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Category: Containers

  • How geopolitics is redrawing the world’s shipping routes

    How geopolitics is redrawing the world’s shipping routes Globalisation isn’t dead, but it’s changing course, writes Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics, and author of this year’s bestseller The Fractured Age. Commentators have been quick to declare globalisation dead. But, as is so often the case in economics, the reality is more complicated…

  • Alberta Shipmanagement makes boxship debut with Chinese newbuild order

    Alberta Shipmanagement makes boxship debut with Chinese newbuild order Greek owner Alberta Shipmanagement has made its first move into the containership sector, joining a growing number of traditional tanker and bulker players diversifying their fleets. Industry databases show the Athens-based company has ordered two 1,930 teu vessels at CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with deliveries…

  • Evergreen taps Samsung Heavy and Guangzhou Shipyard International for 14 ships

    Evergreen taps Samsung Heavy and Guangzhou Shipyard International for 14 ships Taiwan’s Evergreen has split its next fleet expansion plans equally between China and South Korea. Greek broker Intermodal is reporting Taiwan’s largest liner has ordered 14 LNG dual-fuel 14,000 teu vessels, split equally between Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) and Samsung Heavy Industries. Costing about…

  • ORIX steps in to save Japan’s greying shipowning class

    ORIX steps in to save Japan’s greying shipowning class Japan is well known for its acute demographic timebomb. More than 29% of its population is aged 65 or older — the highest proportion globally — while the birth rate continues to fall, reaching a record low in 2024. The working-age population is shrinking rapidly, straining…

  • KKR launches $500m container leasing venture

    KKR launches $500m container leasing venture US investment giant KKR has launched a new container leasing and financing company with half a billion dollars in committed capital, marking its latest move into asset-based maritime investments. The new venture, Galaxy Container Solutions, will be owned by KKR-managed credit funds and accounts under its Asset-Based Finance strategy.…

  • IMO fails to agree Net-Zero Framework, pushes talks to 2026

    IMO fails to agree Net-Zero Framework, pushes talks to 2026 Negotiations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have broken down without agreement on the Net-Zero Framework, leaving the shipping industry facing another year of uncertainty over how its decarbonisation will be regulated. Delegates at the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s extraordinary session in London voted to…

  • Navios Partners nets $69m from vessel sales as it boosts charter cover

    Navios Partners nets $69m from vessel sales as it boosts charter cover Greece’s Navios Maritime Partners has sold three older vessels — including one of its oldest VLCCs — as part of its fleet renewal programme, while adding a newly built product tanker and fixing several ships on new charters. The Angeliki Frangou-led, New York-listed…

  • Panamax boxship hit with $1.7m Shanghai fee as China’s new port levies bite

    Panamax boxship hit with $1.7m Shanghai fee as China’s new port levies bite $1.7m. That’s the fee – or RMB12.1m – that the German owners of the US-flagged Matson Waikiki are being forced to pay to allow the vessel to dock in Shanghai, a sizeable sum, and an indication of the chaos, and costs, that…

  • IMO’s green dream meets America’s red line

    IMO’s green dream meets America’s red line While the majority of opening statements at yesterday’s opening of the latest Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) were broadly in favour of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework (NZF), the US delegation stood out once again for its outspoken opposition to the proposed green legislation. The American…

  • CMA CGM turns to India for six feeder newbuilds

    CMA CGM turns to India for six feeder newbuilds France’s CMA CGM has signed a letter of intent with Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) to build six LNG-powered feeder containerships, marking the first-ever order by a global liner operator at an Indian yard. The 1,700 teu vessels are valued at around $300m in total. A formal…

  • MPC Container Ships keeps renewal momentum with newbuilds at Fujian Mawei

    MPC Container Ships keeps renewal momentum with newbuilds at Fujian Mawei Oslo-listed tonnage provider MPC Container Ships (MPCC) has pressed ahead with its fleet renewal programme, ordering two 1,600 teu containerships from Fujian Mawei Shipyard in China. The vessels, designed for Northern European feeder trades, are due for delivery in the second half of 2027…

  • Maersk launches onboard trials of methanol and ethanol mix

    Maersk launches onboard trials of methanol and ethanol mix Danish shipping giant Maersk has started onboard fuel trials of a methanol-ethanol blend as part of its efforts to explore alternative fuel use for decarbonising global shipping. The company’s 2,100 teu methanol-fuelled containership Laura Maersk, which became the world’s first container vessel to operate on green…

  • Court clears ICTSI to run Durban terminal after Maersk challenge fails

    Court clears ICTSI to run Durban terminal after Maersk challenge fails A South African court has dismissed a legal challenge by AP Moller-Maersk’s terminal arm against the award of a key port concession to International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), paving the way for the Filipino operator to take control of Durban Container Terminal (DCT)…

