA CGM, one of the world's largest container shipping groups, on Friday posted a jump in first-quarter earnings and said it expected strong demand for transporting consumer goods to continue for the rest of the year.French-based CMA CGM's net profit rose to $2.1 billion in the first quarter from $48 million in the same period last year, while core EBITDA earnings rose to $3.2 billion from $973 million, the group said in a statement.Container lines such as market leader Maersk have seen a boom in demand as the COVID-19 crisis has stoked buying of packaged goods by locked-down consumers, while

Maersk Tankers Singapore Pte Ltd and Scorpio LR2 Pool Ltd have filed separate claims in the Singapore High Court against Winson Oil Trading Pte Ltd for failing to fulfil its contractual obligations, court documents show.The filings are the latest fallout in the unravelling of Hin Leong—once one of Asia's top oil traders—which has left creditors scrambling to recoup about $3.5 billion in debt.Hin Leong's collapse has triggered competing claims for cargoes and assets and ensnared…

The speed of a container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March was controlled by the Egyptian waterway’s operator before it ran aground, the vessel’s insurer said on Thursday.The statement from UK Club came after the head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said the ship was sailing too fast when it became grounded, but that the canal bore no responsibility.The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, is still being held in the canal while both sides continue compensation talks.

Singapore authorities said that they have started their own investigation into a stricken cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals that caught fire off Sri Lanka's west coast.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics, was anchored off Sri Lanka's west coast when a fire erupted onboard after an explosion on May 20.Tonnes of plastic pellets have fouled the country's rich fishing waters in one of its worst-ever marine disasters.Singapore's Marine and Port Authority said it understood that the sh

TotalEnergies has signed a sale and purchase agreement with Novatek to acquire 10% of Arctic Transshipment LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Novatek, which owns and will operate two liquefied natural gas (LNG) transshipment terminals being built in the Murmansk and Kamchatka regions of Russia.These terminals will provide export logistics services, including to the Arctic LNG 2 project under construction, and will each initially include a 360,000 m3 floating storage unit (FSU) and two ship-to-ship transfer kits (STS).

Volvo Penta has announced an exciting new acquisition of ZEM – a company with 12 years of market experience as a supplier of both marine battery systems and complete electric drivelines and a strong track record in Norway.ZEM’s core team has a background in electromobility that dates back to 1993. In 2009, ZEM was founded as an advisor to the maritime and offshore sector to design battery and hybrid solutions. Today, the company has delivered battery solutions to many different applications…

A landmark lawsuit filed against Guyana's government, arguing that oil production fuels climate change, could bolster legal action as court cases involving energy companies and state authorities surge, according to lawyers and environmentalists.The constitutional claim - the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean - asserts that oil exploration and production led by U.S. oil major ExxonMobil off the South American country's coast is unconstitutional, said the case's lead lawyer Melinda Janki.Filed by two Guyanese citizens in late May before the tiny nation's constitutional court…

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has launched a full line of marine insurance products in France and appointed Muriel Birre Julvécourt as Head of Marine. The company said that the new marine offerings included Inland Marine, Ocean Cargo, Stock & Transit, Project Cargo, Freight Forwarders Liability, Ports & Terminals, and Subsea Insurance.Muriel Birre Julvécourtcomes to BHSI with more than 25 years of marine underwriting experience. She was most recently Head of Marine at RSA Group. Before that, she held various management roles in Marine at Groupama Transport.

A cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals sank off Sri Lanka's west coast, its navy said on Wednesday, and tonnes of plastic pellets have fouled the country's rich fishing waters in one of its worst-ever marine disasters.The government on Wednesday suspended fishing along an 80-km (50-mile) stretch of the island's coastline, affecting 5,600 fishing boats, and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to clean affected beaches.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1…

Swedish-based equipment manufacturer Alfa Laval announced Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of Norwegian weather intelligence and decision support services provider StormGeo.Alfa Laval, which announced the deal in May, said the acquisition is part of a strategy to boost its digital services offering and support the maritime industry’s operational efficiency efforts. StormGeo will become a part of Alfa Laval's marine division.The purchase price is fully financed via cash and amounts to MNOK 3,630 (approximately MSEK 3,700) on a debt and cash free basis.

A cargo of 1.033 million barrels of Iranian crude oil landed on U.S. shores in March, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed, the second shipment of Iranian oil to be imported into the United States since 1991.The cargo was registered in EIA data released late last week for the month following the seizure by U.S. authorities of the Liberian-flagged tanker Achilleas, which was transporting Iranian crude.The EIA gave no other details on the Iranian cargo, and the agency could not be reached for comment outside of U.S. office hours.

