World Shipping Council News

Home to one of the world’s busiest transshipment hubs, Singapore is stepping up to shield its maritime sector from wildlife traffickers, with a targeted guide to help industry members spot and stop those exploiting shipping systems.The Red Flag Indicators for Wildlife Trafficking in Containerised Sea Cargo: A Summary Compendium and Guidance for the Maritime Shipping Sector in Singapore makes Singapore the first in Asia to have tailored the 2021 global version of the guide to its needs.Developed by the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rule defining when ocean carriers unlawfully refuse to negotiate or provide vessel space, rejecting a challenge from the World Shipping Council (WSC).The case stems from the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), which directed the FMC to clarify what constitutes an “unreasonable refusal to deal or negotiate” under the Shipping Act. The rule was introduced in 2024 amid widespread complaints from U.S.

The Secretary-General of the IMO Arsenio Dominguez has issued a statement on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz:“I am deeply concerned by reports that several seafarers have been injured in attacks on merchant vessels. No attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is ever justified. These crews are simply doing their jobs and must be protected from the effects of wider geopolitical tensions.“Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international maritime law…

The shipping industry's biggest players are shrugging off Trump administration opposition to a global carbon price and are forging ahead with billions of dollars in emissions-reducing investments, according to company officials and a Reuters analysis of data.Europe, Brazil and a host of other nations are pushing the sector, which is responsible for nearly 3% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, to go green. But, in October, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, the world's two largest oil producers…

The shipping industry's biggest players are shrugging off Trump administration opposition to a global carbon price and are forging ahead with billions of dollars in emissions-reducing investments, according to company officials and a Reuters analysis of data.Europe, Brazil and a host of other nations are pushing the sector, which is responsible for nearly 3% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, to go green. But, in October, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, the world's two largest oil producers…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has published its latest update to the WSC Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, tracking the global liner shipping industry’s investment in new ships capable of running on renewable and lower-emission fuels.As of December 2025, the number of dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers on the water has reached 400, up from 218 in 2024.The number of dual-fuel ships on order has also continued to grow, reaching 726 vessels, despite a flurry of deliveries shifting from the orderbook onto the water.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) announced that Höegh Autoliners has joined as a member, further strengthening the Council’s representation of the global liner shipping industry, including the vehicle carrier sector.“We are pleased to welcome Höegh Autoliners to the World Shipping Council,” said Joe Kramek, WSC President & CEO. “Vehicle carriers are a core part of liner shipping that move global trade. Höegh Autoliners brings valuable expertise and perspective as we work with policymakers on safety…

The United Nations has launched the first ever United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035).The Implementation Plan, launched in New York, is the result of a participatory consultation process and provides a roadmap to align policies, finance, technology and data with sustainable transport to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.“This consultative and inclusive process has opened new avenues for cooperation, and we have been privileged to lead it. It has brought together governments…

On February 23, 2024, the FMC issued its Final Rule on Detention and Demurrage Billing Practices, as required by Congress under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. The rule went into effect on May 28, 2024. After the Final Rule was issued, the World Shipping Council, a trade association for vessel-operating common carriers organized under an FMC-filed agreement, appealed the Rule to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, seeking to have it overturned.On September 23, 2025, the court issued its decision in that case, setting aside just one section of the Rule – 46 C.F.R.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released the third edition of the WSC Whale Chart, a global voyage planning aid that maps where slower ship speeds and route changes can help protect whales from ship strikes and reduce underwater noise.The WSC Whale Chart brings together all known mandatory and voluntary ship-strike and underwater noise reduction measures worldwide, including speed restrictions, routing measures and seasonal protection zones. It is the first tool of its kind to make this global information available in a single source…

The European Commission has adopted its communication on the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), setting out a roadmap to rapidly accelerate the energy transition of aviation and waterborne transport sectors.To meet the fuel targets set out in the ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime Regulations, a significant volume of around 20 million tonnes of sustainable alternative fuels (13.2 Mt of biofuels and 6.8 Mt of e-fuels) will be needed by 2035. This calls for substantial investments from the market…

Bloomberg reports that, ahead of Friday’s vote at the IMO, Andrew Forrest, the billionaire founder and chair of Fortescue Metals Group, decried what he said were “intimidatory tactics” impacting delegates’ ability to vote their conscience.“As a global industrialist and philanthropist, I stand ready to support any country or individual being blackmailed or threatened,” Forrest said in a message to negotiators at the UN. “I am committed to working with others to ensure that justice prevails and bullying tactics do not win out.”Still…

