Ports News

A landmark moment in Gulf Coast industry was celebrated today with the christening of Creole King, a state-of-the-art barge-mounted stevedoring crane, at the Port of Iberia.Operated by Cooper Consolidated and assembled by E-Crane’s Gulf Coast Service team, the Creole King represents a technological and environmental leap forward for midstream cargo operations. Standing 75 feet tall with a reach of 125 feet, the Creole King is powered by the largest E-Crane of its kind in North America—the EC30382 PD-E from the 4000C Series.

Most European ports are lagging in installing the shore-side electrical infrastructure needed for ships to switch from highly polluting marine fuel to cleaner electricity while docked, a new study showed on Tuesday.European Union environmental rules have set a 2030 deadline for maritime ports to install the infrastructure to provide what is known as onshore power supply (OPS).To assess their roll-out, Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) commissioned a study covering…

Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports on Sunday signed a $800 million agreement with UAE's DP World to bolster Syrian ports infrastructure and logistical services, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.The agreement follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in May.The deal with DP World, a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates investment company Dubai World, focuses on developing a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous on Syria's Mediterranean.Following over a decade of conflict and long-standing underinvestment in trade infrastructure…

SAAM christened Trapananda, reported to be the first electric tugboat in Latin America. Thanks to a strategic partnership with Enap, the electric tug will operate in one of the southernmost terminals in the world, Puerto Chacabuco, in the Aysén Region, supporting ship berthing and deberthing operations.The tug measures 25 x 13m and brings 70 tons of bollard pull capacity, enabling it to assist large vessels in challenging harbor conditions. The craft is equipped with two, 2,100-kW electric azimuth thrusters and is powered by a 3…

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…

Global Energy Storage Group (GES) has completed of the sale of its terminal located in the Port of Rotterdam to French-based firm Tepsa.The facility, which includes 212,000 m3 of tank storage and approximately 18 hectares of development land in the Europoort area, was sold to Tepsa, a European bulk liquid and gas storage operator.The transaction represents a key milestone for GES as it continues to focus its resources on expanding its presence in the fast-growing Asian market…

“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.

C-Zero Maritime, sustainability solutions provider, has formalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Wilhelmsen Port Services to integrate key emissions visibility technologies into its services.Wilhelmsen Port Services is a global provider of port services, offering solutions like Platform 13 to enhance efficiency and performance across the port value chain.Signed at Nor-Shipping 2025 in Oslo, the MOU will allow C-Zero Maritime to integrate Wilhelmsen Port Services’ Platform 13 technology into its product offering.

“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.

Rates for shipping cargo containers from China to the U.S. have dropped by more than half since earlier this month, as imports rebounded less than expected after the slump that followed President Donald Trump slapping 145% tariffs on China.Trump quickly reversed course by lowering the rate to 30%. That cost increase on goods from the nation's No. 1 ocean trading partner remains significant, especially at a time when U.S. economic data is signaling weakness.Rates on the closely watched Shanghai-to-U.S.

Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) enters the US market with the launch of the Sun Chief Express (SCX).The Sun Chief Express (SCX) will directly connect Seattle, WA with Ho Chi Minh, and Shekou, while also providing wider coverage of Southeast Asia via these ports. ESL will leverage its intermodal solutions within the US market, to provide inland connectivity via Seattle to locations across the US including, but not limited to Portland, OR, St. Paul, MN, Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, Columbus, OH and Memphis, TN.This news follows ESL's recent expansion to Mexico.

