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Iran’s Crude Oil is Stacking Up at Sea   Kpler, the commodities and data analysis firm, has calculated that Iran’s stock of crude oil held afloat has increased from 5 to 35 million barrels between January and July this year, with the volume held on tankers now estimated to be 40 million barrels. Iranian Oil…

The Tariff Roller-Coaster Ride   The roller-coaster ride of U.S. tariffs has become very taxing in more ways than one as manufacturers, consumers, shippers and port directors alike wonder what’s next. Manufacturers are scratching their heads on exactly how production schedules should proceed, not knowing if consumers will pick up the extra tariff costs added…

On the Caspian Sea, Tensions Between Russia and Azerbaijan are Rising   Tensions are rising between Azerbaijan and Russia over a maritime dispute which is largely unheard-of but which could have significant impact should it erupt. Azerbaijan is proud of its sovereign achievements since it achieved independence from the collapsing Soviet Union in 1991, but…

British and American Governments Warn of Terrorist Threat in UAE   On August 8, the British Foreign Office warned British citizens that “terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the United Arab Emirates.” Foreign ministries normally issue explicit threats of terrorist threats in other countries only after fierce internal debates. In…

U.S. Trade Deal Secures Peace and Influence in the Caucasus   The United States appears to have sealed the solution of a complex geopolitical problem in the Caucasus which has proved impossible to solve since the break-up of the Soviet Union, generating several wars and hindering trade and development in the affected countries over the…

Ports Urge Congress to Reverse Cuts to Port Infrastructure Funding [By: American Association of Port Authorities] Today, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and a broad coalition of every donor and energy transfer port sent the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the Energy and Water Development Subcommittees leaders a letter, urging them to reverse a…

Med Marine Launches a State-of-the-Art Tugboat for Remolcanosa [By: Med Marine] MED MARINE launched a new RAmparts 2300-W series tugboat for REMOLCANOSA at its EREGLI SHIPYARD on July 18th. MED MARINE is proud to contribute to REMOLCANOSA’s fleet with a high-performance, 23-meter harbour tug, equipped to deliver 50 tonnes of bollard pull and meet the demands…

Electric Propulsion Technology for Industry Earns ABS Certification [By: ABS] ABS issued a New Technology Qualification (NTQ) certificate to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) for their next-generation electric propulsion solution: the Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) power system for ships. The Breakerless-MVDC Power System builds…

Fincantieri Marine Repair Achieves ISO 9001 Certification [By: Fincantieri] Local commercial and military ship maintenance experts, Fincantieri Marine Repair, recently received certification for its quality management systems (QMS), commonly referred to as ISO 9001. “Professional maritime companies, like ours, must continually demonstrate our value to customers, and this world recognized certification is a reminder of…

Retailers Project Nearly 6 Percent Decline in U.S.’s 2025 Imports   With new tariffs putting pressure on international trade, the National Retail Federation today, August 8, issued its outlook for U.S. imports, projecting they will finish 2025 down 5.6 percent or 1.4 million TEU lower than last year. After having adjusted its outlook several times…

Workboat Diverts to Lanzarote After Finding 49 Stowaways Spanish authorities were working to resolve a situation after a workboat traveling from Dakar, Senegal, reported to the authorities that it had discovered an unusually high number of stowaways hiding amongst its cargo equipment. Typically, the ships find just a few people, but this barge was reporting…

Ireland Tracks Shadow Tanker as it Avoids Sailing the English Channel Ireland reports that an increasing number of shadow fleet tankers are opting to sail along its west coast to avoid sailing through the English Channel, where they could be challenged by UK authorities to produce insurance documentation. The Irish Times reports the vessels are…

U.S. Coast Guard Tracks More Chinese Research Vessel Activity in the Arctic   For the second time in weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard reports it is tracking Chinese research vessels operating in the Arctic. The U.S. says that the presence of these vessels is consistent with a three-year trend of increased activity from Chinese vessels…