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Tuesday, June 16, 2026

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02 Jun 2026

Port of NEOM Offers Alternative Route for Gulf Importers As Hormuz Remains Volatile

Ā© Adobe Stock/Aninka

Only a month into the Iran war, Qatar-based distributor Salam Studio & Stores had already gone weeks without its regular Red Bull shipments, prompting it to test a little-used route.The conflict and effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, now in their fourth month, had scattered its products across ports in India and Sri Lanka, while Gulf hubs it typically relies on faced Iranian fire and capacity constraints.Wary of losing market share, Salam opted for an untested solution: shipping cargo to Doha via Saudi Arabia's Port of NEOM…

02 Jun 2026

Cambodia Starts UN Process to Resolve Maritime Dispute with Thailand

Ā© TomKorcak / Adobe Stock

Cambodia said on Tuesday it had launched a compulsory conciliation process under international law aimed at resolving a long-running maritime boundary dispute with Thailand and had informed the United Nations and Bangkok.The move follows a Thai government decision last month to unilaterally terminate a 2001 agreement with Cambodia that provided a framework for negotiations over the disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand where the two countries' maritime claims overlap."We have taken this step to protect Cambodia's sovereignty and maritime rights in accordance with international law…

20 May 2026

DNK Launches Program for Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Services

Norwegian authorities, represented by Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy,  Marianne Sivertsen Næss, and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, represented by CEO Knut Arild Hareide have supported the project. © DNK

Den Norske Krigsforsikring for Skib (DNK) has launched a program to provide members access to Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) services to counter the growing risk of jamming and spoofing.DNK, Norway’s leading war risk mutual insurance provider, has launched a program to offer members advanced systems to protect against the growing threat of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal interference. This industry-first program allows members to select among vendors specializing in A-PNT services to lower premiums and provide secure…

08 May 2026

US Container Imports Fall 3.2% in April, Descartes Reports

Figure 1.- U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison (Credit: Descartes)

Descartes Systems Group has released its May Global Shipping Report which found that U.S. container imports decreased by 3.2% in April 2025, as trade uncertainty and geopolitical risks persist.In April 2026, U.S. container import volumes decreased by 3.2% over March to 2,277,965 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). China-origin imports decreased 4.3% month-over-month and 15.3% year-over-year, according to the latest report by Descartes.West Coast ports reclaimed market share lead over East and Gulf Coast ports and port transit delays improved broadly over March.

16 Apr 2026

ZIM CEO Glickman Announces Departure

Ā© ZIM Integrated Shipping Services

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. announced that Mr. Eli Glickman, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, informed the Board of Directors of his decision to depart from the Company. Mr.Glickman will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company during a six-month notice period, to ensure orderly operations of the Company during the interim period until his replacement assumes the role.The Board of Directors intends to initiate a search process to select a successor to Mr. Glickman in the coming weeks.Mr.

09 Apr 2026

Born into Maritime: John McDonald, Chairman & CEO, ABS

John McDonald, Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Image courtesy ABS

Many claim to have ā€˜saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying ā€œI was born into maritimeā€ is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

09 Apr 2026

Vaisala Launches Cybersecure, Module Offshore Weather Station

Ā© Vaisala

Vaisala, a global leader in measurement technology, launched Maritime Automatic Weather Station AWS830, a new weather monitoring solution for maritime and offshore environments. AWS830 delivers weather, environment, oceanographic, and motion data to Vaisala's offshore and maritime weather systems, including Vaisala Helideck Monitoring System and Vaisala met-ocean system. Vaisala AWS830 delivers wind speed, atmospheric pressure, visibility, cloud height, air temperature, humidity, and wave height data through an expandable platform designed for demanding marine conditions.

