Maritime Law & Regulations News

Trelleborg Group has, through its business area, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, signed an agreement to acquire Masterseals, a Singapore–based company specializing in sealing solutions for the energy sector and industrial applications.Masterseals is known for its engineered sealing solutions produced in small series for demanding operating environments. In addition to manufacturing, the company also operates as a technical service center focused on aftermarket support and short delivery times. In 2024, the company generated sales of just over USD$4.18 million (SEK 40 million).

Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen's coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack.

Rescuers pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea after Houthi militants attacked and sank a second ship this week, while the fate of another 15 was unknown after the Iran-aligned group said they held some of the seafarers.The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C before the rest abandoned the cargo ship. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources…

A dawn ceremony has been held in Auckland, New Zealand, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior.On July 10, 1985, French Government agents used two bombs to sink the Rainbow Warrior at Marsden Wharf in Auckland Harbour. It came at the height of the Greenpeace campaign to stop French nuclear testing in the Pacific.The ship was destroyed and one crewmember killed.Greenpeace tells the story:10 July 1985. The Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior is moored in Auckland…

The Sofia city prosecutor's office said on Wednesday it had conducted an investigation into a 2023 gas deal between Turkish state gas company Botas and Bulgaria's Bulgargaz and searched the home of a former energy minister.Bulgargaz and Botas signed a 13-year deal in 2023, allowing Bulgargaz to use Turkey's LNG terminals for cargo shipments, which would be transported via Botas's gas network to Bulgaria.However, the deal led Bulgargaz into debt, as it ended up paying for unused capacity, energy minister Zhecho Stankov said in May.

Greek shipping companies calling at Russian ports are boosting their vessels' defences after a series of mysterious blasts in recent months have damaged tankers linked to Moscow's oil trade according to six Greek shipping and security sources.The measures include underwater inspections by divers to check for foreign objects, two of the Greek sources familiar with the strategy said.Western countries have hit Russia with waves of sanctions over its war in Ukraine and the Group of Seven major powers has separately imposed a price cap of $60 a barrel on Moscow's oil exports…

Marlink, a specialist in managed services for business-critical IT solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to merge its fully-owned subsidiary Telemar Group with TNL Group, the Athens-based maritime specialist in high-quality technical, navigation, and safety services to the Greek shipping industry.As a key component of Marlink Group’s Possibility Platform, the merged entity will be a top three player in the maritime and superyacht OT/IoT service market, with more than 250…

The laying ceremony of the first of the two new-generation FREMM “EVOLUTION” (“FREMM EVO”) Frigates for the Italian Navy took place today at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso. The delivery of the unit is scheduled for 2029.The ceremony was attended by Fulvio Palermo, Head of Project Management for the Naval Vessels Department, and Antonio Quintano, Director of the Integrated Plant in Riva Trigoso-Muggiano, in the presence of representatives of the Italian Navy, Orizzonti Sistemi Navali…

Condon Claims Management, a leading claims management advisory firms, has acquired US-based Marine Claims Associates LLC.The acquisition marks a strategic milestone for Condon Claims Management, which is part of the Thomas Miller Group, as the firm continues to broaden its presence in the US market, enabling it to offer greater claims management and adjusting services in the maritime, logistics, energy and construction sectors.Crucially, Marine Claims Associates’ vast experience…

Israel has attacked Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports and a power plant, the Israeli military said early on Monday, marking the first Israeli attack on Yemen in almost a month.The strikes on Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif ports, and Ras Qantib power plant were due to repeated Houthi attacks on Israel, the military added.Hours after the strikes, the Israeli military said two missiles were launched from Yemen and attempts were made to intercept them, but the results of interception…

Japan will export used navy destroyers to the Philippines to strengthen its deterrence against China's maritime expansion, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, as the two U.S. allies increase cooperation to counter Beijing.The export plan involves six Abukuma-class destroyer escorts in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for more than three decades, the Japanese daily said, citing multiple unnamed government sources.Defence ministers Gen Nakatani and Gilberto Teodoro agreed to the destroyer export when they met in Singapore last month…

The crew of a ship set on fire in an attack in the Red Sea on Sunday abandoned the vessel and were rescued as it took on water, a British maritime agency said, in an assault that private security firm Ambrey said resembles that of the Houthi militant group.The attack, off the southwest coast of Yemen, was the first such incident reported in the vital shipping corridor since mid-April.Maritime security sources said the vessel, which they identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drones.

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.

The TotalEnergies West of Shetland offshore assets it agreed to sell to Prax Group last year remain under the French oil major's ownership, it said on Wednesday, so will not be subject to disposals resulting from liquidation proceedings affecting the British company."The transaction to sell our West of Shetland asset to Prax has not yet completed and as such we remain the operator of the Shetland Gas Plant and related fields," TotalEnergies EP UK said in its statement.TotalEnergies had agreed to sell Prax a portfolio of mature offshore fields producing about 7…

RightBridge Ventures Group has announced a proposed reverse acquisition of Swemar, which has entered into an agreement to acquire an offshore oil service company with operations across the Middle East, India, and South-East Asia.The company to be acquired by Swemar operates a fleet comprising Anchor Handler Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels and crew transportation vessels. It owns three vessels outright and operates an additional five to ten vessels under charter or management agreements.The acquisition marks a strategic first step toward establishing a strong maritime presence in Asia.

