Maritime Industry Top News
Oil Rises as Widening Conflict Endangers Red Sea, Hormuz Flows
Oil prices extended gains on Monday, with Brent headed for a record monthly rise, after Yemeni Houthis launched their first attacks on Israel over the weekend, widening the U.S.-Israel war with Iran in the Middle East.Brent crude futures LCOc1 jumped $3.94, or 3.5%, to $116.51 a barrel at 0703 GMT after settling 4.2% higher on Friday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was at $102.14 a barrel, up $1.86…
Report: US to Allow Russian Oil Tanker to Reach Cuba
The U.S. is allowing a Russian tanker full of crude oil to reach Cuba, the New York Times reported on Sunday, possibly granting a lifeline to the Caribbean island amid a de facto oil blockade imposed by Washington.Ship tracking data showed the Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin on Sunday was just off the eastern tip of Cuba.The Times report, citing a U.S. official briefed on the matter, said it was unclear why the U.S. Coast Guard was allowing the shipment to go through.
GlobalMET Appoints Jillian Carson-Jackson as Managing Director
GlobalMET, the international association of maritime education and training providers, has announced the appointment of Jillian Carson-Jackson as its new Managing Director.Carson-Jackson brings more than four decades of experience across maritime operations, regulation, policy and international standards. Her career spans three continents and combines seagoing and shore-based experience with senior leadership roles in national administrations and international organizations.
Ship Recyclers Face Market Confusion
As the world's ship recycling markets emerge from the Eid al-Fitr holidays, they do so into an environment that continues to generate more questions than answers, says cash buyer GMS.“The post-holiday reopening, always anticipated as a potential catalyst for pent-up activity, has instead delivered something more characteristic of the broader 2026 narrative: confusion. Steel plate prices played opposite roles in Pakistan and India this week…
Marine Insurers Reaffirm Support for Middle East Trade
The global marine insurance market continues to show resilience and is maintaining the availability of cargo, hull, liability and offshore energy cover despite increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, says the International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI).Cargo insurers across global markets remain committed to supporting trade flows, including in high-risk areas such as the Persian Gulf…
Report: Fatal Accident Highlights Ongoing RoRo Safety Issue
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the death of a crew member on board the roro Laureline at Purfleet, England, on July 13, 2024.A crew member on board the Malta-flagged Laureline was fatally injured when he was crushed between the rear of a moving trailer and the vessel’s structure. The accident happened while Laureline was alongside, loading and discharging…
Ship’s Crew Charged in Australia After Drug Intercept
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged six crew members of a merchant vessel following a joint investigation into an organised crime syndicate which allegedly imported one tonne of cocaine into Australia. It will be alleged the men from Honduras and Ecuador operated a specially modified 40m vessel found to contain three professionally built and installed smuggling hides. An investigation into the vessel began in January 2026…
Stena RoRo Takes Delivery of 13th E-Flexer
Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 13th ship in the 15-ship series of E-Flexer RoPax ferries from the China Merchants Industry shipyard in Weihai, China.The ship, named Capu Rossu, was handed over to Corsica Linea following the delivery to Stena RoRo. The ship will start its commercial operation mid-June and will trade between Marseille and Corsica.The E-Flexer-series is based on a design which is larger than the typical standard RoPax ferry and designed for flexibility.
Russia's Ust-Luga Port Damaged by More Ukrainian Drones
Russia's Baltic Ust-Luga port, one of its largest petroleum export hubs, was damaged again on Sunday by a Ukrainian drone attack which sparked a blaze later brought under control, Russian officials said.It followed several Ukrainian drone strikes last week on Russia’s western energy corridor when facilities at the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk came under fire, igniting storage tanks and forcing a…
Pakistan Prepares for Talks on Ending Iran War
Pakistan said on Sunday it was preparing to host "meaningful talks" to end the conflict over Iran in coming days even though Tehran earlier accused Washington of preparing a land assault while seeking negotiations.Speaking after talks between regional foreign ministers, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said they had covered possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region…
Damen Delivers Second Combi Freighter 3850 to Reederei Bernd Sibum
On March 25, Damen Shipyards Group delivered the second of four Combi Freighters (CF) 3850 to Reederei Bernd Sibum following successful sea trials in Shanghai. The vessels are being constructed at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. The first vessel, delivered at the beginning of February, is currently on its maiden voyage, bound for Norway with a project cargo.The new generation CF 3850 vessels are designed for high efficiency.
