Tag: maritime executive

U.S.-China Tariff Spat Will Boost Brazil’s Exports – And Deforestation   [By André Duchiade] The trade dispute between the United States and China is weakening the US position in the Chinese market. Tariffs of more than 200% and mutual retaliation are also fuelling expectations that Brazilian agribusiness will expand exports to China, while environmentalists warn of increased pressure on forest…

Indian and Pakistani Navies Deploy as Tensions Rise In the wake of a terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed by gunmen, both India and Pakistan have put their forces on alert in the expectation that India will launch reprisal attacks and that Pakistan will respond. The attack in Kashmir’s southern…

Op-Ed: To Save Bangladesh’s Recycling Industry, Phase In the HKC   Bangladesh ratified the International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, known as the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), on 26 June 2023. The Convention will come into force globally on 26 June 2025. As one of the world’s largest ship recycling…

Many Injured and Killed in Huge Explosion in Iran’s Bandar Abbas Port   A huge explosion rocked the commercial port of Bandar Abbas in Iran at 12:00 on the morning of April 26. According to Iranian media reports it killed at least 14 people and six others are listed as missing. The number of people…

Med Marine Signs Five New Contracts to Kick Off 2025 Strong [By: MED MARINE] Starting the year with solid momentum, MED MARINE has signed five new tugboat contracts with operators in Italy, Greece, and Spain—strengthening its presence across Europe and underscoring its commitment to delivering high-performance solutions tailored to regional needs. In January, MED MARINE…

Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping Championing a Green Maritime Transition [By: Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping] The Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping (HKCoS) convened the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference today at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, its academic partner, launching an event that brought together over…

Shipping Industry and Corporate Leaders Gather at the Port of Los Angeles [By:  International industry leaders came together at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles on April 16th for the annual Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies (BWBS) Awards Ceremony, which recognized the top-performing shipping lines for the 2024 season and celebrated 10 seasons…

CMA CGM Acquires Controlling Share of Brazilian Terminal Operator French shipping group CMA CGM reports it has closed the first stage in its planned acquisition of Santos Brasil, a multi-terminal operator in Brazil including the Port of Santos. CMA CGM announced in September 2024 its intention to acquire the company first buying shares from an…

Kpler Closes Spire Maritime Acquisition as UK Proceeds with Investigation The on-again-off-again acquisition of the maritime business from Spire Global by Kpler closed on Friday, April 25, the agreed date in a settlement between the two sides, but not without a new wrinkle to the contentious combination. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed…

CGM CMA Acquires Controlling Share of Brazilian Terminal Operator French shipping group CMA CGM reports it has closed the first stage in its planned acquisition of Santos Brasil, a multi-terminal operator in Brazil including the Port of Santos. CMA CGM announced in September 2024 its intention to acquire the company first buying shares from an…

S&P Global to Acquire ORBCOMM’s AIS Business to Strength Maritime Offerings   S&P Global agreed to acquire the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data services business of ORBCOMM in a move designed to strengthen its supply chain and maritime offerings. It points to the growing uncertainties in global supply chains saying the acquisition as well as…

India Inaugurates Large Cruise Terminal in Mumbai to Grow Industry   India is making a major statement in its quest to become a global cruise tourism destination with the inauguration of the country’s largest terminal at Mumbai Port. After eight years of construction and ?556 crores ($67 million) of investment, the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal…

US Donates Decommissioned Cutters to Tunisia to Bolster Regional Security   The U.S. government is continuing its support to strengthen the capabilities of the Tunisian armed forces to enable them to respond effectively to a fragile security situation and a worsening immigrant crisis in the northern Africa region. According to U.S. officials in Tunisia for…

175th Anniversary of San Francisco Bar Pilots Honored by California [By San Francisco Bar Pilots] On Tuesday, the San Francisco Bar Pilots were presented with a resolution from the California legislature commemorating the organization’s 175th anniversary. On April 22, 1850, during the first legislative session of the new State of California, elected officials passed laws…

Can Trump Really Approve Mining in International Waters?   [By Regina Lam]   Pressure to open the international seabed for mining is mounting. Last month, Canadian business The Metals Company (TMC) announced plans to apply to US authorities for permission to mine in international waters. That could mean bypassing a United Nations seabed regulator that has for…