  • Ofer-backed XT Shipping returns to yards with Chinese newbuild deal

    Ofer-backed XT Shipping returns to yards with Chinese newbuild deal Israel’s XT Shipping has returned to the newbuilding market with a pair of containerships in China. The maritime arm of Idan Ofer and Udi Angel’s XT Group has contracted 3,160 teu scrubber-fitted units at China Merchants Industry (CMI) Weihai Shipyard. The vessels, with price tag…

  • Minerva ups the ante in boxship market with fresh newbuild series

    Minerva ups the ante in boxship market with fresh newbuild series Greek owner Minerva Dry is stepping deeper into the container sector, ordering a new series of 3,000 teu ships in China — its largest boxships to date. Shipbuilding sources said Andreas Martinos-led Minerva Dry has inked a deal with Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry…

  • DP World seals 10-year extension with Hapag-Lloyd at Santos

    DP World seals 10-year extension with Hapag-Lloyd at Santos Dubai-based ports and logistics player DP World has renewed its partnership with German liner Hapag-Lloyd for another decade, extending the long-running agreement between the two companies at the Port of Santos, Brazil’s largest container hub. The new contract secures continued cooperation that began in 2014, ensuring Hapag-Lloyd’s…

  • USTR fees could impact 35% of key sectors’ ships: BIMCO

    USTR fees could impact 35% of key sectors’ ships: BIMCO When fees from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) targeting Chinese dominance of the maritime sector come into effect next week on October 14, 35% of ships in the combined bulk, crude tanker, product tanker and container fleet could be subject to…

  • HMM tied to $2.2bn boxship orders

    HMM tied to $2.2bn boxship orders Broking reports list a sizeable order from South Korea’s flagship carrier worth more than $2bn in total.  HMM is reported to have ordered 12 LNG dual-fuelled, 14,000 teu containerships on home soil. The vessels, thought to be costing around $182.5m per unit are split between two of the country’s…

  • Carriers blank sailings at pandemic pace to prop up rates

    Carriers blank sailings at pandemic pace to prop up rates Containerlines are scrapping sailings at a pace not seen since the height of the pandemic, as tariff turbulence and weak US demand ripple through global supply chains. Carrier operating margins have dropped below breakeven on several key routes, with carriers still prioritising market share over…

  • US unveils payment rules for new China vessel fees

    US unveils payment rules for new China vessel fees US Customs provided over the weekend more details about the upcoming hiked port fees for Chinese-linked tonnage, due to come into effect next week. The notice makes clear: the burden for determining liability lies squarely with the vessel operator, not US Customs. Vessels failing to show…

  • Capital Maritime emerges behind HD Hyundai Mipo feeder orders

    Capital Maritime emerges behind HD Hyundai Mipo feeder orders Evangelos Marinakis-led Capital Maritime Group has been linked to the latest round of feeder containership contracts at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. Shipbuilding sources said the Greek owner is behind orders for two 2,800 teu units priced at around $56.9m each and one 1,800…

  • Danaos lifts orderbook and seals $304m in charters

    Danaos lifts orderbook and seals $304m in charters Greek containership owner Danaos has confirmed boosting its orderbook with two more 7,165 teu vessels and locked in $304m of fresh charter income. The Nasdaq-listed company said about $164m stems from forward fixtures on four existing ships, with another $140m tied to the newbuildings, each covered by…

  • Box rates rates sink to lowest levels since Red Sea crisis

    Box rates rates sink to lowest levels since Red Sea crisis Container freight rates are sliding further, with Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) dropping 8% this week to $1,761 per feu — the fifteenth consecutive weekly decline. The fall is being felt across key trade lanes, with carriers struggling to hold the line despite capacity…

  • Splash Wrap: UNCTAD flags fragile growth as container trade rearranges and capacity soars

    Splash Wrap: UNCTAD flags fragile growth as container trade rearranges and capacity soars Several significant trends and forecasts led Splash coverage this week, from substantial expansion of container handling capacity to warnings that the overall global shipping environment is entering a period of fragile growth marked by geopolitical uncertainty, rising environmental compliance costs, and challenges…

  • UNCTAD warns shipping is entering a period of fragile growth and mounting uncertainty

    UNCTAD warns shipping is entering a period of fragile growth and mounting uncertainty Global shipping is entering a period of fragile growth, rising costs and mounting uncertainty, according to The Review of Maritime Transport 2025 released yesterday by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). After firm growth last year, seaborne trade is expected to stall in…