The Iranian military loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf last month, a move that intensified concerns in Washington that Tehran was gearing up to blockade the Strait of Hormuz following Israel's strikes on sites across Iran, according to two U.S. officials.The previously unreported preparations, which were detected by U.S. intelligence, occurred some time after Israel launched its initial missile attack against Iran on June 13, said the officials, who requested…

Russian warships and coastal missile systems struck simulated maritime targets with cruise missiles during exercises in the Sea of Japan, TASS state news agency reported on Monday, citing Russia's defense ministry.The ships and missiles systems, all part of Russia's Pacific Fleet forces, "carried out a joint missile strike against a complex target setup in the Sea of Japan, simulating enemy ships", TASS cited the ministry's statement as saying."All targets were successfully hit."The Fleet's flagship…

Germany is considering changing its foreign trade law to prevent the company running the Nord Stream 2 pipelines from being taken over, a document showed on Friday, as part of Berlin's efforts to prevent any resumption of Russian gas imports.For decades Germany relied on cheap Russian gas, but since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, it has sought alternatives.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he will ensure Nord Stream 2, which the country once backed, would not go into operation…

On March 5, 2025, the United States Senate passed an important bill to authorize funding for our United States Coast Guard, after failing to do so in the previous Congress. S. 524, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, would if enacted into law authorize appropriations to fund the Coast Guard totaling $30.45 billion for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The bill is sponsored by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and cosponsored by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

Scot Tankers of Istanbul has praised the action taken by a master after suspect packages were discovered onboard the MT Scot Bremen.The Maltese-flagged product tanker was enroute from the Port of Pecem, Brazil, and arrived off the coast of Ostend, Belgium, on June 20.While awaiting pilot boarding at the anchorage, on June 22, the master discovered that five ratings on board were concealing suspected packages. He immediately cancelled the scheduled pilotage and notified Belgian police and customs authorities.

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz have been broadcasting unusual messages concerning nationality in a bid to avoid being attacked as doubts linger over the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, according to maritime risk analytics firm Windward and ship tracking data on Thursday.The signals have been used since conflict broke out between Israel and Iran early this month, which led the U.S. to strike Iranian nuclear sites.U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire after 12 days of war but the maritime threat remains elevated…

Leaders of the four biggest Pacific Islands nations have delayed adopting a joint security strategy that could provide an opening for Beijing, against a backdrop of increasing rivalry between China, Australia and the United States in the Pacific Ocean.The Melanesian Spearhead Group, which includes Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji, had been negotiating its first joint security framework, focused on maritime security.A meeting of the group's leaders on Monday in Fiji delayed a decision…

Global shipping groups are looking to Brazil's courts to overturn competition rules that bar them from participating in the first round of bidding on a major new container terminal at Latin America's largest port, due to take place later this year.Danish shipping group Maersk filed a lawsuit on Monday in Sao Paulo against Brazil's marine transport authority (Antaq), and its general director, according to a document seen by Reuters. The lawsuit called for "procedural corrections to ensure a fair process" to assign the Tecon 10 terminal at the Port of Santos.The bidding rules…

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement will likely be a persistent problem for the U.S. in the future, a senior U.S. military official said on Tuesday, even after Washington and the Houthis reached an agreement last month that ended a U.S. air campaign against the group."The Houthis are likely to be a persistent problem... that we'll be dealing with in the future a few times again," Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, director for operations of the Joint Staff, told lawmakers. Grynkewich has been nominated to lead the U.S.

The General Directorate of Merchant Marine (DGMM) of the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has issued a series of warnings to Panamanian-flagged vessels due to rising tensions in the Middle East, through Maritime Notice MMN-04/2025.The DGMM highlighted the security risks faced by vessels operating near Iran, Israel, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz, as a result of the ongoing regional conflict, which could directly impact ships and their crews.The PMA…

U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran's reprisals have doubled the price of insuring shipments to the Middle East and the Gulf in the last week, insurance sources said on Monday.War risk insurance premiums for shipments to the Middle East Gulf have jumped to 0.5% from around 0.2-0.3% a week ago, as risks grow to the critical Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.The cost of a seven-day voyage is based on the value of the ship and the increase will add tens of thousands of dollars each day in additional costs.While underwriters typically price risk and rates individually…

Ethical Farming Ireland has joined 21 other NGOs calling on EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi to suspend all shipments of livestock to Israel following the escalation in conflict with Iran.The call comes after a missile struck Haifa close to a livestock carrier from Portugal carrying 8,000 sheep and hundreds of young bulls.The organization recounts first-hand experience from Israel Against Live Shipments volunteers where port workers and truck drivers…

The Hong Kong Convention enters into force on June 26, 2025, and DNV reminds shipowners that all internationally trading vessels of 500 GT and above will need to have on board an International Certificate on Inventory of Hazardous Materials (ICIHM) at the latest by June 26, 2030.The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) requires the ICIHM earlier if the vessel is going to recycling.Not only vessels flying the flag of a state that has ratified the HKC…

A Yemeni Houthi official said on Sunday that the Iran-aligned group's response to the U.S. attack on Iran was "only a matter of time."Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement's political bureau, told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that its ceasefire deal with Washington was before the "war" on Iran.The group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes and Israel in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israeli war. It agreed on a ceasefire deal with the United States in May to stop attacking U.S.

