Shipping News

Just three commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the fewest daily transits since May, shipping data showed, with most ships halting or making U-turns after recent Iranian attacks on vessels and the resumption of a U.S. blockade on Iran-related shipping.The re-escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran has once again largely stopped traffic through Hormuz, the world's most important shipping route for oil and gas, driving up global energy prices.Miraan…

Fewer vessels travelled through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, the first day after the U.S. reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports with both countries escalating strikes across the Gulf, shipping data showed.Nine vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, mostly on the Iranian route, down from 13 the previous day, Kpler data showed.There were no Very Large Crude Carrier or liquefied natural gas tankers visibly passing through the strait on Wednesday.U.S. Central Command…

Shipping companies are avoiding using a U.S. military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after a wave of Iranian attacks on vessels sparked safety concerns, seven maritime security and shipping industry sources said.For decades ships sailed into and out of the Gulf using a safe set of lanes down the middle of the strait established by the U.N.’s shipping agency in 1968 dubbed the Traffic Separation Scheme.Since the Iran war began on February 28, Iranian forces have mined this area…

Ukrainian drones struck 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight, including 17 oil tankers, the commander of Kyiv's drone forces said on Wednesday.On Telegram, Robert Brovdi said the targets included two gas tankers and a tugboat.(Reuters - Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to close "all other export corridors that benefit the U.S. and its allies", Iranian media reported, after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports."Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all," the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran's IRNA state news agency on Wednesday.Analysts have said Iran has been signalling it may use its Houthi allies in Yemen to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea…

Korean Register (KR) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have completed a sea trial of South Korea's first ammonia dual-fuel propulsion vessel as part of a government-backed initiative to support the development of ammonia-fueled shipping.The trial was conducted under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' Green Shipping Corridor Construction Support Project, which aims to establish a domestic operating environment for ammonia-powered vessels.According to KR, the sea trial generated…

One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday, in the latest escalation in the strategic waterway.Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's shipping arm ADNOC L&S later confirmed the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahiyah were struck while transiting Hormuz and had sustained "significant damage".UAE state oil giant ADNOC has been among the most active participants in a U.S.

The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to multi-week lows on Sunday, shipping data showed, as renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran and attacks on ships in the Middle East heightened safety concerns.Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks.Tankers that exited the strait included the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, laden with 2 million barrels of Iranian oil and another tanker, Capetan Andreas…

More liquefied natural gas tankers have resumed transiting the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, ship-tracking data showed, and 22 Japan-linked vessels have left the Gulf since Tuesday, Tokyo said, despite renewed fighting in the Middle East.The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and LNG shipments, has been closely watched by shipping companies and governments following Iranian attacks this week on commercial vessels and U.S.

Maersk, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, said on Thursday it would resume its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the Suez Canal, as the Danish group takes another step toward restoring routes through the Red Sea.Most shipping companies abandoned the Asia-Europe trade corridor through the Suez Canal after attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthis, forcing vessels to take the much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

“So far this year, crude tanker newbuilding contracting has reached 60m deadweight tonnes (DWT) across 234 ships, driven by a surge in orders for Very Large Crude Tankers (VLCCs). This already makes 2026 the year with the highest crude tanker contracting on record. High freight rates and the need to replace an increasingly older fleet have both encouraged contracting,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Orders for new VLCCs are already more than double than in the whole of 2025.

Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics group Wallenius Wilhelmsen has taken delivery of Arctic Tern, the first dual-fuel methanol-ready vessel in its new Shaper Class series.Arctic Tern vessel offers greater cargo capacity and improved operational efficiency and will be deployed through EUKOR Car Carriers, the shipping line jointly owned by Hyundai Motor Group and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.Following delivery, the vessel will enter service between Asia and Europe almost…

The possible collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks and the stop-start flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz are a nightmare scenario for Gulf nations desperate to return to normal after a bruising multi-month conflict.What was meant to mark the start of a fragile recovery following the June 17 memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington is instead evolving into a period of chronic instability, with each new incident reinforcing doubts over the security of one of the world's most important energy arteries.U.S.