Chinese EV Manufacturer BYD Takes Delivery of Largest Capacity Car Carrier Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and shipbuilder China Merchants are highlighting the delivery of the world’s largest capacity car carrier. The naming ceremony took place for BYD Shenzhen on April 22 in Yizheng, China as the new vessel prepares for its maiden voyage to…

U.S. Coast Guard Offloads $200M of Cocaine in San Diego   On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Kimball offloaded more than $200 million worth of South American cocaine at a pier in San Diego, showing the service’s long-term dedication to reducing the flow of the lucrative drug to North American and overseas markets.  The total…

Cruise Ship Boom Fuels New Records for Port Canaveral The continuing strong growth in the cruise ship industry has helped Florida’s Port Canaveral to set new records in its current fiscal year. The port had its busiest month ever in March with a 16 percent year-over-year increase in passenger volumes coming after a record winter…

Crewmember From Carrier USS Nimitz Goes Missing on Guam   A sailor from the carrier USS Nimitz has gone missing in Guam, and his ship has sailed without him, according to the Navy.  Sailor Gabriel D. Holt was off base when he was last seen late on April 18, the same day as Nimitz’s arrival in…

ABS Chairman Wiernicki to Retire After Leading Organization for 14 Years   ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki announced at the 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting that he will step down as Chairman and CEO and retire at the end of 2025. He has led the class organization for the past 14 years during…

Gas Leak on a Barge Prompts Community Alerts on Houston Ship Channel   On Tuesday, a gas leak on a barge on the Houston Ship Channel prompted community alerts on the key energy-infrastructure corridor, but local officials say that no air quality threats have been detected and residents have the all-clear.  Operator Kirby Inland Marine…

Sallaum Lines Selects Inmarsat NexusWave to Drive Fleetwide Digitalisation [By: Inmarsat Maritime] Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Sallaum Lines, a leading Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) cargo shipping company, to upgrade to Inmarsat Maritime’s NexusWave fully managed bonded connectivity service, making it an early adopter in region. As Sallaum Lines expands its global…

Wilson Adopts Tilla Technologies to Optimise Crew Change Operations [By: Tilla Technologies] Tilla Technologies today announces that Wilson, one of Europe’s largest short sea shipping companies, will use its software to manage all crew changes across 101 vessels in its fleet. The rollout is planned for May 2025. The decision was based on the successful use…

AkzoNobel Delivers Strong Q1 on Cost Reduction and Pricing [By: Akzo Nobel N.V.] Akzo Nobel N.V. (AKZA; AKZOY) publishes results for Q1 2025: Highlights Q1 2025 (compared with Q1 2024) Organic sales flat; revenue down 1% Adjusted EBITDA €357 million (adjusted EBITDA margin: 13.7%), flat at constant currencies Efficiency actions ahead of schedule Higher prices…

IMF: Trump’s Tariffs Could Slow Global Trade Growth by Half in 2025   Global trade volume and global economic growth will both be reduced if new U.S. tariff policies continue on their current course, according to the International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook forecast.  Compared to its last update in January, the IMF has…

CMB.TECH and Golden Ocean to Merge Forming Shipping Giant The Saverys family is pushing forward with its strategy to grow a shipping giant that will play a leadership role in the sustainable transition in the maritime sector. Just seven weeks after announcing its initial investment in dry bulk shipping company Golden Ocean, the Saverys’ CMB.TECH…

NTSB: Not Following Maintenance Recommendations Led to Cruise Ship Fire An explosion and fire aboard the coastal cruise ship Ocean Navigator in October 2023 was likely caused by not following maintenance recommendations and infrequent changes of lube oil and oil filters concluded the National Transportation Safety Board. One crewmember was seriously injured in an explosion…

Argentine Responders Rescue Crew of Sinking Tug on Rio de la Plata   Last week, the Argentine Naval Prefecture rescued the crew of a tug that flooded and partially sank while pushing a container barge off the coast of Buenos Aires. On Friday, the captain of the Paraguayan-flagged tug Papu Mar made a mayday call…

Japan Engine Starts Co-Firing Ammonia Engine Ahead of October Delivery   Japan Engine Corporation reports key progress in the race among the major engine manufacturers to complete the certification and delivery of the first ammonia-fueled commercial shipping engine. The company reports it will be ready to ship the engine in October for installation in a…