30 Mar 2026

Vard Marine to Offer Concept Refinement for the U.S. Navy Next Generation Logistics Ship Program

The first phase of the NGLS Concept Refinement Award is a market analysis of existing platforms. Ā© Vard Marine

Vard Marine US, Inc., a subsidiary of Vard Group AS - fully owned by Italian Fincantieri Group, has been awarded a contract to participate in the Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program. Under this contract, Vard Marine will conduct a market survey and perform concept design and refinement for the new NGLS platform, also referred to as the light replenishment oiler (T-AOL). The award also includes options that can be exercised for functional design planning and special studies.

12 Mar 2026

ATSB Releases Preliminary Report on Coral Adventurer Grounding

Source: ATSB

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) preliminary report has been released that outlines the order of events leading up to the grounding of the cruise ship Coral Adventurer near a remote port on the north-east coast of Papua New Guinea in December.The ATSB launched a transport safety investigation after the 93-metre Australian-flagged ship grounded on the morning of 27 December 2025, with 80 passengers and 44 crew on board.The cruise, which had left Cairns 10 days earlier, had visited several sites in Papua New Guinea, with passages between them generally conducted overnight.

23 Feb 2026

A Welcome Change for the Ship Recycling Industry

Source: GMS

International market turmoil from the direct / indirect imposition of global tariffs and related actions saw a crazy Week 8 wind up in 2026, as freight rates and oil prices both moved up and subsequently down, reports cash buyer GMS.As oil rose above USD 63/barrel from last week to well over USD 66/barrel this week, it retreated back down to USD 65.93/barrel by week’s end, amid investors and forecasters increasingly weighing the possibility of Trump launching another confounding attack against Iran…

03 Feb 2026

EU Aims to Boost Local Shipbuilding with New Plan

Ā© Adobe Stock/multipedia

The European Commission is set to propose measures designed to ensure more vessels and other goods and services for the European Union's shipping sector are made in the bloc, according to a draft document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The "Made in EU" proposals will be presented next week, a week before the EU executive announces a broader push to prioritise locally manufactured products, a plan that has split EU countries.For shipping, the draft document says the Commission will encourage public authorities buying ships or equipment to select suppliers based on non-price factors such as sustaina

30 Jan 2026

Panama Court Quashes CK Hutchison Port Contracts

Ā© Casimiro - stock.adobe.com

Panama's Supreme Court has annulled key port contracts held by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, leaving the future ownership of some Panama Canal operations unclear and possibly upsetting its plans to sell some terminals.Panama Ports Company (PPC), a CK Hutchison subsidiary, has held contracts since the 1990s to operate container terminals at the canal's Pacific and Atlantic entrances, separate from the waterway's operations.The decision could disrupt CK Hutchison's proposed $23 billion sale of dozens of ports worldwide…

16 Jan 2026

U.S. Coast Guard Launches RAPTOR to Identify Maritime Defense Solutions

A graphic representing the U.S. Coast Guard’s new Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping (CG-RAPTOR), launched to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative technology for enhanced maritime operations. CG-RAPTOR supports Force Design 2028, driving rapid solutions to empower Coast Guard personnel and strengthen mission success. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy graphic)

The U.S. Coast Guard has unveiled a rapid-response approach that identifies, prototypes and delivers breakthrough technologies to meet urgent operational needs and drives accelerated transition to programs. The Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping (CG-RAPTOR) is accelerating the ā€œidea-to-operationsā€ cycle, rolling our solutions within 30, 60, and 90 days through collaboration with operators, industry leaders and subject matter experts.The standup of CG-RAPTOR comes amid Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s push to change how the Coast Guard operates.

12 Jan 2026

LNG-Fueled Container Ships Prop Up Alternative Fuel Orders in 2025, DNV Finds

(Credit: DNV)

LNG-fueled container ships helped sustain the share of alternative fuels in the global shipbuilding orderbook in 2025, even as overall newbuilding activity slowed sharply following a record year, according to data from classification society DNV.Annual figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform show that while total newbuild orders fell to 2,403 vessels in 2025 from 4,405 a year earlier, alternative-fueled ships retained a 38% share of total gross tonnage, supported…

22 Dec 2025

Crowley Awards 2025 Scholarships to Maritime Students

Ā© Crowley

Seventeen students from seven U.S. and El Salvador maritime academies and universities have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and dedication to their studies related to the maritime industry. The scholarship honors the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr. by acknowledging excellence and investing in the next generation of maritime leaders.The Thomas B. Crowley Sr.

