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Global News
Container leasing rates reach for the skies
US shippers are diverting east coast cargo, already shifted from the Panama Canal to via Suez, to west coast ports, boosting southern California port volumes and raising box leasing prices through the roof. Online box leasing and trading company Container xChange...
Tanker Optimized for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Achieves Strong Fuel Savings
A partnership between Finland’s naval architects Deltamarine and UK-based BAT Technologies looks to develop new standards in sustainable shipping. The companies held a presentation in London for their new concept, a wind-optimized design for an Aframax/LRII tanker...
Complexities of compliance with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
The EU ETS first emissions trading system requiring owners, operators and charterers to pay for their ships’ emissions. At a Lloyd’s Register webinar on 7 February, classification society experts ran through the complex regulations and the steps required by owners and...
AD Ports takes over Karachi Port East Wharf operations.
The agreement will see a joint venture between AD Ports and Kaheel Terminals, Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML), develop, operate and manage berths 11-17 at the East wharf of Karachi. The new concession grants 1.5 km of quay wall to KGTML for...
ICTSI to develop Iloilo port complex in central Philippines.
ICTSI will rename it the port complex as Visayas Container Terminal. “We recognise the port’s pivotal role in driving Iloilo's economic and social growth. Our comprehensive proposal outlines significant investments in infrastructure...
Piraeus port inaugurates expanding car terminal.
Greek Shipping and Island Policy Minister Christos Stylianides pointed out at an inauguration ceremony 6 February for the new car facilities, the Ministry's goal is to promote sustainable urban development, the use of sustainable transportation methods and advanced...
QatarEnergy announces next phase of record fleet growth programme
The vessels will enter into timecharters with affiliates of QatarEnergy and Nakilat, the company said in a statement. It is the first award in the second phase of long-term time charters in the largest-ever LNG fleet expansion programmed. Qatar Energy’s LNG Fleet...
ILWU and Portland Terminal Settle Long Dispute Which Bankrupted the Union
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union and International Container Terminal Services settled a more than decade’s long dispute involving the operation of Portland, Oregon’s sole container terminal which forced the ILWU to file for bankruptcy in September...
US Indicts Iranian Oil Network, Individuals, Tankers, and Seeks Oil Cargo
The U.S. Justice Department revealed on Friday three sweeping legal cases launched in U.S. federal courts in New York and the District of Columbia aimed at interrupting the Iranian oil trade. They revealed a widespread network launched by Iran starting in 2018 to...
ICS Proposes $40 Carbon Levy With No Automatic Increases
The International Chamber of Shipping has formulated a revised proposal for an IMO carbon emissions fund. As with earlier proposals, it would see two-way financial flows going in and out of one fund - carbon-emitting shipowners would pay money in, while...
Vietnam’s Ports Benefit From Geopolitics and Trade Wars
Vietnam’s main ports have shot up the world rankings in terms of volumes of container-based traffic as manufacturers increasingly pull out of China in the wake of the tariff-based trade war with America. As the latest data on Vietnam’s growing “connectivity” –...
European Ethanol Producers File Challenge to FuelEU Maritime Regulation
An industry group representing European ethanol producers launched a legal challenge they announced yesterday seeking to at least partially annul the FuelEU Maritime Regulation saying that it improperly addresses sustainable biofuels such as renewable ethanol. In a...
The Law and Practice of Container Shipping
The evolution of container shipping has played a crucial role in transforming international trade and shipping, making it more efficient, cost-effective, and interconnected. Today, container shipping is ubiquitous and efficient. The most recent ULCV, the MSC...
Red Sea Tanker Fire Extinguished
The fire aboard the Marshall Islands registered tanker Marlin Luanda is reported to be out and the vessel is proceeding to an unspecified safe harbor. Trafigura, which chartered the vessel, provided the update confirming that the crew of 23, including...
EU Launches Effort with Shipping Lines and Ports to Fight Drug Smuggling
The European Commission announced the launch of a new public-private partnership, the European Ports Alliance as the latest step to increase the fight against drug trafficking through Europe’s ports. It comes as Europe has seen a dramatic increase in drug smuggling...
Shipping fallout from Red Sea crisis spreads to product tankers
With no end in sight for the Red Sea crisis, detours around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope are soaking up even more vessel capacity and pushing up spot rates across multiple shipping segments. Freight fallout began with container ships. It is now significantly impacting...
Gas and Heat and RINA to Cooperate on Ammonia Fuelled Bunker Vessel
Gas and Heat, the Italian company leader in the design and construction of cargo handling systems, and RINA, the Inspection, Certification and Engineering consultancy multinational, have signed an agreement for the development of a cargo and fuel gas system for...