Wan Hai Hit By Cyberattack Over the weekend, hackers took down the public-facing website of Taiwanese container carrier Wan Hai Lines. The identity of the hackers has not been determined. Wan Hai has confirmed the attack to Taiwanese media, and said that it has retained the services of foreign cyber experts to try to determine…

Fire-Damaged Conro Departs for Scrapyard After Awakening Belgium Grimaldi’s fire-damaged Conro Grande Brasile was towed from the Port of Antwerp, Belgium where it had laid for the past two months after a devastating fire in the English Channel. The hulk is being sent to scrapyards in Aliaga, Turkey for recycling, but before she left, she…

NOAA Finds a Flashy Car Inside the Wreck of WWII Carrier USS Yorktown On a recent deployment to the Pacific, a NOAA remotely operated vehicle (ROV) crew spotted an unusual vehicle inside the hangar of the lost aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), which was lost to enemy action off Midway in 1942.  In April and…

Carriers Respond to Tariff Uncertainty With “Extreme” Blanked Sailings The Trump administration’s steep tariffs on Chinese goods have prompted carriers to deeply slash sailings on Asia-U.S. routes, a sign of plummeting bookings. So far, freight rate indexes have not collapsed, suggesting that the carriers are pulling out ships quickly enough that slot supply is dropping…

Singapore Strait Robberies Continue with MSC Boxship and Tanker Boarded The surge in boardings and robberies is showing no signs of abating in the area around the straits of Singapore and Malacca. The monitoring operation ReCAAP has been raising the concern and now reports two additional vessels were boarded on Sunday and Monday after a…

Video Shows Destruction of Houthis’ Ras Isa Fuel Port   New on-scene footage from the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa shows that last week’s airstrike destroyed not only the installation, but also dozens of the commercial tanker trucks that served it. The imagery suggests that most of northwestern Yemen will have difficulty obtaining fuel for the foreseeable future, either…

Japanese Navy Unveils Electromagnetic Railgun   The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has released its first images of a new railgun installed on the service’s technology testbed vessel, JS Asuka. The new model appears to be more complete than the previous prototype, which was first displayed in at-sea testing in 2023.  On April 9, Vice Admiral…

Ex-Chairman of Russian Carrier FESCO Launches New Service to West Africa   Former FESCO co-owner and Board Chairman Andrei Severilov has opened a new venture targeting the West African freight market. Last week, Russian company JSC A7 Holding – associated with Severilov – registered a new freight transportation entity. According to Interfax news, the newly-formed…

Photos: Death Toll From Chinese Dredger Capsizing Rises to Nine The death toll from the capsizing of the dredger Hong Hai 16 has risen to nine people, with two more still missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Special operations divers are still working inside the upturned hull of the ship to recover additional remains,…

Op-Ed: Manila Could Cut a Deal With Trump on S. China Sea’s Oil   [By Vincent Kyle Parada] Donald Trump is making good on his promise of “America First.” After admonishing US allies for failing to pay their “fair share” of defence costs and a now infamous meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the message was clear: America’s friendship was a…

Damen Shipyards Group & Folla Maritime Service AS Become Strategic Partners [By: Damen Shipyards Group] Damen Shipyards Group and Folla Maritime Service AS are pleased to announce their collaboration in the aquaculture market. This partnership combines Damen’s global expertise in shipbuilding and Folla Maritime’s deep knowledge of the Norwegian aquaculture industry. Together, the two companies…

Fugro & Damen Partner to Support the Royal Netherlands Navy [By: Damen Shipyards Group] Fugro and Damen have teamed up to provide the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) with a surveillance vessel and operating crew. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has contracted this new partnership to enhance its marine security and surveillance capabilities. The RNLN will…

COSCO Shipping & Norsepower Enable a Step Change in the Rotor Sail Market [By: Norsepower] Norsepower, the global leader in wind propulsion, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Equipment (Nantong) Co., Ltd. (CHIC) to accelerate the serial production, sales, installation, and service of Norsepower Rotor Sails™ in the…

Global Ports Holding Unveils Multi-Million-Dollar International Investment [By: Global Ports Holding] Global Ports Holding (GPH), the world’s largest independent cruise port operator, revealed significant updates to its global investment strategy at an exclusive press conference during Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami last week. The event, held on April 8, 2025, marked the unveiling of a…