07 Dec 2025

Red Sea Return Imminent for Container Shipping

Source: Xeneta

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…

02 Dec 2025

New Zealand's Offshore Patrol Vessel Otago to Resume Operations in 2026

Source: Royal New Zealand Navy

The New Zealand Navy will return to service in the third quarter of 2026 one of two offshore patrol vessels idle since 2021, the chief of the defence force said on Tuesday, at a cost running into millions of dollars.Tony Davies told a select committee of parliament the decision to bring HMNZS Otago out of care and custody arrangements followed the sinking of a specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, the Manawanui."Before you put it back to sea, it has to have quite a bit of work and money spent on it," Davies added.

19 Nov 2025

Liebherr BOS Cranes Celebrates 50 Years

Ā© Liebherr

Liebherr marks half a century of BOS crane excellence. Since 1975, BOS cranes have been trusted by operators worldwide, known for their robust design and marine adaptability. The latest generation continues this legacy, now featuring an electric variant to meet evolving offshore demands.In 1975, Liebherr delivered its first BOS crane, the B10 / 17 EX, for installation on the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Unit Princess Aweni. Since then, the BOS series has undergone continuous development…

04 Nov 2025

Panama Canal Bets on LPG Transits

Ā© jdross75 / Adobe Stock

The Panama Canal expects an increase in transits of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels and carriers of some agricultural commodities to help it compensate for a reduction in world trade next year, the waterway's chief told Reuters on Monday.The world's second-busiest interoceanic waterway registered a 14% revenue increase to $5.7 billion in the fiscal year ended in September and saw 19% more transits, with LPG vessels and container ships moving more cargoes through the canal that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans."LPG is a product that will be even more valuable in the next 20…

27 Oct 2025

Panama Canal Begins Industry Engagement for the Development of Port Terminals

Ā© Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal launched a consultation process with representatives of the maritime industry to identify potential partners interested in developing port terminals on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway.Following a process similar to that followed for the introduction of the gas pipeline project, the Panama Canal convened a group of representatives from companies with proven experience in container port operations and container shipping lines.According to institutional rules and regulations…

01 Oct 2025

Sofar Ocean Launches Wayfinder Voyage Simulator for Fleet Planning

(Credit: Sofar Ocean)

Sofar Ocean has launched Wayfinder Voyage Simulator, a voyage planning tool that lets operators, commercial teams and chartering desks generate and compare unlimited voyage scenarios in seconds, aiming to improve fleet efficiency and profitability.Part of Sofar’s Wayfinder platform, the simulator incorporates the company’s marine weather forecasts, informed by what Sofar says is the largest private real-time ocean sensor network and ā€˜outperform traditional models by up to 50%’…

12 Sep 2025

HII Establishes Partnerships to Expand Throughput, Industrial Base

Ā© HII

HII is partnering with shipyards and fabricators in multiple states to grow its throughput and meet the increased demand for ships by the U.S. Navy. With its customer’s support, HII is bringing the work to more companies and more jobs in more states, expanding capacity of the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base and improving schedule adherence for all ships built by HII.HII’s structural assembly network, consisting of companies that contribute to outsourced modular assembly of ships…

25 Aug 2025

Recyclers Wary Despite Recent Influx of Tonnage

Source: GMS

Losses in various individual sectors along the entire dry bulk range across the recent past saw the overall benchmark index lose about 5% of its overall value, which would explain the recent (and ongoing) influx of tonnage into the West Coast Indian and even Pakistani waterfronts spanning several weeks now, reports cash buyer GMS.ā€œAnd despite recent deliveries of a wide collection of sizes and types of vessels (especially in Alang), the overall sentiment in the Indian sub-continent remains on watchful footing while trying to surf the wakes of Trump’s ongoing tariff conundrums…