  • Surging VLCC rates propel ClarkSea Index to two-year high

    Surging VLCC rates propel ClarkSea Index to two-year high Surging VLCC rates have seen the cross-sector ClarkSea Index, a weighted average of tanker, bulk carrier, containership, and gas carrier earnings managed by Clarksons Research, reach a two-year high of $29,888 per day as of last Friday, 50% above the 10-year trend. VLCC rates leapt last…

  • COSCO pledges stable transpac coverage as US fee regime nears

    COSCO pledges stable transpac coverage as US fee regime nears With less than four weeks until the US hikes port fees for China-linked tonnage, COSCO, the world’s fourth largest containerline, has moved to reassure clients it will maintain a stable coverage on the transpacific.  COSCO conceded in a note to clients that the new fees…

  • Race for ZIM tipped to widen

    Race for ZIM tipped to widen ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has hired Wall Street advisory house Evercore to trawl for alternative buyers, as early signals from CEO Eli Glickman and long-time shipping investor Rami Unger have failed to satisfy the board’s valuation expectations. According to Israeli financial title Calcalist, Glickman and Unger are exploring a…

  • 41% of container transport is empty

    41% of container transport is empty New analysis from Danish liner consultancy Sea-Intelligence shows the growing percentage of empty containers moving around the world.  Experts at Sea-Intelligence have calculated the share of empties relative to full containers, based on teu-miles, and found out that currently 41% of container transport is empty.  “The present situation is…

  • Zhongxin Funeng seals boxship newbuild quartet

    Zhongxin Funeng seals boxship newbuild quartet China’s Anhui Zhongxin Funeng Shipping has placed an order for four containerships at Jiangsu Dayang Offshore Equipment. The deal coves newbuilds designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC), a total nominal capacity of around 3,010 teu, including about 1,930 teu on deck and 1,080 in…

  • Minerva Marine firms up feeder options at Yangzijiang

    Minerva Marine firms up feeder options at Yangzijiang Minerva Marine has added two more feeder container ships to its orderbook at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, lifting the total number of firm newbuildings in its programme to six. The Greece-based owner, led by Andreas Martinos, has now firmed up a second pair of 1,800 teu vessels at the…

  • Wan Hai 503 finds refuge in Dubai after 13-week odyssey

    Wan Hai 503 finds refuge in Dubai after 13-week odyssey The long-stranded Wan Hai 503 has finally found shelter in Dubai, ending a 13-week saga. The 2005-built, 4,333 teu vessel had been at sea since June, unable to discharge or secure port access after a severe fire onboard. The ship, which is operated by Wan…

  • CMA CGM rules out surcharge ahead of US fees on Chinese tonnage

    CMA CGM rules out surcharge ahead of US fees on Chinese tonnage France’s CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest containerline, has told clients it is fully prepared for next month’s hiked port fees in the US for Chinese-linked tonnage, and that it does not envisage implementing surcharges because of the new ruling.  In April, the US…

  • Korea Shipowners’ Association hits out at POSCO’s HMM takeover plans

    Korea Shipowners’ Association hits out at POSCO’s HMM takeover plans The Korea Shipowners’ Association has hit out at reports the country’s top steel mill is being linked with taking over national flagship, HMM. Splash reported last week that advisors from Samil PwC and Boston Consulting Group have been working with POSCO on feasibility studies for…

  • 67 boxes tumble overboard from ZIM-chartered vessel berthed at Long Beach

    67 boxes tumble overboard from ZIM-chartered vessel berthed at Long Beach A ZIM-chartered containership suffered a serious cargo accident while alongside at the Port of Long Beach yesterday, with 67 containers falling into the harbour during discharging operations — some striking a clean air barge moored nearby. The accident involved the 2024-built, 5,504 teu Mississippi…

  • Maersk muscles in on COSCO’s intra-Asia crown

    Maersk muscles in on COSCO’s intra-Asia crown Maersk has climbed the ranks of the intra-Asia trades to challenge the tradelane’s leader COSCO, according to new data compiled by Alphaliner.  The Danish carrier has added an extra 100,000 teu in capacity into the intra-Asia trades over the past 12 months, container shipping’s busiest area, whereby it…

  • Jinjiang Shipping in for up to four feeder newbuilds

    Jinjiang Shipping in for up to four feeder newbuilds Shanghai-listed Jinjiang Shipping has returned to the yards, lining up fresh feeder tonnage as it looks to strengthen its intra-Asia network. The Shanghai International Port Group-controlled carrier has committed to up to four 1,182 teu containerships, with two firm units and two options. Deliveries are expected…

  • Ciner charts return to boxships with China newbuilds

    Ciner charts return to boxships with China newbuilds Turkish industrial conglomerate Ciner Group is poised to re-enter the container shipping market with two 3,100 TEU vessels at China’s New Dayang Shipyard. Boxship newbuilding players estimate each ship at around $44m, with deliveries expected in late 2027. While the exact design details remain under wraps, sources…

