Maritime Law & Regulations News

Wallenius Lines has entered into an agreement to acquire SOL Group’s shares in Wallenius SOL, becoming the sole owner of the company. The new ownership structure creates long-term stability, clarity and continuity for the continued development of Wallenius SOL as an enabler of sustainable, sea-based infrastructure in Northern Europe.Wallenius SOL plays a central role in building and maintaining logistical and industrial infrastructure in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Vineyard Wind has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a wind turbine-supplying unit of GE Vernova  from terminating agreements and abandoning work on a $4.5 billion offshore wind farm in Massachusetts on the eve of completion.Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Spain's Iberdrola IBE.MC and Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, filed a lawsuit this week in a state court in Boston accusing the GE Vernova subsidiary of wrongly trying to terminate their contract at the wind…

China urged calm and restraint by all sides on Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of weekend talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war.Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped to China, the top global importer of crude.Keeping the key Strait of Hormuz waterway safe, stable and unimpeded served the interest of the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference…

Oil prices surged on Monday as the U.S. moved to impose a blockade on Iranian shipping after the collapse of weekend peace talks, while the dollar rose and stocks and bonds fell.The U.S. move, aimed at putting pressure on Tehran, leaves a fragile ceasefire hanging in the balance and no end in sight to the choke on Middle East energy exports - though the mood on trading floors leaned toward hoping for a resolution.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 7% at $102 a barrel - a gain of more than 40% since the war shut navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that whatever the pressure, Britain would not be dragged into the Iran war nor be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz."We're not supporting the blockade," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that it was vital to get the Strait reopened."It is, in my view, vital that we get the Strait open and fully open, and that's where we've put all of our efforts in the last few and we'll continue to do so," Starmer said.Britain had minesweepers in the region…

Britain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, Defence Minister John Healey said on Thursday.Britain accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels…

Antarctica is the only continent without a fiber-optic connection.The technology required to get one there is available, but the creation of such infrastructure raises geopolitical questions, including its potential military use, say researchers from Germany.The US National Science Foundation has plans to build a subsea data cable link from New Zealand or Australia to its McMurdo research base in Antarctica. There’s been no update on the project under the current administration…

Shippers on Wednesday said they needed more clarity on the terms of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran said the waterway remained closed to vessels sailing without a permit.The six‑week conflict had brought traffic through the strait - a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments - close to a standstill, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.Iran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces…

Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI) has launched a new billboard campaign to raise awareness of pregnant dairy heifers being shipped to Algeria.The first shipment of pregnant dairy heifers left Waterford Port for Oran and Algiers ports in Algeria on January 4, 2025, and there have been three more shipments since.“Algeria is building its dairy sector so is in need of good quality milking cows. Ironically, Algeria is, or was, a significant importer of Irish dairy,” says EFI representative Caroline Rowley.The journey involves five to seven days at sea…

Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison's Panama unit has launched an arbitration against Maersk after the takeover of two strategic ports near the Panama Canal which are at the center of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington.In a statement, Panama Ports Company (PPC) said Maersk broke a long-term contract by siding with the Panamanian government to help remove PPC from its operations at the Balboa port and replace it with a Maersk-affiliated operator."Contrary to the contract…

Rising temperatures and humidity are increasingly compromising cargo integrity during transit, making prevention essential for operational resilience.Climate change is no longer a distant concern for shipping. Across Southeast Asia, rising temperatures and humidity, and more volatile weather patterns are increasingly affecting cargo integrity during transit.The past decade has been the hottest on record, with global temperatures rising by around 1.1ºC since 1880. At sea, this warming is amplified.

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. The plan is designed to deliver on President Trump’s directive to help restore maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz…

Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China that appears tied to a Panama court ruling against Hong Kong-based port operator CK Hutchison."China's recent…

Bahrain's effort to secure a U.N. resolution to authorise "all necessary means" to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz ran into new obstacles on Wednesday, underscoring divisions over how to deal with Iran's effective closure of the waterway that has resulted in the worst energy-supply disruption ever.Bahrain, which took over the presidency of the 15-member U.N. Security Council for the month of April, had circulated a fresh version of a draft resolution that dropped a previous explicit reference to binding enforcement…

Home to one of the world’s busiest transshipment hubs, Singapore is stepping up to shield its maritime sector from wildlife traffickers, with a targeted guide to help industry members spot and stop those exploiting shipping systems.The Red Flag Indicators for Wildlife Trafficking in Containerised Sea Cargo: A Summary Compendium and Guidance for the Maritime Shipping Sector in Singapore makes Singapore the first in Asia to have tailored the 2021 global version of the guide to its needs.Developed by the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia…

An environmental activist vessel deliberately collided with a Norwegian krill harvesting vessel near Antarctica on Tuesday, damaging its hull, the vessel's owner, Aker QRILL Company, said on Wednesday.The company said the Norway-flagged trawler Antarctic Sea was deliberately struck by Bandero, a 65-metre (213 ft) vessel operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.Aker QRILL said Bandero struck near the stern of its vessel, where its diesel fuel tank sits, causing minor damage."If the steel plates ... had ruptured, it could have caused a spill.