Supply chain executives pin hopes on technology as diverse challenges escalate
Trade in Transition, a research project by the Economist Impact and DP World, surveyed 3,500 executives around the world for their views on topics related to global trade. Over 34% of respondents listed new technologies as a source of optimism over the next two...
Chinese automobile exports surge 58% in 2023
China’s automobile export market reached 4.91 million units in 2023, increasing some 57.9 year-on-year. With sharp rise in exports China is expected to become the world’s largest automobile exporter. During in 2023, automobile production and sales volume of...
Red Sea crisis drives inflationary trading costs.
Carriers have told shippers and forwarders that rates will rise substantially as shipping heads around the Cape of Good Hope, soaking up excess capacity, and redressing the supply and demand imbalance. One forwarder has been told to expect European rates out of Asia...
More interaction needed between government and private sector
The logistics sector in Panama, the mainstay of the maritime industry, is finally taking off and increasingly using Panama as a dispatch centre for global or Latin American markets. Panama provides logistics services such as warehousing, distribution,...
Port of Corpus Christi handles record cargo tonnage in 2023
The 203 million tonnes moved through the port last year represented an 8.1% increase over 2022. The new record primarily can be attributed to a jump in crude oil exports to 126.1 million tonnes in 2023, a 12.5% increase compared to 2022. Related: New leadership...
Ethiopia’s Port Deal with Somaliland Could Endanger Regional Stability
The Horn of Africa ushered in the new year with news of a deal that would ensure that diplomatic relations in the region got off to a bumpy start in 2024. Ethiopia, it was announced on Jan. 1, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the breakaway...
Work Stoppages Grow at DP Australia Terminals as MUA Pay Dispute Escalates
Work at the terminals operated by DP World in Australia’s four largest ports ground to a halt on Friday, January 12, with the expectation that the dispute is likely to further escalate in the coming weeks. The Maritime Union of Australia, which has been without a...
Cruise Ship Silver Moon Reverses Course to Avoid Southern Red Sea
The luxury cruise ship Silver Moon (40,700 gross tons) has become the latest ship to divert away from the southern Red Sea, altering the itinerary for its current cruise and canceling at least one upcoming cruise. The cruise ship operated by Silversea...
Video: Chinese Company Launches Massive Solid-Fuel Rocket from Sea
A Chinese company has launched its first heavyweight commercial rocket from the deck of a ship, reviving a concept popularized by the Sea-Launch consortium in the 1990s. Orienspace, based in Shandong, launched its first Gravity-1 rocket from the deck of a...
Suez Canal Denies Suspension of Transits Rumor After Red Sea Attacks
The Suez Canal Authority issued a statement on Friday, January 12, denying rumors that its operations had been impacted by the overnight strikes by U.S. and UK forces and the resumption of attacks by the Houthi rebels. The statement came as the military forces have...
IAEA Uses Nuclear Tools to Study Antarctic Plastic Pollution
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched its first scientific research expedition to investigate the extent of microplastics pollution in the Antarctica. Argentine President Javier Milei and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi led the...
Norway’s Turn Towards Deep-Sea Mining Dismays Experts
Norway, renowned for its substantial offshore oil and gas reserves, made a surprise move in 2021 to rebrand itself as an ocean champion. However, this environmental turn is being reversed as the government pursues commercial mining in the country’s extended...
Belgium Plans Increased Fight Against Drug Trafficking Through EU Ports
Belgium intends to prioritize the fight against drug trafficking through the major ports in the European Union (EU) expanding on existing efforts to reign in the rampant smuggling and corruption at the region’s ports. Over the next six months, they plan to launch an...
Decorated Battleship New Jersey Set for $10M Repairs During Dry Docking
One of the most decorated and largest battleships in the history of the U.S. Navy which served in all of America’s major conflicts from 1943 to 1990 is set to undergo a $10 million overhaul. The decommissioned USS New Jersey, one of four Iowa-class battleships...
High Speed Internet at Sea
Low-Earth-orbit satellites are revolutionizing maritime connectivity – to the delight of shipowners and crew alike. Far above the planet, thousands of satellites are orbiting Earth. Some are taking high-resolution photographs and beaming them back to ground stations,...
Top ocean shipping stories of 2023: War, drought and detours
Ocean shipping routes are always in flux, but 2023 took it to a whole new level. Trade routes were blocked or impeded by geopolitics, labor and weather: sanctions on Russia, U.S.-China tensions, dockworker union unrest, drought-driven cuts at the Panama Canal, and...
Singapore Surpasses Three Billion Gross Tons for Annual Ship Arrivals
The port of Singapore is highlighting its position as a top maritime center as it crossed in 2023 for the first time the three billion gross tonnage mark for ship arrivals. Officials from the port and industry gathered to mark the milestone as Singapore looks to...
Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Contained Aboard Bulker off Dutch Harbor
The U.S. Coast Guard reports that the battery fire aboard the bulker Genius Star XI has been extinguished and that the crew are safe, days after the blaze began. The outcome was successful, but the fire illustrated the serious challenges inherent in fighting...
Russia Claims New Record for Cargo on the Northern Sea Route
As of the last week of 2023, Russian officials were claiming to have reached a record level of cargo moving along the Northern Sea Route while expecting to continue to increase the total to the end of the year. The reports are saying that volumes recovered from the...
More Than 280 Boxships Have Diverted Away From Red Sea
The degree of disruption from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea continues to escalate. As of Sunday, more than 280 container vessels - not counting tankers, bulkers, car carriers or other vessel classes - have diverted to the Cape of Good Hope, according to an...
Malaysia bars Israeli owned vessels and ships headed to the country’s ports
Malaysia has banned Israeli owned ships and vessels bound for the country’s ports in response to the war in Gaza. Marcus Hand | Dec 21, 2023 Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday it had imposed a ban on any vessels from ZIM...
Conflict and climate conspire to reroute container ships
Geopolitical and meteorological events are continuing to reshape global container shipping trading patterns as vessels look for alternatives to all water routes via the Suez and Panama Canals. Nick Savvides | Dec 19, 2023 Low water levels in the Panama Canal have...
Panama Canal transits plunge as larger ships are turned away
The official Panama Canal transit numbers for November are out — and they’re ugly. November could be the tip of the iceberg. Reservation slots are being slashed further this month and in January. The total number of transits declined 22% in November versus October,...
Saudi Arabia secured a remarkable score in the UNCTAD’s Liner Shipping Connectivity Index
In a significant development that aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), Saudi Arabia has solidified its competitiveness and global standing. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) attained its highest improvement...
Singapore gets its first methanol bunkering vessel
Singapore has welcomed the delivery of its first methanol bunkering vessel, marking its commitment to serve as a living lab for bunkering alternative fuels. Michele Labrut | Dec 15, 2023 Singapore, a global maritime bunkering hub, has welcomed the delivery of its...
Salvage industry needs to prepare for new fuels
As the drive to develop new zero emission fuels intensifies the salvage industry must recalibrate its training programmes to handle the patchwork of fuels that will replace oil in the transition and beyond. Nick Savvides | Dec 11, 2023 A panel of industry experts...
12 container ships divert from Red Sea over terror threat.
Initially attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Straits of Hormuz, which have included hijackings and missile strikes, targeted Israeli-linked ships recent incidents such as the drone strike on the OOCL chartered containership Number 9 had no current Israeli...
Stronger Than Expected Volumes Prompt Increase in Forecast for U.S. Imports
Container import volumes at the main U.S. ports containers ports continued to grow into the fall leading to a later than expected peak this year and prompting forecasts for continuing year-over-year growth in 2024. With the U.S. economy appearing to be on a...
Container shipping outlook 2024: Rising risk of delays, disruptions
The supply chain crisis is long over, but America’s importers still have a lot to keep them up at night as they plan for 2024. Two key container shipping “chokepoints” — the Panama Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea — are simultaneously...
Report Zero-Emission Fuels Could Add 50% to Container Shipping Costs
The early moves both among the container carriers and the shippers face substantially higher costs for transporting containers using the new generation of zero-emission vessels and fuels. A new report from independent UK consultancy UMAs seeks both to quantify some of...
Fortescue Unveils Ammonia-Fueled Ship Calling for Regulations to Catch-Up
Fortescue, an Australian mining company that is working to become a green technology company, reports it completed the retrofit to create the world’s first ocean-going ammonia-fueled ship. The company’s flamboyant founder and chairman Andrew Forrest arrived in Dubai...
The Virtual Watch Tower: A Public Good
Building the new economy revolves around data, internet-of-things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud and federated computing. The shipper-driven, terminal-centric Virtual Watch Tower / VWT (www.virtualwatchtower.org) is a federated computing initiative,...
2024 Could be “Even More Brutal” for Container Carriers Warns Xeneta
The handwriting has been on the wall for some time with analysts warning that the container shipping segment was facing a prolonged period of hard times brought on by falling volumes, oversupply, and declining rates. Widely followed indicators such as the Drewry World...
Local News
Cargo connects, Asean express success
PETALING JAYA (ANN/THE STAR) – The Asean Express, a cargo train connecting Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and China, has returned to Malaysia after a 14-day journey to Chongqing, China. The train was greeted at its final stop, the Kontena Nasional Inland Clearance Depot...
Port Klang ready to handle backlog diverted from Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Port Klang is fully capable and ready to handle the influx of containers and liners redirected to Malaysia to avoid longer wait times in Singapore due to the maritime logjam in the island republic, which includes berth congestion and delays....