  • Navios Partners snaps up boxship newbuild resales in $460m deal

    Navios Partners snaps up boxship newbuild resales in $460m deal Greece’s Navios Maritime Partners has confirmed its latest move in the boxship newbuilding market with four ships snapped up in a $460m resale deal. The Angeliki Frangou-led outfit is paying $115.1m apiece for the 8,850 teu methanol-ready and scrubber-fitted vessels from an undisclosed third party.…

  • More than one in 10 shipments flagged for deficiencies in new cargo safety report

    More than one in 10 shipments flagged for deficiencies in new cargo safety report Despite misdeclared cargoes making more and more headlines, leading to deaths and vessel losses, new data published today shows more than one in 10 shipments have deficiencies, an alarming upward trend.  The World Shipping Council (WSC), liner shipping’s lobby group, has…

  • The winners and losers among European ports from this year’s liner alliance reshuffle

    The winners and losers among European ports from this year’s liner alliance reshuffle At the start of the year, there was the largest alliance reshuffle among global liners in more than a decade. As the year has progressed, it has become apparent that this redrawing of the global liner map has had some winners and…

  • HSBC warns COSCO and OOCL face $2.1bn hit from looming US port fees

    HSBC warns COSCO and OOCL face $2.1bn hit from looming US port fees The looming US port fee regime aimed squarely at Chinese-linked tonnage could saddle COSCO and its Hong Kong-listed subsidiary OOCL with a combined bill of more than $2.1bn in 2026, according to fresh calculations from HSBC. The US Trade Representative (USTR) is…

  • Ningbo Ocean Shipping looks to Singapore for global fleet expansion

    Ningbo Ocean Shipping looks to Singapore for global fleet expansion Ningbo Ocean Shipping has revealed a plan to invest around CNY2.9bn ($406.5m) via its Singapore arm to set up two more subsidiaries in the country to further grow its fleet. The company will invest CNY1.2bn ($168.2m) to establish Ningbo Ocean Shipping Singapore Longitude and CNY1.7bn…

  • Young Chinese carrier moves into ownership with boxship newbuilds

    Young Chinese carrier moves into ownership with boxship newbuilds China’s Chenxin Shipping has taken the plunge into vessel ownership with an order for four newbuild containerships, signalling the young carrier’s intent to shift from slot-sharing to controlling its own tonnage. The 2023-established company has contracted two 4,350 teu ships and two 1,900 teu feeders, with…

  • POSCO circles HMM as speculation mounts on state-backed exit

    POSCO circles HMM as speculation mounts on state-backed exit Speculation is mounting in Seoul that steel giant POSCO could emerge as the frontrunner to acquire a controlling stake in liner major HMM. Local media report that advisors from Samil PwC and Boston Consulting Group are understood to be working with POSCO on feasibility studies for…

  • PSA Mumbai poised to become India’s largest container terminal

    PSA Mumbai poised to become India’s largest container terminal The prime ministers of India and Singapore gave speeches yesterday ahead of the inauguration of what will become India’s largest container terminal. With the inauguration of its phase two expansion, PSA Mumbai is poised to become India’s largest container terminal, doubling its annual handling capacity to…

  • Interasia in for up to eight boxship newbuilds

    Interasia in for up to eight boxship newbuilds Asian regional container operator Interasia Lines has returned to the shipbuilding market, signing a contract with Jiangsu YangZiJiang Shipbuilding Group (YZJ) for up to eight 2,900 teu vessels. The order includes six firm newbuilds and two optional units, marking Interasia’s first collaboration with YZJ. Financial terms have…

  • SCFI blip can’t mask deepening container carnage ahead of Q4

    SCFI blip can’t mask deepening container carnage ahead of Q4 Red ink is forecast to splatter across the balance sheets of containerlines in the final quarter of the year despite the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) snapping its more than two-month decline today.  The SCFI broke its 11-week-long losing streak today, climbing 30 points to…

  • Wan Hai fire-hit boxship towed toward Middle East after 11 weeks adrift without refuge

    Wan Hai fire-hit boxship towed toward Middle East after 11 weeks adrift without refuge The fire-damaged Wan Hai 503 is being towed across the Arabian Sea toward the Middle East after spending nearly 11 weeks stranded without a port of refuge, following rejections from both Sri Lanka and India. The 4,333 teu containership (built 2005)…