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) recently launched its Recommended Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability (IMCA ES 001). This Code was developed by its Members through IMCA’s committee governance structure and sets expectations for the marine contracting industry in managing key environmental and climate topics associated with offshore marine construction.“IMCA started its environmental sustainability journey with its members four years ago," said IMCA’s CEO Allen Leatt.

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced its financial figures for 2020, noting that while the group has had two difficult years, it is slowly moving toward a more positive path.Meyer Turku, part of the German-based Meyer Group, primarily builds cruise ships and large capacity ferries, two sectors where newbuild orders have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But with many parts of the world now reopening to passenger ships, Meyer Turku is targeting a rebound. “Last year has been in several aspects an extraordinary difficult year…

An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Indonesia in January over the suspected illegal transfer of oil has been released, an Indonesian official and Iranian state media said on Saturday.Wisnu Pramandita, a spokesman for the Indonesian coastguard, said the Iranian-flagged tanker, the MT Horse, was released on Friday after a court decision earlier in the week.The court ruled the vessel could leave Indonesia, while the captain would be subject to a two-year probation without any fine…

The maiden voyage of a new British aircraft carrier will seek to show allies that post-Brexit Britain is ready to defend Western interests and eager to see China respect international rules, the vessel’s commander said.HMS Queen Elizabeth took part in NATO exercises in the Mediterranean this week, ahead of the eight-month voyage that will cross through the South China Sea in a signal to Beijing that sea lanes must remain open.The carrier is “a hugely powerful statement,” Commodore Steve Moorhouse…

Chinese shipping group COSCO hopes to reach a deal with the Greek government to complete the purchase of an extra stake in Piraeus, despite running out of time to fulfil a key condition, a top official at the port said.Under a 2016 Greek privatization agreement, COSCO Shipping bought a 51% holding in Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) for 280 million euros ($341 million) and committed to mandatory investments worth about 300 million euros over five years to acquire an additional 16%…

U.S. commercial fishing practices must change to prevent the extinction of North Atlantic right whales, the administration of President Joe Biden said on Thursday, as it prepares a list of new regulations to prevent whale entanglements in lobster and crab gear.The scientific assessment from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries unit is a milestone in finalizing a handful of proposed reforms of commercial fishermen mainly intended to reduce the amount of vertical rope in whale habitat.The lobster industry…

A senior Russian security official said on Thursday that Moscow had used its navy and air force to expel a British warship, HMS Dragon, from what he described as Russian territorial waters near Russian-annexed Crimea last October.Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, drawing sanctions and condemnation from the West. Kyiv wants the territory back.Vladimir Kulishov, first deputy head of the FSB security service, said Russia had told the vessel not to enter its waters, but that it had crossed what he said was the border on Oct.

The container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal in March was struggling to steer because of its high speed and the size of its rudder, and could have chosen not to enter the waterway in bad weather, the canal authority's head told Reuters.The comments by Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie on Thursday come amid a dispute over compensation with the owner and insurers of the Ever Given container ship, which is detained by court order in the canal nearly two months after it was dislodged.The Ever Given became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23…

Danish Parliament on Tuesday approved plans to send a naval warship to boost maritime security in one of the world's top piracy hot spots. In the fall of 2021 the European country will deploy its frigate Esbern Snare to the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast where it will contribute to international efforts to curb rampant piracy.As the world’s fifth largest marine nation Denmark said on average 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the Gulf of Guinea daily, carrying some $1.6 billion in goods annually.In March…

Hempel announced an ambitious strategy to double its revenue by 2025, with a focus on innovation, digitalization and sustainability. Michael Hansen, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer and Dorthe Scherling Nielsen, Head of Sustainability & Government Affairs discuss the path ahead.The year 2020 defined by COVID-19 presented historic challenges for many industries, and even companies such as Hempel – with a 105-year history – were not exempt. While the pandemic was (and continues to be for some) all consuming, it is far from the sole challenge for maritime companies today.

As the maritime industry continues to develop and test the technologies required for safe autonomous vessel operations, many regulatory questions have remained.Setting out to help answer some of these questions, the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has recently completed a regulatory scoping exercise to analyze relevant ship safety treaties, in order to assess how maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) could be regulated.The scoping exercise was initiated in 2017 to determine how safe…

The Biden administration will seek to approve more than a dozen offshore wind projects in the next four years and open new areas for leasing off the coast of California as it seeks to supercharge development of the nascent U.S. industry, an Interior Department official said on Tuesday.The effort is part of the administration’s broader plan to fight climate change by decarbonizing the U.S. power sector by 2035 and the entire economy by 2050.Amanda Lefton, director of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told the Reuters U.S.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden will sign the Alaska tourism bill on Monday, allowing cruise ships to return to the state this year."This law will allow large cruise ships to visit Alaska this year, a critical step toward returning to normal in a state where one in 10 jobs is in the tourism industry," Psaki said.