Issuance of diesel subsidy fleet cards to be expedited, says Armizan
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali says there were delays in issuing fleet cards under the Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 (SKDS 2.0), but gave his assurance in the Dewan Rakyat that the process will be expedited. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister...
Global Shipping Costs, Container Prices Continue to Surge
Container xChange released its mid-year container market forecaster, which delves into container price developments in H1 and offers a market outlook for H2. "As we move into July, we're seeing a continued rise in freight rates, container prices, and leasing rates,...
Transport Ministry has finalised bus driver card regulations, says Loke
PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry is finalising regulations regarding the issuance of bus driver cards, says Minister Anthony Loke (pic). "In fact, this issue was raised to us a month ago, and we have approved the issuance of the bus driver cards subject to some...
KK Port congestion surcharge increased
KOTA KINABALU (July 5): The sudden imposition of port congestion surcharge by shipping companies for containers imported into Kota Kinabalu has incurred the displeasure of the business community. A shipping company has announced an increase of the Kota Kinabalu Port...
Loke Announces National Shipping Policy Proposal to Boost Local Industry
PUTRAJAYA: A national shipping policy will be introduced to guide the local shipping sector in exports and imports, and create new job opportunities, announced Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said that the proposal for this policy was raised during the meeting of...
Govt stands firm against Isreali companies’ investment, activities in Malaysia – Amir Hamzah
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has never prevented any company from investing in the country but remains firm in its stance not to allow Israeli-owned companies to conduct their activities here, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said. In fact, the firm stance...
Singapore Endures More Port Delays as 90% of Container Ships Arrive Late
Congestion at the Port of Singapore has gotten so bad that 90 percent of container ships are arriving at the site later than scheduled, Singapore’s transport minister Chee Hong Tat told the country’s parliament on Tuesday. According to Chee, 77 percent...
SKDS Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 – subsidy refund applications open July 1, says finance ministry
The Malaysian government will begin accepting applications for subsidy refunds for recipients of the subsidised diesel control system 2.0 (SKDS 2.0) from July 1, the ministry of finance has announced. The SKDS 2.0 subsidy facility is offered exclusively...
Transport minister announces RM10m allocation to boost seafarer skills and knowledge
GEORGE TOWN, June 29 — The government, through the Skill Development Fund Corporation (PTPK), is allocating RM10 million this year for seafarers to improve their knowledge and skills, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook. He said this reflected the...
JOHOR-SINGAPORE CAUSEWAY AT 100: MOMENTOUS YET MUNDANE
he land connection that links Singapore to Johor is now one hundred years old. The Causeway has had an eventful century, as it witnessed the passing of the steamship era, survived the travails of World War II, and accompanied both Malaysia and Singapore to...
Malaysia seizes 106 illegal e-waste containers
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has seized 106 containers of dangerous electronic waste over the last three months and busted an illegal waste import syndicate after a tip-off from a watchdog group, a minister said. Tens of millions of tons of e-waste are produced globally...
Malaysia’s Johor starts coastal clean-up following reported spread from Singapore oil spill
INGAPORE: Johor has started coastal clean-ups and activated coastal patrols and monitoring activities in Kota Tinggi district following an oil spill in Singapore last week that released around 400 tones of fuel into the sea. Clean-ups began on Friday (Jun 21) morning...
Anthony Loke says robust maritime industry will boost Malaysia’s economic growth, security
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — A robust maritime industry not only bolsters economic growth but will ensure Malaysia’s ability to protect its interests and respond effectively to emergencies, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said that emphasising and expanding the...
Malaysia lacks professionals in quantum computing
KUALA LUMPUR: Challenges such as high costs, specialised maintenance requirements, limited local infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled professionals in quantum computing are holding Malaysia back. Nanotechnologist and Asia Pacific University of Technology and...
Malaysia To Construct Its First AI-Driven Container Port on West Coast
Malaysia is set to construct a state-of-the-art container port along the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, facing the busy Strait of Malacca. Valued at an estimated $425 million, this new port will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance operational...
Malaysia-China JV wins RM209mil Miri Port job
KUCHING: A joint venture (JV) between Malaysian and Chinese companies has been awarded a RM208.9mil contract to dredge the access shipping channel to Miri Port terminal and construct training bunds in the Batang Baram Delta. Rimbun Prima Sdn Bhd and China...
Malaysia welcomes US firms, not sanctions, amid chips push. ‘We have an edge’: Anwar
Let the US impose all the unilateral sanctions it wants in its tech war with China, ‘we are free to do what we like’, Malaysia’s PM says Malaysia will not abide by US tech sanctions on China if it involves companies that do not come under Washington’s...
3 factors causing prolonged congestion at Singapore’s port
Global congestion raised container prices in Singapore by 26% since October. Congestion at the Port of Singapore will persist through June and possibly beyond due to three key factors, including the country’s increased container throughput. Data from Germany-based...