  • Turkey shuts ports to Israeli-linked vessels and cargoes

    Turkey shuts ports to Israeli-linked vessels and cargoes ZIM confirmed on Monday that Turkish authorities have barred Israeli-linked vessels from entering the country’s ports, in the latest escalation of Ankara’s sanctions against Israel. The Haifa-based line, the world’s ninth-largest container carrier, said that vessels that are either owned, managed or operated by an entity related…

  • Carriers reroute fleets to sidestep US levy

    Carriers reroute fleets to sidestep US levy Global shipping is realigning fleets in anticipation of October’s extra port fees to be levied by the US on China-linked tonnage. This is already being reflected in chartering decisions for transatlantic tanker and dry bulk fixtures with Chinese-built tonnage shifting to other parts of the globe. In the…

  • Euroseas adds to 4,300 teu newbuild series

    Euroseas adds to 4,300 teu newbuild series Greek containership owner Euroseas has returned to Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding in China for two additional 4,300 teu newbuilds. The Nasdaq-listed company said the vessels, priced at about $59.25m apiece, are due for delivery in March and May 2028. Financing will be arranged through a mix of debt…

  • Capital Clean Energy Carriers seals boxship sale and gas carrier financing

    Capital Clean Energy Carriers seals boxship sale and gas carrier financing Evangelos Marinakis-backed Capital Clean Energy Carriers (CCEC) has agreed the sale of one of its three neo-panamax containerships and lined up financing for its medium gas carrier (MGC) newbuilding programme. The Nasdaq-listed Greek owner has struck a deal to sell the 2022-built 13,312 teu…

  • Hackers sew lips on Iran’s merchant fleet again

    Hackers sew lips on Iran’s merchant fleet again For the second time in the space of five months, a hacker group is claiming it has knocked out communications on a swathe of the Iranian merchant fleet.  The hacker group called Lab Dookhtegan, which translates as Sewn Lips, told London-based TV channel Iran International it had…

  • APM Terminals seals $1bn ports deal in India

    APM Terminals seals $1bn ports deal in India Maersk’s port operating arm, APM Terminals, has signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board to invest 9,000 crore (around $1.1bn) in the development of three key ports in the state. The agreement, inked in the presence of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, covers…

  • OOCL admits upcoming US port fees will have ‘relatively large impact’

    OOCL admits upcoming US port fees will have ‘relatively large impact’ Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (OOIL), the listed entity of Hong Kong container line OOCL, has conceded that October’s likely introduction of extra port fees for Chinese-linked tonnage could be painful. OOCL, owned by China’s COSCO, posted its interims yesterday in which it noted in…

  • Splash Wrap: Boxship orders dominate as carriers face oversupply reality

    Splash Wrap: Boxship orders dominate as carriers face oversupply reality The containership market led Splash coverage this week, with the orderbook climbing to record levels and analysts warning of a prolonged supply glut. The global orderbook now stands at 10.4m teu, or 31.7% of the existing fleet, the highest since 2010. Linerlytica cautioned that the…

  • CMA CGM invests in US bio-LNG supplier

    CMA CGM invests in US bio-LNG supplier French liner giant CMA CGM is making a strategic minority investment in US-based Vanguard Renewables through its energy fund PULSE, securing long-term access to volumes of renewable natural gas (RNG). Vanguard, which runs anaerobic digesters powered by farm and organic waste, will dedicate up to four projects to…

  • Dubai’s CStar Line scales back

    Dubai’s CStar Line scales back A relatively new entrant to container shipping is scaling back. CStar Line, founded two years ago in Dubai, has focused on servicing Russian, Asian and Turkish ports.  Container analytics firm eeSea is reporting the carrier is suspending one Asia – Europe and three Asia – Middle East services this month. …

  • Neutralising the boxship orderbook would require scrapping every pre-2010 vessel

    Neutralising the boxship orderbook would require scrapping every pre-2010 vessel The tremendous, record volume of container newbuildings due to enter the market in the coming years will require a huge swathe of the box fleet to be scrapped, something that is not happening at present.  Splash’s lead story yesterday carried data from Linerlytica suggesting the…

  • KMTC upsizes fleet with $600m order at HD Hyundai

    KMTC upsizes fleet with $600m order at HD Hyundai Korea Marine Transport Co (KMTC) has been linked to its biggest move yet in the newbuild market, locking in an order for four 13,000 teu containerships at HD Hyundai yards. Brokers report the Seoul-based liner operator has committed to the quartet at around $150m per ship,…

  • 10.4m teu container orderbook raises spectre of decade-long supply glut

    10.4m teu container orderbook raises spectre of decade-long supply glut The containership orderbook has reached a record high of 10.4m teu, according to data from Asian container consultancy Linerlytica, with the orderbook ratio rising to 31.7% of the fleet – its highest levels since 2010.  “The last time the orderbook ratio exceeded this level in…