Island Oil has acquired two oil tankers, Island Polaris and Island Horizon, expanding its owned fleet and marine logistics capacity.The acquisitions form part of the company's long-term investment strategy to strengthen logistics capabilities and support demand for marine fuel transportation across the Mediterranean and Black Sea.The two vessels are double-hull tankers and will increase Island Oil's transportation capacity while supporting service reliability across its network…

At least four oil and gas tankers have turned back from attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed, as renewed attacks on vessels in the critical waterway heightened safety and security concerns.The diversions come after a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged near the strait on Tuesday following reports that Iran fired missiles at ships in the waterway, prompting maritime authorities to raise the threat risk for transiting vessels to "severe."The LNG tankers Al Ghariya…

ADNOC and XRG have signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Mitsui to explore opportunities across liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, sulfur, shipping and chemicals, as well as international energy investments through XRG.The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration in areas including crude oil market development and long-term supply, LNG sales and optimization, sulfur procurement and logistics, and shipping solutions for LNG, ammonia, sulfur and other commodities.Through XRG…

Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.Two commercial ships suffered significant damage but had no casualties, the report said, citing a U.S. official.Separately, Britain's maritime security agency said a tanker caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile east of Oman's Limah early on Tuesday.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations…

Maritime trade between Iran and Qatar has resumed after a roughly five-month suspension, Iran’s commercial attaché in Doha told state media on Sunday.An interim deal between Tehran and Washington signed last month announced the end of hostilities after a four-month conflict and mandated a return to pre-war maritime traffic in the Gulf, although transit in and out of the Gulf remains contested.Abbas Abdolkhani said shipping between Iran’s Dayyer port and Qatar’s Al Ruwais port…

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes increased 4.5 percent from June of last year to 5.1 million tons. Shipments were a near match to the month’s 5-year average.Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 17.3 million tons, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to 2025. Iron shipments are below their 5-year average by 4.6 percent for the first six months of the year. Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: June 2021-2026 and 5-Year AverageIncludes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas(net tons) AveragePort2021202220232024202520262021-2025Duluth…

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Publications launches the sixth edition of Shipping and the Environment: A Guide to Environmental Compliance, offering an expanded and accessible overview of how shipping relates to environmental protection and global regulation.Developed for a broad audience, including shipping companies, seafarers, policymakers, and those new to the maritime sector, the guide provides a clear introduction to environmental requirements affecting shipping today, alongside developments expected in the years ahead.

Artificial intelligence and cloud-native technologies have moved from innovation projects to operational priorities for shipping companies, according to Fleetwork, following its participation in Posidonia 2026.The Greek maritime technology company, developer of the first fully cloud-based maritime ERP platform built in Greece, reported strong interest from shipowners and operators seeking to modernize fleet management, streamline workflows and unlock greater value from operational data through Al-powered and cloud-native solutions.

Orders for alternative-fueled vessels totaled 137 in the first half of 2026, down from 155 in the same period a year earlier, according to figures from DNV's Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform.DNV’s AFI has recorded 15 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels in June 2026.This consisted of 10 orders for LNG-fueled vessels, nine of which were car carriers and one a CO2 carrier. The remaining five orders were for LPG/ethane carriers.Two LNG-bunker vessels were also ordered in June…

Castor Maritime has acquired a 2024-built Kamsarmax bulk carrier for $41.9 million and completed the delivery of a second vessel, expanding its fleet to 11 ships.The company said it acquired the M/V Magic Saturn from an unaffiliated third party through a wholly owned subsidiary and took delivery of the vessel on June 29.On June 29, Castor also took delivery of the M/V Magic Jupiter, a 2023-built modern eco Kamsarmax bulk carrier, following an acquisition agreement announced on June 22.Both vessel acquisitions were funded with cash on hand…