Sanmar Shipyards, Med Tugs to Expand Mediterranean Tugboat Fleet with Newbuilds
Sanmar Shipyards and Med Tugs have officially entered into a strategic agreement for the construction and delivery of two tugboats. Executed through the joint venture company SVS—comprising Vernicos Scafi, Spanopoulos, and Lyboussakis—the project marks an investment in the future of Greek maritime infrastructure.The vessels, scheduled for delivery in September 2026 and September 2027, will be stationed at the Port of Piraeus.
Successful Asia Pacific Maritime 2026 Closes
The 19th Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) held its largest-ever edition in Singapore last week, welcoming 19,431 attendees, alongside more than 819 exhibitors from 41 regions and countries, including 20 pavilions, and 112 speakers from across the globe. Amid the strong turnout, APM saw a significant number of announcements, covering product launches and the inking of partnerships, signalling strong momentum…
Coast Guard Rescues Four From Disabled Vessel Adrift Near New York
The Coast Guard rescued four people Saturday night from a disabled 42-foot motor yacht adrift three miles southwest of Moriches Inlet, New York.No injuries were reported.At 5:45 p.m. on April 4, 2026, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a report via VHF that the vessel Proudfoot was disabled and beset by weather in over 12-foot seas. It was reported that local police and…
Swire Shipping Opens New Branch Office in Malaysia
Swire Shipping announced an expansion of its regional footprint with the establishment of a new branch office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This milestone underscores the company’s continued investment in Southeast Asia and its commitment to strengthening customer engagement and service delivery across the region.The newly formed Malaysia team will be led by Koon Yan Tan, formerly Head of Swire Shipping Singapore Agency…
MariApps Marine Solutions Acquires of EffiaSoft Private Limited
MariApps Marine Solutions, a global leader in maritime digital solutions and a member of the Schulte Group, has announced it has acquired 100% ownership of Hyderabad-based software company, EffiaSoft Private Limited.This acquisition marks a milestone in MariApps’ commitment to expandingi ts digital ecosystem and enhancing its technological capabilities. By integrating EffiaSoft’s portfolio of enterprise software solutions…
Iron Ore Trade on the Great Lakes Down in March 2026
Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes in March 2026 decreased 23.5 percent from a year ago. Loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 35.1 percent. The iron ore trade stands at 2.7 million tons, a decrease of 7.7 percent compared to 2025. For the first three months of the year, iron ore shipments are 21.2 percent below their 5-year average.Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet…
ABL Signs Marine Services Deal with Tidewater in Egypt
ABL Group has signed a one-year master service agreement with offshore vessel operator Tidewater to provide marine assurance and dynamic positioning consultancy services.The agreement, entered into by ABL’s Egypt unit and Tidewater Marine Egypt, covers offshore support vessels operating in the Egyptian Mediterranean, as well as the Black Sea and wider European region.ABL said the scope includes support for vessel safety…
Nikkiso Partners Exion Asia to Launch Southeast Asia Marine Hub
Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Nikkiso CE&IG) has entered into a strategic service partnership with Exion Asia to establish its first marine hub in Southeast Asia, aimed at supporting growing demand for cryogenic equipment services.Under the agreement, Singapore will serve as Nikkiso’s Southeast Asia Marine Hub, providing regional support for cryogenic pumps and related equipment used…
Loaded LNG Tankers from Qatar Turn Back Before Hormuz Crossing
Two vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Ras Laffan, Qatar, turned back after they moved eastward towards the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed on Monday.Had the vessels successfully crossed the strait, it would have been the first transit of LNG cargoes through the waterway since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began on February 28.Data from analytics firms Kpler and LSEG showed the vessels, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, loaded their cargoes in late February.