  • Seaspan grows newbuild pipeline with 12-ship deal in China

    Seaspan grows newbuild pipeline with 12-ship deal in China Seaspan Corporation has inked a fresh round of newbuilding orders in China, adding twelve 9,000 teu containerships to its fleet pipeline. The vessels will be built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), with deliveries slated to begin in 2028. The deal is…

  • Xeneta acquires eeSea

    Xeneta acquires eeSea Xeneta has acquired fellow Scandinavian maritime and supply chain data company eeSea. By adding eeSea’s global schedule, transit time and reliability data to its existing range of freight rate data, Xeneta said in a release it will enable BCO procurement teams to manage freight contracts and suppliers based on service levels, and…

  • Meratus adds more feeders at Guangxi Shipbuilding

    Meratus adds more feeders at Guangxi Shipbuilding Indonesian shipowner and logistics group Meratus is expanding its fleet with feeder newbuildings at one of its go-to yards in China. The company has signed the newbuilds with CSSC Guangxi Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering, a yard it has repeatedly tapped for similar tonnage. The new vessels are scheduled…

  • X-Press Feeders fires back in $1bn Sri Lankan court fight

    X-Press Feeders fires back in $1bn Sri Lankan court fight Singapore’s X-Press Feeders has hit back at the Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s order to pay $1bn within a year over the 2021 X-Press Pearl casualty, warning the decision tramples on due process, scapegoats its crew, and poses a dangerous precedent for global shipping. The feeder…

  • Fire hits Maersk ship off Liberia

    Fire hits Maersk ship off Liberia A fire broke out on Wednesday onboard a Maersk ultra-large containership while sailing off the coast of Liberia. The 2013-built 19,076 teu Marie Maersk, operating under the Gemini Cooperation’s Asia–Europe AE4 service, was en route from Rotterdam to Tanjung Pelepas when crewmembers detected smoke coming from containers on deck.…

  • Houthis seek to legitimise maritime role with ‘Safe Transit’ service

    Houthis seek to legitimise maritime role with ‘Safe Transit’ service The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) has released a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) assuring safe passage to vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden, Bab el Mandeb, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea if they are not related to the…

  • Abraham Unger and Eli Glickman reportedly bid to take ZIM private

    Abraham Unger and Eli Glickman reportedly bid to take ZIM private Israeli business news outlet Calcalist is reporting that ZIM CEO Eli Glickman is teaming up with Israeli shipping magnate Abraham Unger in a bid to take ZIM private. A deal is reportedly being discussed in the $2.4bn range, which is equal to roughly $20…

  • Transpacific bump in rates tipped as Trump delays China tariffs again

    Transpacific bump in rates tipped as Trump delays China tariffs again The US tariffs on China have been postponed another 90 days until November 10. The US will keep its tariffs at 30%, and China will maintain its levies at 10% through to the autumn as negotiations between the world’s two biggest economies continue. Commenting…

  • Container market sends mixed signals as charter rates hold firm, spot rates slide

    Container market sends mixed signals as charter rates hold firm, spot rates slide Container shipping is giving out misleading signals. On the one hand, time charter rates are at highs never experienced outside the covid era, while spot rates have been on a decline for nine straight weeks. Likewise, global liners are muddying the outlook…

  • Eastern Pacific lines up feeder boxship series at Mawei Shipyard

    Eastern Pacific lines up feeder boxship series at Mawei Shipyard Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has made another move into the feeder container market with a major newbuilding order at China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding. Sources following EPS’ shipbuilding moves said the Idan Ofer-led owner has inked firm contracts for 12 vessels of 1,800 teu capacity,…

  • Splash Wrap: Flags, fines and fakes

    Splash Wrap: Flags, fines and fakes Sanctions, the shadow fleet, and the many ways authorities are trying to clamp down on this illicit trade kept Splash reporters busy all week, with clear evidence that the dark fleet is growing quicker than the West can contain.  The grey fleet – as tracked by broker BRS –…

  • Elbdeich steps up fleet growth with newbuild brace

    Elbdeich steps up fleet growth with newbuild brace German shipowner Elbdeich Reederei has placed an order for two 5,100 teu widebeam containerships at a shipyard in the Far East, with delivery scheduled for 2027. The vessels will comply with IMO Tier III standards and be fitted with a range of fuel-saving devices, the company said…

  • Oversupply forecast to haunt liner markets into 2029

    Oversupply forecast to haunt liner markets into 2029 Container shipping is faced with a supply/demand imbalance through to the end of the decade, according to new analysis from Asian consultancy Linerlytica.  A slowing global economy alongside record amounts of newbuild tonnage pouring out of Asian shipyards is anticipated to put the brakes on earnings with…