NOAA Ship Rainier to Map Critical Mineral Deposits in Pacific US Waters
In early April, NOAA Ship Rainier will begin to map and characterize more than 8,000 square nautical miles of federal waters off Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This project is part of the Department of Commerce's implementation of the U.S. Offshore Critical Minerals Mapping Plan, as described in President Trump’s Executive Order 14285: Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals…
DOE Relocates Headquarters in DC
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), announced that DOE’s headquarters will relocate from the James V. Forrestal Building to the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) building. LBJ currently serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Education (ED).The relocation to the LBJ building will save taxpayers over $350 million in deferred maintenance…
Carnival Corp Slashes Annual Profit Forecast Due to Rising Fuel Costs
Carnival Corp cut its annual profit forecast on Friday, as higher fuel costs pressure the cruise operator's margins amid rising geopolitical tensions.Attacks on oil and transport facilities across the Middle East and disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil flows, since the Iran war outbreak, have disrupted global supply and pushed up oil prices.The spike threatens Carnival's profits as it is the only major U.S.
Russian Oil Producers Threaten Force Majeure Over Baltic Port Attacks
Russian oil producers have warned buyers they could declare force majeure on supplies from major Baltic Sea ports as Ukraine presses ahead with attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, two industry sources said on Friday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters this week that Kyiv was using long-range strikes to maintain pressure on Russia after international oil sanctions on Moscow were eased due to global supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.Ukrainian drones on Friday targete
Much of Dutch Fishing Fleet Stands Idle Amid High Diesel Prices
The fishing industry is emerging as an early European casualty of soaring diesel costs amid the Iran war, with at least half the Dutch fleet staying in port this week, according to industry representatives.The pressure is most acute in the Netherlands because of an outsized number of beam trawlers in its fleet, which makes up about 7% of the European Union's total.These ships target high-value North Sea flatfish such as sole, turbot and brill, but burn relatively large amounts of fuel.
Oil Tanker Loaded with Russian Fuel Arrives in Venezuelan Waters, Bound for Cuba
A tanker carrying some 200,000 barrels of Russia-origin fuel originally bound for Cuba has arrived in Venezuelan waters, LSEG ship-monitoring data showed on Friday.The Hong Kong-flagged vessel Sea Horse, which this year loaded Russia-origin diesel through a ship-to-ship transfer, earlier this month rerouted from Cuba to Venezuela after remaining stuck in the Atlantic Ocean for weeks, a blow for the…
Russia's Threatens to Divert LNG Cargo From Europe, Options Limited
Russia's threat to halt liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Europe and divert cargoes to Asia would prove difficult to achieve because of its long-term contracts and need for more Arctic-class tankers, industry analysts said.President Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview early in March that Russia could stop gas supplies to Europe with immediate effect and seek longer-term commitments from other buyers.The impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has caused a surge in gas prices…
Chinese Container Ships Turn Back After Trying to Exit Strait of Hormuz
Two Chinese container ships turned backed after trying to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, ship-tracking data showed, despite assurances from Iran that Chinese vessels could pass.The operator, China's COSCO, had said in a March 25 client advisory that it had resumed bookings for general cargo containers for shipments from Asia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar…
U.S. Great Lakes Shipping Stands Still Due to Ice Conditions, Lack of Icebreakers
A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, and the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, the critical connection between Lakes Superior and all other Great Lakes.The only way into Lake Superior is through the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, but ice conditions and a lack of a heavy U.S.