A Singapore court has approved a freeze on up to $3.5 billion of assets of the family behind collapsed Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, boosting the prospect of debt recovery from the former oil trading empire that counts some of the world's biggest banks among its creditors.Hin Leong was wound up in March after failing in a year-long effort to restructure more than $3 billion in debts after the COVID-19-led oil crash laid bare huge losses. Founder Lim Oon Kuin admitted in a court document…

An Egyptian court on Sunday rejected a complaint by the Japanese owner of a container ship that blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for six days in March against the vessel's continued detention by canal authorities, a lawyer said.The Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23, halting traffic in both directions and disrupting global trade.The complaint was attached to a case at the economic court in Ismailia in which the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) sought $916 million in compensation from the Ever Given's owner Shoei Kisen.Als

The owner of a container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March says the canal authority was at fault over its grounding as it disputes the vessel's detention and a compensation claim, a lawyer representing the owner said on Saturday.The Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23, and remained grounded for six days, blocking traffic in both directions and disrupting global trade.The vessel has since been held in a lake between two stretches of the canal as the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) pursues a $916.5 million claim agai

Russian vessel Fortuna has started laying pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in German waters, the gas project said on Sunday, citing Germany's Waterway and Shipping Authority.Nord Stream 2, which runs on the bed of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine, has faced criticism from the United States, which claims it will increase European reliance on Russian gas.Fortuna and other vessels taking part in the project have been added to a U.S. sanctions list."All works are performed in accordance with the available permits…

Estonia's Port of Tallinn has implemented new rules requiring the collection of residue from underwater hull cleaning operations while in port.Ellen Kaasik, the port's environmental manager, said the measures are part of a major activity plan to decrease the environmental impact of the port and ships, and that the decision to collect all hull cleaning residue was made to help tackle eutrophication.Hull cleaning service in the Port of Tallinn can only be provided with permission from the Vessel Traffic Shift Manager…

The White House said on Friday it had pared down its infrastructure bill to $1.7 trillion from $2.25 trillion, with cuts to investments in broadband as well as roads and bridges, in an effort to find common ground with Republican lawmakers.The effort represented a desire by President Joe Biden's team to engage with the opposition party on an issue that the Democratic president has made a priority in his early days in office.But the two sides still remained far apart, and one person…

Egypt's Suez Canal Authority said on Thursday its revenues in April were $552 million compared with $476 million in the same month last year.The canal's authority said 1,814 ships transited in April, up from 1,731 ships in the same month last year.A massive container ship blocked the waterway in late March causing a huge backlog of vessels waiting for passage in what is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.(Reporting by Yusri Mohamed; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Chris Reese)

Australia's national transport safety investigator is calling out inadequate international vessel fire safety standards and regulations in the wake of a 2018 bulk carrier fire that took five days to contain and extinguish.The 202 meter, Australian flagged self-unloading bulk carrier Iron Chieftain was discharging its cargo of dolomite at Port Kembla, New South Wales in the early hours of June 18, 2018 when friction, probably from a failed bearing, generated enough heat to ignite a rubber conveyor belt in the C-Loop internal cargo handling space.

As many maritime markets were challenged by COVID-19, Royal IHC, a Dutch maritime conglomerate and bellwether for the industry, reported its annual numbers indicated the smoke is clearing and a recovery is in sight.2020 will surely go down as a year many inside and out of the maritime industry will want to soon forget, and in releasing its annual figures Royal IHC noted that the first half of 2020 was dominated by refinancing and recapitalization, with COVID-19 having a "major impact" on order intakes throughout 2020.

China accused the United States on Wednesday of threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. warship again sailed through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from its giant neighbor.The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on Tuesday in accordance with international law."The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday criticized Russia's activities in the Arctic region, describing them as 'unlawful maritime claims' and repeated calls to avoid the militarization of the region, days before a gathering of Arctic nations.Blinken made the warning ahead of a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the first such high-level in-person talks between Washington and Moscow since President Joe Biden took office in January.The United…

The art of drawing lines on maps is fraught with contention. Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot are likely unfamiliar to many, but their names and actions live on. Their role in carving up the Ottoman Empire toward the end of the of World War I created artificial borders in the Middle East—determined arbitrarily with a ruler and with no regard to ethnic or sectarian characteristics—highlights the unintended cartographic consequences that can arise when applying rigid models of expression to inherently dynamic areas.Designated areas of maritime risk…