The global marine insurance market continues to show resilience and is maintaining the availability of cargo, hull, liability and offshore energy cover despite increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, says the International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI).Cargo insurers across global markets remain committed to supporting trade flows, including in high-risk areas such as the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.Although the evolving situation in the Middle East has prompted adjustments - particularly in war risk pricing and policy structures – significant capacity is still available.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged six crew members of a merchant vessel following a joint investigation into an organised crime syndicate which allegedly imported one tonne of cocaine into Australia. It will be alleged the men from Honduras and Ecuador operated a specially modified 40m vessel found to contain three professionally built and installed smuggling hides. An investigation into the vessel began in January 2026, after French authorities intercepted the ship in international waters.

A marine drone struck a Turkish crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24.All 27 crew were safe, he said, adding that the coastguard had been dispatched to the vessel…

Following the deaths of hundreds on cattle on the livestock carrier Spiridon II last year, Animal Welfare Foundation reports that Turkish importers are taking legal action against the livestock dealer.The Spiridon II was stranded off the Turkish coast for several weeks after a month-long voyage from Uruguay when the consignment of around 2,900 dairy cattle was rejected by local authorities. Court transcripts translated by Animal Welfare Foundation indicate that 58 cows died in transit to Turkey…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri reported a more than fourfold jump in its annual profit to 117 million euros ($136 million) on Wednesday, boosted by the underwater business line that saw 88% revenue growth.Shares of the Trieste-based company gained up to 7.5% shortly after the results.The state‑controlled shipbuilder reiterated its 2026 targets for revenue of 9.2 billion to 9.3 billion euros, a core profit (EBITDA) margin of around 7.5%, and an increased net profit."We are preparing to capture further growth in demand in the defense sector, by doubling the production capacity of Italian shipya

A unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said on Tuesday it had widened its claims in an international arbitration case against Panama, saying damages had now risen to more than $2 billion.Panama Ports Company, which for nearly three decades operated the Balboa and Cristobal terminals near the Panama Canal, said it had supplemented its claims in proceedings under the International Chamber of Commerce's arbitration rules, a month after what it described as the state's illegal…

Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power.France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution…

A new analysis from WinGD and Envision Energy suggests something the maritime industry has been debating for years ... and likely will be debating for many years to come: the changing economics of zero-emission fuels.For shipowners, the significance is straightforward. The conversation is shifting from if green fuels can compete to when — and in some cases, that answer may already be “now.”On a pure fuel-cost basis, green ammonia still carries a premium, as today, it can run close to three times the cost of very low sulphur fuel oil.

Major US maritime organizations have issued statements voicing their concern over the Trump Administration’s decision to issue a sweeping 60-day waiver of the Jones Act.Under the Jones Act, goods shipped between U.S. ports must be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and mostly U.S.-owned. A coalition of U.S. maritime labor organizations, including the American Maritime Officers; American Radio Association; International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots…

Stolt-Nielsen Limited and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha announced that, through Stolt-Nielsen’s subsidiary Stolt-Nielsen Gas Ltd., Stolt-Nielsen has entered into a share purchase agreement to sell 50% of Avenir LNG Limited to NYK Line. Avenir LNG was founded in 2017 and has grown into a leading player in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering sector, operating a global fleet of LNG bunker vessels.With this partnership, Stolt-Nielsen and NYK Line will expand their future small-scale LNG and LNG bunkering opportunities through the joint venture…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration is talking to seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling on them to help protect ships in the vital waterway that Tehran has mostly blocked to oil tanker traffic.With the conflict creating turmoil across the Middle East and shaking up global energy markets in its third week, Trump insisted that nations relying heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to protect the strait."I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory…

A Turkish-owned ship that had been waiting near Iran was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.In comments to Turkish media on Thursday that were released on Friday, Uraloglu said Ankara had declared the highest-level security warning for the strait and continued contacts with Iranian officials regarding the situation of the remaining 14 Turkish-owned vessels there."Fifteen ships (with Turkish owners) were there…

Yesterday, a new ISO standard was published to help port authorities, shipowners and operators navigate rules on how ships should be cleaned in an environmentally sound way. Hull cleaning is gaining traction among shipowners, while countries are increasingly introducing regulations—but many ports still lack practical guidance on how to manage it. “Biofouling on ships’ hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reducing a vessel’s efficiency and leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions…

Thordon Bearings Inc. has partnered with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) to launch the Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship, an annual award that will support exceptional postgraduate students developing solutions to reduce the marine industry’s environmental footprint.Made possible through a significant contribution from Thordon founder George A. “Sandy” Thomson, the scholarship is intended to inspire the design of greener, cleaner, and more efficient vessels.