Diplomatic Dispute Between Algeria and France Delays CMA CGM Port Deal The diplomatic dispute brewing between Algeria and France has impacted a potential investment by the CMA CGM in the Algerian port sector. The French ship[ping company was reported to be negotiating a concession for the port of Oran through its subsidiary CMA Terminals, but…

Study Majority of Scotland’s Coastal Vessels Untracked, Operate Without AIS Scotland is largely operating blind in the management of its marine resources according to new research published this week as part of a project designed to create a better understanding of the exposure of whales, dolphins, and seals to coastal shipping. It emerged the researchers…

Tar Balls Wash Ashore as Salvage Continues of MSC Baltic III   The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that a few tar balls have been recovered in the area near where the MSC Baltic III containership stranded two months ago in Newfoundland. While testing is still ongoing, the Canadian Coast Guard told the local media that…

Report: Finland is Frontrunner Negotiating for USCG Icebreaker Order According to reports in the Finnish media, the country’s Rauma Marine Constructions shipyard is in negotiations with the United States to build a series of new medium icebreakers. A week ago, the USCG published a Request for Information for what were termed small icebreakers (370 feet…

USCG Polar Star Starts Final Phase of Life Extension Program   The Coast Guard has initiated the final of five planned phases of the service life extension program (SLEP) for Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the service’s sole operational heavy icebreaker. Polar Star arrived at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California, on March 30…

Trump Opens Up Pacific Islands Marine Monument for Fishing   On Thursday, President Donald Trump opened up the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, allowing U.S.-flagged tuna boats to pursue their catch within an area covering more than 400,000 square miles of the U.S. exclusive economic zone. The area has been closed to…

USTR Sets Escalating Fees on Chinese-Built Ships, Operators, LNG, and Cars After a 13-month investigation and complaints filed by five U.S. trade unions, the U.S. Trade Representative released its proposal calling for escalating tariffs on Chinese-built ships and the companies that operate them designed to address the perceived unfair Chinese trade practices. While the fees…

Norway’s Largest Battery-Powered Ferry Starts Delivery Run from Turkey   The largest fully battery-powered ferry planned for operations in Norway’s Arctic fjord region has completed construction and began its delivery run from Turkey to Norway this week. The vessel is set to set several new marks in size and speed as well as its charging…

Demonstration of Emissions Filtering and Carbon Capture for At-Berth Ships   Demonstration tests recently completed on vessels at the Prot of Long Beach, confirmed the ability to combine maritime emissions capture with carbon capture for at-berth vessels. The project combines the technology of STAX Engineering, a pioneer in maritime emissions capture and control based in…

Death Toll in Chinese Sand Carrier Capsizing Rises to Four   [Graphic images – reader discretion advised] The remains of two more deceased crewmembers have been recovered from the wreck of the capsized sand carrier Hong Hai 16, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. The search continues as responders still hope to find survivors who…

Trump Administration Halts Construction of Equinor’s NY Offshore Wind Farm In a stunning move late on Wednesday, April 16, the U.S. Department of Interior announced it has ordered a stop to the construction of Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm. The project had been approved in 2024 and was underway. The move is drawing sharp…

Two Dead, Nine Missing After Capsizing of Chinese Sand Carrier Rescuers are attempting to find survivors after the capsizing of a Chinese-operated sand carrier off the coast of Rizal, Occidental Mindoro.  The sand carrier Hong Hai 16 was operating off Barangay Malawaan on Tuesday morning in moderate seas. At about 0520 hours, the vessel capsized;…

World’s Largest LCO2 Carrier Launched as Capital Gas and Commercial Market The first large vessel designed to transport liquified carbon dioxide (LCO2) was launched in South Korea as the industry for the transport and storage of captured carbon begins to take shape. The vessels are being built for Greece’s Capital Maritime Group which in 2023…

Louisiana Shipbuilder Gulf Craft Acquired to Build Autonomous Vessels   Saronic, a start-up launched in 2022 to focus on autonomous vessels for defense systems, acquired Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder, to accelerate its growth into autonomous shipbuilding. The company says it gives it an immediate capability in shipbuilding as it also unveiled its concepts for…