The Dutch city of The Hague will host the NATO summit next week, with tight security in place as it welcomes around 6,000 delegates and world leaders from 32 countries, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and U.K.

Iran and Israel accused each other of endangering commercial activity in sea lanes around the Gulf and the Red Sea at the UN's shipping agency on Wednesday, as their military conflict escalated.Iran's delegation told a session of the International Maritime Organization's security committee that Israel had in recent days extended its "unlawful attacks" to include petrochemical and gas infrastructure in Asalouyeh along Iran's Gulf coast."These actions directly endanger international maritime security and the global energy supply chain…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it is seeking comments on its proposal to renew and revise 56 existing nationwide permits and issue one new nationwide permit authorizing activities associated with improving fish passage. Nationwide permits authorize activities in wetlands and other waters that are regulated by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and/or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.“The streamlined set of nationwide permits proposed today offers a clear…

Commercial ships are sailing close to Oman and are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran's waters around the Strait of Hormuz, with the risk of the conflict between Israel and Iran escalating, shipping sources said on Wednesday.Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Any closure of the strait could restrict trade and affect global oil prices.In the latest measure, ships sailing towards Hormuz…

War risk insurance premiums for shipments to Israel are as much as three times higher than a week ago as the war between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day, industry sources said on Tuesday.The cost of a seven-day voyage to Israeli ports was quoted between 0.7% and 1.0% of the value of a ship, versus around 0.2% a week ago, they said.War risk premiums to Israel are still below a peak of over 2% in November 2023 that were quoted after a Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and triggered the Israeli invasion of Gaza.Individual underwriters will price risk and rates differently…

Okeanis Eco Tankers (NYSE: ECO / OSE: OET) has secured a new $65 million term loan facility to finance the repurchase of its VLCC Nissos Kea under a previously announced sale-and-leaseback option. The new financing, led by E.SUN Commercial Bank, extends OET’s strategy of strengthening its capital structure and diversifying its financing sources.The seven-year secured loan carries an interest rate of Term SOFR plus 135 basis points and will be repaid through quarterly installments of $0.9 million, with a $39.8 million balloon payment due at maturity.

NAVTOR has reaffirmed its commitment to providing world-class service and support to customers in Türkiye and the surrounding region with the launch of NAVTOR Türkiye in Istanbul.NAVTOR, with products and services on over 18,000 vessels in the world fleet, has acquired 100% ownership in Voyager Worldwide Yasden (Yasden). The new office will be led by Managing Director Sena Deral Sezgi, supporting regional shipping companies with e-Navigation and performance solutions to simplify compliance…

PETRONAS CCS Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (PCCSV) MISC Berhad (MISC), and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., (MOL) announced the incorporation of a strategic joint venture (JV), Jules Nautica Sdn. Bhd. This JV will lead the development and act as the ultimate owner of Liquefied Carbon Dioxide (LCO₂) carriers, which are critical for transporting LCO₂ to designated storage sites as part of advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions.The trio completed the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for a 62…

Tugboat and towboat owners across the nation eye fuel efficiency and emission reduction technologies and techniques in advance of increasingly stringent regulations.he first half of 2025 has seen a great deal of attention on emissions from vessels, with an eye towards their continued reductions in the coming years. Mid-April saw the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s much anticipated Maritime Environment Protection Committee’s MEPC 83 meeting participants lay out plans for reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years…

Finnish prosecutors are considering pressing charges against three senior officers of an oil tanker suspected of damaging undersea power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea in December, police and the prosecutor said on Friday.Finnish authorities suspect the Cook Islands-registered Eagle S of having broken the Estlink 2 undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia as well as four internet lines last December by dragging its anchor across the seabed.Finland's…

A Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of a ship to three years in jail on Thursday after finding him guilty of intentionally damaging undersea cables off the island in February, in a case that alarmed Taiwan officials.Prosecutors said the man was captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which Taiwanese authorities detained after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off southwestern Taiwan, damaging it.The court in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan said the ship's Chinese captain, whom they identified only by his family name, Wang, wa

Australia plans to significantly boost surveillance of Pacific Islands territorial waters, spending A$477 million ($310.72 million) on aerial patrols for illegal fishing fleets, tender documents viewed by Reuters show, as China takes steps towards sending its coast guard to the region.Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Fiji on Friday, the Fiji Times newspaper reported, after the government of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last week approved a maritime security…