Crowley, a leader in logistics, marine and energy solutions, is expanding ocean shipping services with its first-ever route between the U.S. Northeast and Central America.Utilizing Crowley's new Avance Class vessels, powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the five-day transit between the Port of Philadelphia’s Gloucester Marine Terminal and ports in Guatemala and Honduras enables timely deliveries of food, apparel, industrial products and consumer goods to and from the Central America Northern Zone, which also includes El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Container shipping company Maersk said on Friday it had temporarily paused vessel calls at Israel's Haifa port amid regional tensions.The Danish company said it did not experience any further disruptions to its scheduled operations in the region.Israel has been hitting Iran from the air since last Friday in what it describes as an effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

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…

Marine fuel sales at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah port hit a three-month low in May, data showed, while market sources said they are monitoring the situation in June as conflict flares between Israel and Iran, heightening regional tensions. Bunker sales, excluding lubricants, totalled 614,296 cubic metres (about 608,000 metric tons) at the Middle Eastern bunker hub in May, based on Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) data published by S&P Global Commodity Insights. The volumes were down 8.2% from April and by 0.2% from May last year.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) named the 13,900-TEU ONE Singapore, the sixth vessel in a series of 20 ammonia/methanol ready container vessels. The naming ceremony took place at the Hiroshima Shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan, marking another milestone in ONE's fleet expansion program."Today's naming of ONE Singapore signifies further progress in our fleet expansion strategy," said Jeremy Nixon, CEO, ONE. "This vessel, carrying the name of our global headquarters city, symbolizes our strong connection to Singapore's vibrant maritime ecosystem.

Russia's seaborne grain exports fell to 2.1 million metric tons in May, a fall of 62.9% compared to the same month of 2024, according to shipping data from industry sources released on Monday.Russia, the world's leading wheat exporter, shipped grain to global markets at a record pace during the first part of the 2024/25 marketing season, which began on July 1 last year. However, the introduction of export quotas in February resulted in a sharp decline in exports.Total seaborne exports have reached 44.6 million tons so far this season…

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.

Wallenius Sol took delivery of the RoRo vessel South Enabler from the Visentini Shipyard.In February 2025, a new chapter began in European shipping as Wallenius Sol announced the acquisition of Mann Lines, significantly expanding the Swedish shipping line’s customer base and presence in key markets. As part of the acquisition, a new vessel under construction was included. The new RoRo cargo vessel was officially delivered on 11 June, 2025, during her westbound passage past Gibraltar.“She’ll…

“In a possible sign that the unwinding of OPEC+ production cuts could increase seaborne volumes, the combined crude tanker loadings of OPEC countries has jumped 24% week-on-week to 2.281 million barrels per day (mbpd) in week 23, the bloc’s highest weekly loadings since April 2023,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Despite the increase, it is too early to conclude that this is a sign of things to come, especially since weak Chinese and Indian demand has caused global year-to-date volumes to end 3.6% short of last year's volumes. It is also worth noting that freight rates have not responded to the increasing volumes though there is an indication that ship supply in the Persian Gulf was unusually high during week 23.At the same time…

ADNOC Logistics & Services Plc (ADNOC L&S) has signed a 15-year strategic partnership agreement with Borouge, worth $531 million, to manage shipping and port logistics for the company’s expanding petrochemical exports.The agreement positions ADNOC L&S as the primary logistics provider for up to 70% of Borouge’s annual production, covering container handling, port operations, and feeder shipping services from Al Ruwais Industrial City to the deepwater ports of Jebel Ali and Khalifa Port.As part of the deal…

ORLEN Group has opened Poland’s first installation terminal dedicated to offshore wind farms, located in Świnoujście, with the facility securing its first long-term lease agreement with global offshore wind player Ocean Winds.The Świnoujście terminal is designed to handle large-scale offshore projects with turbines of around 15 MW capacity.It will accommodate jack-up and heavy-lift vessels and will serve as a hub for loading, unloading, and storing key components such as monopile foundations…

Israel stepped up pressure on Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday, deploying its navy to hit targets in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah and threatening the Iran-aligned movement with a naval and air blockade if attacks on Israel persist.Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Israel carried out two strikes on the docks of Al Hodeidah port. The Israeli army said in a statement that the navy struck Houthi targets, adding the port is used by the group to transfer weapons.There were no immediate reports of casualties.