North Korean Missile Shipments to Russia Continue, but May Have Peaked   North Korean exports of artillery ammunition to Russia, for use in its war against Ukraine continue.  But volumes shipped in recent weeks have fallen back from previous peaks, suggesting that initial consignments may have come from stockpiles, now depleted, with more now being…

NTSB: Firefighters Should Have Stayed Out of Grande Costa D’Avorio Blaze   In a hearing Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board approved final conclusions from the investigation of the fire aboard the ro/ro Grande Costa D’Avorio at Newark in 2023. The investigators confirmed that the fire started when the Jeep Wrangler that longshoremen used as…

Hamburg Proceeds with Shore Power at All Terminals for Large Containerships   Less than a year after becoming the first port in Europe to offer shore power for large containerships, Hamburg, Germany is on track to complete the installation of shore power capabilities at all its terminals for large containerships. Testing commenced last week at…

CSSC Delivers First of New “Sea Giants” to CMA CGM Chinese officials touted the new class of CMA CGM containerships as the “world’s largest dual-fuel powered” containerships as the naming and delivery took place of the new CMA CGM Seine (220,000 dwt). They highlighted the advancements in design and speed of construction for a vessel…

Piracy Incidents Spike Nearly 35% in Q1 Drive by Singapore Strait   The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) issued its quarterly report on global piracy warning of a rise in global piracy and armed robbery incidents driven by a spike in attacks in the Singapore Straits. Southeast Asia, and specifically the regions around the Singapore…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Participate in Modernizing USMMA Facilities   The campus of the United States’ only federal maritime academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, is going to receive a long overdue revitalization and modernization. The Department of Transportation which oversees the Academy along with the New York…

Port of Rotterdam Hosts Pilot to Test Steps for Ammonia Bunkering   The first test steps were undertaken at the Port of Rotterdam to test the port’s capabilities for future ammonia bunkering operations. Rotterdam is the world’s second-largest bunker port and expects that ammonia-fueled vessels requiring bunkering will begin in 2026 or 2027. It looks…

After IMO Carbon Deal, Activists & States Say They’ll Return for More The IMO’s new greenhouse gas fee is not quite a full-scale carbon levy, since it is only charged on some emissions, and not quite a green-fuel mandate, as it allows a long economic runway for biofuels. It is a compromise measure, and passed with…

Italian Authorities Seize Two Tons of Cocaine in an “Important Operation” Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and the Ministry of the Interior reported a major cocaine seizure in what they termed “an important anti-drug operation.” The seizure happened in March but was just announced after reports in the Italian media last week. The containership Mersin Express…

Seafarers Win Critical Updates to ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention   Shipowners, governments, and labor unions agreed to a sweeping series of changes to the master agreement known as the Maritime Labour Convention, a global agreement that establishes minimum standards for the working and living conditions of seafarers. The updates, which are being called groundbreaking for…

Crowley Adds First New LNG-Powered Ship for Caribbean and Central America   U.S. logistics company Crowley has begun operations with the first of its new LNG-powered boxships for operation in the Caribbean and Central American market.  The newly-delivered Quetzal is a 1,400 TEU feeder powered by dual-fuel LNG propulsion. The design is fitted to accommodate…

Estonian Navy Detains Stateless Tanker With Dozens of Deficiencies   On Friday, the Estonian Navy boarded and detained a sanctioned tanker in the Baltic for allegedly flying a false flag. The vessel was flying the flag of Djibouti, but the Djiboutian register of shipping said that the tanker – the 18-year-old Kiwala – had already…

Russian Ambassador Says Subsea Tampering off UK is No Cause for Concern   After recent reports of Russian vessels planting subsea listening devices in waters near the UK, Russia’s ambassador to London told BBC that there was no reason for concern – though he did not deny that the Russian military has been at work on Britain’s seabed.…

Navy Deploys a Third Destroyer to Defend Southern Border   The U.S. Navy has deployed another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to patrol waters around the U.S. southern border, the third announced in a month. The previously-deployed destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) will return to port.  USS Stockdale, a veteran of the Red Sea maritime security campaign,…

