New Sanctions Expected to Have Severe Consequences for Russia
Chinese and Indian refiners will source more oil from the Middle East, Africa and the Americas, boosting prices and freight costs, as new U.S. sanctions on Russian producers and ships curb supplies to Moscow's top customers, traders and analysts said.The U.S. Treasury on Friday imposed sanctions on Russian oil producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels that have shipped Russian oil…
SECNAV Nominee Meets with Senator Wicker
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today met with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee to be the 79th Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan.In the meeting, Chairman Wicker and Mr. Phelan discussed current shipbuilding and maintenance challenges, the need for accountability in the Navy, and the Chairman’s vision for a larger and more innovative U.S.
Sails on an OPV? Vessel Design, with French Flair
Generally, government owned vessels, particularly ones engaged in law enforcement, are seemingly last in line when it comes to fuel efficiency. Not so in France, as the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA), in late 2024 sealed the deal and commissioned the SOCARENAM-MAURIC consortium to design and build an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) which combines hybrid propulsion and wind sails…
Josephides named Director General, Cyprus Shipping Chamber
The Cyprus Shipping Chamber announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously decided to appoint its current Deputy Director General / Marine Manager, Alexandros Josephides, as the next Director General.Josephides will succeed Thomas A. Kazakos, who is taking over as Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping in London, effective 1st April 2025.Completing this year, a very productive 30 years-service with the Chamber, Mr.
Israel Bombs Houthi-controlled Power Station, Ports
Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iran-backed Houthi militia were "paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us".A…
Baltic Index Gains Again on Capesize Strength
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose for a second straight session on Friday, steered by strong gains in the capesize vessel segment.The index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was up 79 points to 1,048 points. However, it was down 2.2% for the week.The capesize index rose 284 points at 1,448 points, its highest level since Dec. 10, 2024. The index gained about 5.3% this week.
Germany Secures Drifting Tanker off Baltic Coast
A tugboat has stopped a tanker carrying around 99,000 metric tons of oil from Russia from drifting out of control off Germany's Baltic Sea coast near the island of Ruegen…
BOEM Boosts Monetary Penalties for Oil & Gas firms
Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a final rule that implements the 2025 inflation adjustments for the maximum daily civil monetary penalties contained in BOEM regulations in accordance with Federal law.The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act (FCPIAA Improvements Act) of 2015 requires Federal agencies to adjust the level of civil monetary penalties for inflation annually.
NRF: Import Cargo to Remain Elevated in January
A potential strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports has been avoided with the announcement of a tentative labor agreement, but the nation’s major container ports have already seen a surge in imports that is expected to continue because of potential increases in tariffs, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.“The new contract brings certainty and avoids disruptions…
Navarino Expands Maritime Connectivity Portfolio with Castor Marine Acqusition
Maritime communications and connectivity company Navarino Group has acquired Dutch internet connectivity and IT solutions provider to the maritime industry Castor Marine.Castor Marine will continue to operate independently within the Navarino Group, leveraging additional resources to expand its capabilities. Customers can expect uninterrupted service as well as access to an expanded portfolio of solutions.Key benefits of the deal include an expanded service portfolio…
MOL’s LNG Carrier Newbuild on Charter with TotalEnergies Gets Its Name
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has named its newbuilding LNG carrier MOL Azure, set to sail for TotalEnergies under a time-charter contract.The MOL Azure vessel was ordered by a wholly owned subsidiary of MOL and is slated to sail under a time charter contract with TotalEnergies Gas & Power Limited (TGPL), a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.Upon delivery on January 14, the vessel will be the second LNG carrier to be chartered by TGPL under a time charter contract…
Record Year for Alternative-Fueled Vessel Order with LNG at Forefront, DNV Finds
The 2024 represented an unprecedented year for maritime industry when it comes to orders for alternative-fueled vessels, driven mainly by liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to the latest data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights (AFI) platform.A total of 515 alternative-fueled such ships were ordered, excluding LNG carriers, representing a 38% year-on-year increase compared to 2023, underscoring…
Spreading the High-Spec Joy
This week at MarineLink…A noteworthy vessel was introduced to the fixed-bottom offshore wind sector this week. The offshore installation vessel Boreas was delivered to Van Oord by Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore in China. The vessel will be the largest of its kind once operational, and it is purpose-built for the transport and installation of foundations and turbines up to 20MW capacity turbines.China’s Dongfang Electric is already building 26MW turbines…
Taiwan Navy Showcases Top Ships in Drills
Taiwan's navy simulated on Thursday an effort to see off enemy ships as it wrapped up three days of New Year drills, sending two of its newest and most advanced warships to lead a flotilla into the Taiwan Strait.China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, sends its air force and navy into the skies and waters near the island on a daily basis in what the government in Taipei…
Panama to Trump: The Canal is Ours
Hundreds of Panamanians marched on Thursday to mark the anniversary of a deadly uprising against U.S. control of the Panama Canal in 1964, with some protesters burning an effigy of President-elect Donald Trump who has threatened to retake the vital global waterway.More than 20 Panamanians, many of them students, died during violent clashes across the country in January 1964, which escalated after U.S. security forces opened fire in response to mass demonstrations against the U.S.
Denmark Admits Neglecting Greenland Defense
Denmark acknowledged on Thursday it had long neglected the defense of Greenland, a vast and strategically important Arctic island, after President-elect Donald Trump said acquiring the Danish sovereign territory was vital for U.S. security.Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said this week that U.S. control of Greenland was an "absolute necessity" and did not rule out using military or economic action…
Australia Blitzes Illegally Fishing Off Northern Territory
Over the past month, the Australian Border Force has intercepted 12 illegal foreign fishing vessels in waters off the Northern Territory, seizing over six tonnes of sea cucumber, 500kg of other catch, and over two tonnes of salt, which is used to preserve the catch.Operation LUNAR is multi-agency operation in the Northern Territory established on December 8, 2024 to target the increase in illegal fishing along the +10…
US Container Imports Strong, For Now
Descartes Systems Group has released its January Global Shipping Report, highlighting the continuing a trend of higher year-on-year container volumes throughout 2024.December 2024 U.S. container import volumes closed at 2,367,271 TEU, just shy of the 2.4 million TEU threshold that has typically strained port capacity. Despite elevated volumes, overall transit delays decreased across the top 10 U.S.
OP/ED: When it Comes to Offshore Energy, Be Careful What You Wish For
You just might get it.In the waning days of the Biden administration, the executive orders and such that get announced seemingly on a daily basis signal countless victories for that side of the equation. And, no matter which side of that great divide that you reside on, it is likely that some of those edicts will be quickly reversed by the incoming President. Of course, much of this is likely irreversible.
Wide Agreement for Proposed GHG Emissions Pricing Mechanism
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has joined 47 governments in a joint submission to the final round of negotiations at the IMO on a GHG emissions pricing mechanism for international shipping.The joint text is supported by major shipping nations such as Greece, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom, the world’s largest flag States including Bahamas, Liberia, Marshall Islands and Panama, all EU States (and the European Commission)…