  • SeaLead drops 16 boxships after US sanctions target Iranian-linked fleet

    SeaLead drops 16 boxships after US sanctions target Iranian-linked fleet Singapore-based container carrier SeaLead has been forced into a dramatic fleet reshuffle after terminating the charters of 16 container vessels in response to fresh US sanctions. The move comes just days after the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unveiled new measures targeting…

  • Schoeller in for boxship newbuild brace

    Schoeller in for boxship newbuild brace Schoeller Holdings has returned to China’s Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding with an order for a pair of 1,900 teu containerships. The Cyprus-based owner is paying between $31m and $32m per vessel, with deliveries scheduled for 2028. The deal continues a long-standing relationship between Schoeller and the Guangzhou-based yard, which has…

  • ‘Unexciting’ container market sees liner CFOs adjusting full-year forecasts

    ‘Unexciting’ container market sees liner CFOs adjusting full-year forecasts The outlook for the second half of 2025 in the global container shipping market is shaping up to be a disappointing one, with weak demand, overcapacity, and trade policy turbulence leading liners to rethink their full-year financial outlook. Today saw Japan’s Ocean Network Express revise downwards…

  • Costamare reveals four-ship newbuild play in China

    Costamare reveals four-ship newbuild play in China Greek containership owner Costamare is the latest liner player to return to the newbuilding market, revealing an order for four 3,100 teu vessels from an undisclosed Chinese shipyard. The New York-listed company said in its second-quarter earnings that the newbuilds will deliver between the second and fourth quarters…

  • US Treasury unleashes largest Iran shipping sanctions since 2018

    US Treasury unleashes largest Iran shipping sanctions since 2018 In its most expansive sanctions package against Iran in nearly seven years, the US Treasury has imposed sweeping measures on over 100 individuals, companies, and vessels linked to Iranian maritime and sanctions-evasion network. The action, unveiled Wednesday, is aimed at dismantling what the US calls a…

  • CMA CGM eyes Hutchison Ports as MSC deal falters

    CMA CGM eyes Hutchison Ports as MSC deal falters French shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM has confirmed it is eyeing the potential acquisition of terminals from CK Hutchison, after exclusive talks between the Hong Kong conglomerate and a consortium led by BlackRock expired over the weekend.  The preliminary deal, first announced in March, involved…

  • Greta Shipping enters market with three Middle East – India Subcontinent loops

    Greta Shipping enters market with three Middle East – India Subcontinent loops New feeder entrant Greta Shipping is launching three dedicated services connecting the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. The company, a Singapore-registered subsidiary wholly owned by Chinese conglomerate Xiamen C&D, will officially launch its operations in mid-August, according to Alphaliner. Greta Shipping’s JKX…

  • MSC plans historic renewal of ageing feeder fleet

    MSC plans historic renewal of ageing feeder fleet The world’s largest container carrier is planning a historic renewal of its feeder fleet.  Broker Braemar is reporting a “megaproject” is in the works for Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) with the Soren Toft-led company looking to order up to 120 vessels ranging in size between 1,100 and…

  • Hutchison eyes Chinese strategic partner to get $22.8bn ports deal over the line

    Hutchison eyes Chinese strategic partner to get $22.8bn ports deal over the line CK Hutchison, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate, confirmed on Monday that it is in discussions to bring a “major strategic investor” from China into the bidding consortium for its $22.8bn global ports business. The move follows the expiration of a 145-day exclusivity agreement…

  • Houthis threaten all ships linked to Israeli trade in escalated maritime campaign

    Houthis threaten all ships linked to Israeli trade in escalated maritime campaign Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Sunday declared an escalation in their maritime campaign, announcing they will now target any ships belonging to companies that do business with Israeli ports, regardless of flag, ownership, or destination. The warning, delivered in a televised statement by the…

  • CK Line books up to four feeder boxships at Yangzijiang

    CK Line books up to four feeder boxships at Yangzijiang South Korea’s CK Line has placed an order for up to four feeder containerships at China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The Seoul-based liner operator has booked two firm 1,100 teu newbuilds at around $23 per ship, with options secured for two more. The first two units are…

  • Capital Maritime takes option on HD Hyundai Mipo boxship brace

    Capital Maritime takes option on HD Hyundai Mipo boxship brace Greece’s Capital Maritime has firmed up an order for two more LNG dual-fuel 2,800 teu containerships at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea, bringing its total number of newbuildings to 10. The deal is valued at around $113m, with deliveries expected in July and…

  • Sri Lanka’s top court orders $1bn payout over X-Press Pearl disaster

    Sri Lanka’s top court orders $1bn payout over X-Press Pearl disaster Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has ordered the owners and operators of the X-Press Pearl container vessel to pay $1bn in compensation for the devastating environmental and economic damage caused when the ship caught fire and sank off Colombo in 2021. Described by the court…