U.S. Sanctions Big Network of Small Tankers for Moving Iranian Oil   The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned a Dubai shipowner with a fleet of nearly 30 tankers for allegedly carrying Iranian oil to market.  The Trump administration has reinstituted a campaign of “maximum pressure” on Iranian oil exports in an attempt to convince Tehran to…

Defending Diego Garcia   Defending the US facility on Diego Garcia never used to present much of a challenge. The base was far out of range of regional actors who might want to threaten it, so there was no need for the surveillance and air defense resources needed to protect US bases within the Middle…

World’s Biggest Emission Control Area Agreed [By: NABU] The UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO) agreed to establish an Emission Control Are (ECA) the Northeast Atlantic. For millions of people along the Atlantic coastlines – from Portugal, Spain, and France through the British Isles up to Iceland and Greenland – the air they breathe will get…

Bound4Blue Installs World’s Largest Suction Sails   bound4blue is announcing the completion of the installation of the world’s largest suction sails, with four 26-meter high eSAILs® fitted to the MV Atlantic Orchard. Chartered by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and owned by Wisby Tankers AB, Sweden (Wisby Tankers), the specialized juice carrier had the sails fitted…

Sea Asia 2025 Celebrates a Decade of Success, Showcasing Asia’s Leadership [By: Sea Asia 2025] Global shipping and maritime leaders met with the wider sector for three days at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for Sea Asia 2025, a leading maritime event that has helped shape the challenges and opportunities, while declaring the importance of engaging…

MAN 175D Engines Selected for Carbon Capture Storage Application [By: MAN Energy Solutions] The Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands has ordered 2 × MAN 16V175D MEM engines (2,400 kWm/1,800 rpm) in connection with the building of an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vessel) vessel – ‘Easymax 5’ – for Dutch outfit, Wagenborg Operator. The engines will…

ClassNK Issues AiP for Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage System [By: ClassNK] ClassNK has issued an approval in principle (AiP) for an Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage system (OCCS) developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding. The certification confirms its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives. Interest in CO2 capture the method from exhaust gases is growing alongside…

White House Seeks Deep Cuts at NOAA   Internal budget documents leaked to the media Friday suggest that the Trump White House wants to cut funding for NOAA’s National Ocean Service in half, move the National Marine Fisheries Service to the Department of the Interior, end the Sea Grant program for oceanographic research and education,…

Op-Ed: In Transpacific Trade War, China Holds Many Cards   [By Linggong Kong] When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China. While the rest of the world would be given a 90-day reprieve on additional duties beyond the new 10% tariffs on all U.S. trade partners,…

Carnival Cruise Line Maps Five-Year Expansion Strategy Reported to be the most successful brand in the Carnival Corporation portfolio, Carnival Cruise Line has an aggressive five-year plan for growth. The line has a strong orderbook and will also be looking to grow its private ports while continuing its focus on U.S. cruising with the widest…

Two Carriers Now Bombard Houthi Forces “Around the Clock” The carrier USS Carl Vinson has arrived in the U.S. Navy operating area in the Red Sea, joining carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Both carrier strike groups are now working around the clock targeting Houthi targets in western Yemen, including the group’s military sites and its…

A Tenacious Judge Resumes the 2020 Beirut Port Blast Investigation   On April 11, Lebanese Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation into the 2020 explosion in Beirut Port with the subpoenaed testimony of two former senior state officials implicated in the affair, Maj Gen Abbas Ibrahim (ex-Director General of General Security) and Maj Gen Tony Saliba (ex-Director General…

Saya de Malha: Far Away From Human Rights   In October 2022, a British-American couple, Kyle and Maryanne Webb, were sailing their yacht through a remote area of the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles, just south of the Saya de Malha Bank, the world’s largest seagrass field. The Webbs were sailing enthusiasts and had…

Pakistan Welcomes $2B Investment From Maersk   Pakistan has welcomed a $2 billion investment from the global shipping giant Maersk. On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Robert Maersk, Chairman of the A.P Moller- Maersk board, who was on a business tour in the country. Sharif hailed the investment as a significant boost…

Louis Dreyfus Obtains AiP for its Hydrogen-Powered SOV Design   The French shipping company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has received an Approval in Principle for its new liquid hydrogen-based SOV design. The Level 1 AiP was given by Bureau Veritas Marine& Offshore. This brings the groundbreaking Service Operation Vessel (SOV) design closer to reality. The…