India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports After Seven-Year Hiatus
Indian refiners have purchased Iranian oil amid the Middle East conflict that has disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said on Saturday.The world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, India has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019, following U.S. pressure not to buy Iranian crude, but supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israel war have hit the South Asian nation hard."Amid Middle East supply disruptions…
Five EU States Press for Windfall Tax on Energy Firms as Prices Surge
Five European Union countries are calling for a windfall tax on energy companies' profits in reaction to rising fuel prices due to the Iran war, according to a letter from finance ministers to the EU Commission seen by Reuters on Saturday.The finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria made the joint call for an EU-wide tax in a letter dated Friday. Such a measure could help fund…
Oil Holds Steady as Supply Risks from War Persist
Oil prices were little changed in choppy trade on Monday, as investors awaited clarity on the status of talks between the U.S. and Iran even as they remained wary about sustained supply losses due to shipping disruptions.Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose 76 cents, or 0.7%, to $109.79 a barrel at 0656 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures were trading 53 cents, or 0.5% lower, at $111.01…
Ship Recyclers Face Clouded Price Recovery Outlook
Geopolitical risk has overtaken supply-demand fundamentals as the primary price driver in energy markets, and ship recycling is feeling the impact from both sides, as higher oil keeps aging vessels trading while a volatile U.S. dollar makes confident bidding difficult to sustain, says cash buyer GMS.India delivered the week’s most notable currency development, as the rupee rebounded sharply from its record low of 94.42 to 92.73 following intervention measures by the Reserve Bank of India…
ClassNK Awards Autonomous Notation to Domestic Container Ship
ClassNK has granted its “AUTO-Nav2(All)" notation to Japanese domestic liner container ship Genbu, the only newly constructed autonomous ship under the MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program by The Nippon Foundation.This notation identifies ships equipped with an autonomous navigation system approved by ClassNK, and it marks the world’s first case of an autonomous navigation notation being assigned to a vessel operating on medium- to long-distance coastal routes.
Babcock Announces Capability Centre Location in Plymouth
Babcock International Group has confirmed the location for its new Capability Centre in Plymouth - a major milestone in plans to relocate up to 2,000 highly skilled employees into the heart of the city.The new Capability Centre will be based at 40-46 Royal Parade.Establishing this new facility, in addition to the Dockyard, will enable Babcock to free up vital space at its Devonport site, supporting…
DFC, Chubb Announce Additional Partners and Maritime Reinsurance Coverage
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Chubb have announced six additional American insurance partners that will provide reinsurance for DFC's Maritime Reinsurance plan: Travelers, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Berkshire Hathaway, AIG, Starr, and CNA.On top of DFC’s $20 billion in rolling coverage, Chubb and these new partners will provide an additional $20 billion, bringing the total Maritime Reinsurance facility to $40 billion.
Petronas-Chartered Tanker Passes Through Hormuz
An oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast, a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions to transit the vital sea route, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.The Ocean Thunder loaded about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Malaysia's Pengerang, in mid-April, Kpler data showed.The tanker - which the data showed was chartered by Petco…
Ships Near Italy Rescue 32 Migrants, 71 Lost at Sea
Two merchant vessels near the Italian coast recovered the bodies of two migrants and rescued 32 survivors from a boat trying to cross to Europe from Libya on Easter weekend, rescue charities said, citing the survivors as saying 71 others were lost at sea.The victims were transferred to an Italian coast guard patrol boat and brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa, said the groups Mediterranea Saving Humans and Sea-Watch.Italy's interior ministry said it had no comment on the report.
Ukrainian Drones Sink Russian Cargo Vessel
A cargo ship carrying wheat sank in the Sea of Azov after coming under attack from Ukrainian drones, a Russia-installed official said on Sunday, leaving one person dead and two missing.Vladimir Saldo, Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine's Kherson region, said the attack occurred on Friday but crew members were unable to make known what had happened to them until Sunday."It…
Bahrain Hopes for Council Vote on Hormuz Resolution by Friday
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday he hopes for a council vote on Friday on a resolution Bahrain has drafted to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, kicking off a conflict that has now exceeded a month and effectively…