  • Sea Legend launches China–Europe Arctic container service

    Sea Legend launches China–Europe Arctic container service Niche Chinese liner Sea Legend Shipping is set to launch a direct container service between China and northern Europe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The new seasonal service, expected to begin in September, will offer an 18-day transit between East Asia and Europe—nearly halving the 30 to…

  • CMA CGM and TotalEnergies set up LNG bunker venture at Europe’s busiest port

    CMA CGM and TotalEnergies set up LNG bunker venture at Europe’s busiest port French liner giant CMA CGM has teamed up with compatriot energy major TotalEnergies to form an LNG bunkering services joint venture at the port of Rotterdam. As part of the 50/50 JV, the two companies will co-own and operate a new 20,000…

  • MSC’s boxship binge rolls on with 10 more giants ordered across China

    MSC’s boxship binge rolls on with 10 more giants ordered across China Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has once again underlined its seemingly insatiable appetite for new tonnage, declaring and placing orders for a further 10 ultra-large container vessels, its orderbook now larger than the extant fleet of Ocean Network Express (ONE), the world’s sixth largest…

  • MPC Container Ships spends $228m on four 4,500 teu orders in China

    MPC Container Ships spends $228m on four 4,500 teu orders in China Oslo-listed MPC Container Ships has placed a $228m order for four 4,500 teu container vessels at China’s Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering with secured three-year charters, as well as divesting some older tonnage while expanding its financing platform with new debt facilities totalling over…

  • Yang Ming books LNG-fuelled boxship series at Hanwha Ocean

    Yang Ming books LNG-fuelled boxship series at Hanwha Ocean Taiwanese shipping line Yang Ming Marine Transport has lined up a series of containership newbuilds at South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, continuing its fleet renewal programme with a focus on dual-fuel technology. The company has booked seven LNG dual-fuel 15,500 teu vessels in a deal valued…

  • USTR threat hits Chinese shipyards as global orders slump

    USTR threat hits Chinese shipyards as global orders slump A contraction in Chinese shipbuilding orders has been registered in the first half of 2025, with Beijing’s once unassailable dominance increasingly under pressure from geopolitical tensions and a softening global market. According to new data from BIMCO, China’s share of newbuilding contracts dropped from 72% to…

  • Clarion Group sets sail with launch of Nigerian-owned shipping line

    Clarion Group sets sail with launch of Nigerian-owned shipping line The Clarion Group, a prominent Nigerian logistics and port services firm, has officially entered the regional liner shipping market with the launch of Clarion Shipping. The new shipping line took delivery of its first vessel, the 349 teu Ocean Dragon, on July 3 from China’s…

  • Eimskip sells feeder vessel to Portugal’s Grupo Sousa

    Eimskip sells feeder vessel to Portugal’s Grupo Sousa Icelandic carrier Eimskip has divested one of its cornerstone feeder vessels, Lagarfoss, to Portuguese logistics and maritime group Grupo Sousa. The 875 teu vessel, built in 2014 by Rongcheng Shenfei Shipbuilding, is set to change ownership by September. While financial details of the sale remain confidential, Eimskip…

  • Chartworld eyes New Dayang boxships

    Chartworld eyes New Dayang boxships Greece’s Chartworld Shipping is returning to the newbuilding arena with plans to bolster its container fleet, reportedly lining up a deal for a quartet of 3,100 teu vessels at Chinese builder New Dayang. Athens-based shipbroking sources report that the Kollakis brothers-led diversified owner has signed a letter of intent covering…

  • Red Sea traffic falls as Houthis vow to continue attacks

    Red Sea traffic falls as Houthis vow to continue attacks The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Thursday that three more Filipino seafarers from the attacked and sunken vessel Eternity C have been rescued in the Red Sea, bringing the total number of rescued Filipinos to eight. Thirteen remain unaccounted for as search…

  • Splash Wrap: Red Sea attacks lead coverage

    Splash Wrap: Red Sea attacks lead coverage The global shipping industry has been rocked by two deadly attacks this week in the Red Sea, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching their first campaign against merchant shipping of the year, sinking two bulk carriers, killing at least three seafarers, wounding others, and reportedly kidnapping crew. A new…

  • One in six ships flagged as potential Houthi targets

    One in six ships flagged as potential Houthi targets The global shipping industry has been rocked by two deadly attacks this week in the Red Sea, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching their most violent maritime campaign since early 2024, killing at least three seafarers, wounding others, and reportedly kidnapping crew. The bulk carrier Eternity C,…