Six Dead in Helicopter Crash on the Hudson River   Six people are reported dead after a small helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, according to local first responders. The victims included three children.  At about 1515 hours, a helicopter went down in the Hudson near Pier 40 with six people aboard (early…

Sensors and Mapping: What China’s Survey Ship May be Up To Off Australia   [By Euan Graham and Ray Powell] Civilian exploration may be the official mission of a Chinese deep-sea research ship that sailed clockwise around Australia over the past week and is now loitering west of the continent. But maybe it’s also attending…

Austal USA’s Josh Trippi Recognized as Naval Architect of the Year [By: Austal USA] Austal USA’s Josh Trippi, an Alabama licensed professional engineer, was presented with the Architect of the Year award by the Mobile Area Council of Engineers (MACE) at the organization’s annual banquet recently.  MACE recognizes engineers in the community for their achievements and…

Saildrone Announces European Expansion Based in Copenhagen [By: Saildrone] Saildrone, the global leader in maritime autonomy, today announced it is establishing a European subsidiary in Denmark, to address the urgent need for maritime domain awareness in European waters. Announced at the Maritime Industry Symposium at the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC, Saildrone Denmark will be…

Op-Ed: We Don’t Know What Deep Sea Mining Would Do to the Midwater Zone   [By Alexus Cazares-Nuesser] Picture an ocean world so deep and dark it feels like another planet – where creatures glow and life survives under crushing pressure. This is the midwater zone, a hidden ecosystem that begins 650 feet (200 meters) below the…

Cargo Pumped Off of Damaged Tanker Stena Immaculate   The transfer of jet fuel cargo from the damaged tanker Stena Immaculate has been completed, according to HM Coastguard, and salvors are now preparing to bring the vessel into a port of refuge in the UK.  On March 10, the Portuguese-flagged feeder Solong was on a…

Trump Signs Executive Order to Strengthen U.S. Shipbuilding   On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order containing new measures to support U.S. shipbuilding, centered on a new “Maritime Action Plan.” The order was prepared primarily by the National Security Council staff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, a White House aide said at…

IRGC Seizes a Third Tanker for Fuel Smuggling   Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Navy (Nedsa) has seized another small tanker suspected of smuggling fuel within the Gulf, Nedsa reported on April 8. The vessel was not identified, but would have been a small tanker, as it had a crew of six and was carrying…

Video: Feeder Suffers Explosion and Fire in the North Sea   Dutch responders have successfully extinguished a vessel fire after an explosion aboard a boxship off Hoek van Holland.  At about 1300 hours local time, the Dutch coast guard received an alert of a blast aboard the small container feeder Victoria L, which was headed…

Tuna Clipper Hits Pier During U.S. Defense Secretary’s Visit to Naval Base   During U.S. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth’s visit to a Panamanian naval base Tuesday, a local tuna clipper hit a moored Panamanian navy patrol boat at the pier at high speed.  Hegseth was on scene to inaugurate the newly-built Pier 3 of the Capitán…

In Panama, Hegseth Pledges Cooperation to Counter Chinese “Influence” On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Panama to deliver a message: he pledged that the United States will “take back” the Panamanian government-operated canal from alleged Chinese influence.  In prepared remarks, Hegseth acknowledged that “China does not operate this canal,” and he pledged that…

Cruise Executives Highlight Resilience and Long-Term Strategy   The cruise industry enters 2025 in one of its strongest positions ever as the executives of the cruise lines discussed the near-term challenges looming for the economy and global instability. Speaking at the Opening General Season of the industry trade show Seatrade Cruise Global 2025 they highlighted…

Royal Navy Carrier Puts Cargo Drones Into Operational Use For the first time, a small squadron of nine octocopter cargo drones will sail with HMS Prince of Wales and her carrier strike group, according to the Royal Navy. It is a money-saving technological milestone, and marks the first use of unmanned aircraft for replenishment and…

U.S. Airstrike Takes Out Houthi Intelligence Chief   Houthi-linked media outlet Al Hadath has reported the death of the group’s intelligence chief, Abdul Nasser Al-Kamali, in an American airstrike. It is the latest reported fatality among the Houthis’ leadership ranks from the intensified U.S. bombing campaign, which is now in its fourth week.  White House…