Committed to minimizing such risks and creating a safe and seamless shipping experience for its customers, Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) has joined the World Shipping Council’s (WSC) recently launched Cargo Safety Program.The occurrence of ship fires continues on an upward trend, calling for collective action across the maritime shipping industry, to safeguard crews, cargo, vessels, and the marine ecosystem.Combining AI-powered screening technology and standardized inspection methodologies…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has launched a Cargo Safety Program, an industry-led initiative to detect misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods in order to prevent ship fires.The program combines AI-powered cargo screening and common inspection standards to identify misdeclared and undeclared high-risk shipments before they are loaded.Ship fires are at their highest level in over a decade, according to Allianz's Safety and Shipping Review 2025. Misdeclared dangerous goods are a leading cause of ship fires…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) released a new report summarising deficiencies found in government cargo inspection programs, reviving a data series that the IMO discontinued last year.The 2024 report shows that 11.39% of inspected cargo shipments were found to have deficiencies, up slightly from the IMO’s final 2023 figure of 11%. These include mis-declared and undeclared dangerous goods, incorrect documentation, and improper packing – all of which can lead to serious safety incidents…

The U.S. on Tuesday rejected the "Net-Zero Framework" proposal by the IMO, which is aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from the international shipping sector, and threatened measures against countries that support it.The announcement, made in a joint statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, comes ahead of a vote at the United Nations' shipping agency to…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released its annual Containers Lost at Sea report, showing that 576 containers were lost at sea in 2024.While this represents an increase from the record-low 221 containers lost in 2023, it remains well below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost annually, underscoring continued industry progress on safety and prevention.Container losses in 2024 were influenced by ongoing disruption in the Red Sea region, which led to a significant shift in global trade routes. Vessel transits around the Cape of Good Hope increased by 191% compared to 2023.

The U.S. Trade Representative softened fee proposals for non-U.S.-built LNG tankers and car carriers amid its ongoing effort to counter China's dominance on the high seas and revive domestic shipbuilding.The revised proposal, unveiled by USTR on Friday, would remove LNG-related penalties for failing to export a percentage of fuel on U.S.-owned ships. It also would reduce fees when foreign-built car carriers visit domestic ports and exempt those vessels when they are serving the U.S. military.USTR previously exempted ships carrying U.S.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez emphasized the global shipping industry's need for significant investment in technology and alternative fuels to achieve a net-zero transformation and drive sector-wide change at the Blue Economy Finance Forum in Monaco, June 8.The global shipping industry is preparing for a net-zero transformation that will have a sector-wide impact on everything from supply chains and business models, to ships, ports and the maritime workforce.IMO approved new regulations for net-zero ship fuels and emissions in April, set for adoption in October.

Operators of hulking car carriers are seeking relief from the U.S. Trade Representative's surprise plan to levy port fees on all foreign-built ships in that segment, including 20 vessels that guarantee transport for the U.S. military during a war or national emergency, three sources told Reuters.USTR announced the fees on April 17 as part of an ongoing effort to hit certain China-linked ships calling at U.S. ports with fees that would fund a domestic shipbuilding revival and counter China's dominance on the high seas.The fees sent a shockwave through the vehicle carrier industry…

The IMO Net-zero Framework agreed at MEPC 83 last week is the first in the world to combine mandatory emissions limits and GHG pricing across an entire industry sector. The measures include a new fuel standard for ships and a global pricing mechanism for emissions. These measures, set to be formally adopted in October 2025 before entry into force in 2027, will become mandatory for large ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnage, which emit 85% of the total CO2 emissions from international shipping.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ‘restoring American maritime dominance’ through the revival of domestic shipbuilding industry and weakening China’s grasp on the global shipping market.The Order directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to revitalize U.S. maritime industries, which will provide a strategy with specific actions to restore and create sustained resiliency for the American maritime industry.Up until now, government procurement processes and over-regulation have hindered private industry’s ability to build vessels on time and on budget…

A Trump administration proposal aimed at reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry may backfire by imposing steep fees on China-linked vessels—penalties that industry leaders say would hurt American ship operators and ports rather than help them, industry executives said at U.S. Trade Representative hearings on Monday.At issue are proposed, stacking fees on China-built vessels that could top $3 million per U.S. port call. The Trump administration says the fees would curb China's growing commercial and military dominance on the high seas and promote domestically built vessels. U.S.