US seizes sanctioned VLCC amid rising Caribbean risks
A US Coast Guard special operations team has seized the VLCC Skipper in a high-risk boarding operation off Venezuela. Washington describes the action as a strike against a sanctioned oil-shipping...
CMA CGM revives Red Sea route on INDAMEX Loop
CMA CGM has confirmed that its INDAMEX service will now transit the Suez Canal on both fronthaul and backhaul rotations between India/Pakistan and the US East Coast — a structural...
Turkey has rejected a newly signed maritime demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus, saying the deal violates the rights of Turkish Cypriots and is therefore unacceptable. Lebanon and Cyprus signed...
UK, Indonesia seal £4 billion maritime deal boosting jobs
The UK and Indonesia have agreed a landmark £4 billion ($5.2 billion) maritime partnership, securing 1,000 jobs in the UK and strengthening bilateral defence and commercial ties. Set to be...
IMO Assembly convenes to shape future of global shipping
The 34th regular session of the IMO Assembly will take place from 24 November to 3 December 2025 to elect Members of the IMO Council and approve the Organization’s work...
Panama Canal unveils bold gas expansion plans
Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez has discussed the waterway’s strategic infrastructure plans, including new gas developments, in a recent session in Houston. He outlined the Canal’s strategic plans for a...
ICS hails breakthrough in US-China port fee suspension
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) welcomes reports of an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to suspend the recently imposed Section 301 port fees....
US shipbuilders face major setbacks from policy reversals
The rollback of offshore wind policies under President Trump has caused significant disruption to the US shipbuilding and port sectors, with more than $679 million in anticipated federal funding lost....
IMO delays Net Zero Framework adoption
Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have voted to defer a decision on proposed amendments to the MARPOL Convention, effectively pausing progress on the body’s long-awaited net-zero emissions...
Beijing unleashes tariffs in US shipping showdown
China has intensified its maritime dispute with the US by introducing reciprocal levies targeting the capital markets. The move follows Washington’s decision to impose port fees on Chinese-built or flagged...
Spot freight rates fall as market cools in October 2025
Spot freight rates dropped across key trade lanes on 2 October 2025, according to data from Xeneta, reflecting a continuing easing following September’s volatility. Compared with a week earlier, rates...
Netherlands demands EU response after Houthi ship strike
The Netherlands called on the European Union (EU) to designate Yemen’s Houthis movement as a terrorist organisation. This comes following the group’s claim of responsibility for an attack on the...
