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Maritime, in motion

Containers stacked in a port freight yard
Port activity

India Extends Transhipment Access for Hormuz-Diverted Cargo to October

India has extended access to all its seaports and international airports for foreign-bound cargo diverted by Strait of Hormuz disruption until 31 October, and has brought dry bulk under the framework.

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Gantry cranes standing over a quiet container quay
Port activity

DP World Spends $100m a Month Keeping Jebel Ali Ready as Ships Divert

DP World is spending about $100m a month to keep Jebel Ali in a state of readiness while vessels avoid the crisis-hit UAE gateway, with the port running at around 10% of normal capacity.

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Aerial view of a large container terminal with gantry cranes
Port activity

Jebel Ali Crashes From Tenth to 32nd in Global Container Port Ranking

Dubai's Jebel Ali has fallen from tenth to 32nd in the global container port rankings in six months, handling 3.14m teu in the first half against 7.77m teu a year earlier.

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Merchant vessel lying at anchor off a commercial port
Sanctions

Sanctioned Container Ship Reaches Iranian Port Despite US Blockade

An Iranian-affiliated container ship under US Treasury sanctions has reached an Iranian port despite the naval blockade, hours after Washington announced a new phase of economic pressure on Tehran.

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Patrol craft under way on a busy shipping corridor
Industry

Hormuz Cargo Volumes Down More Than 90% After Six Months of Conflict

Cargo volumes through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen by more than 90% after six months of Middle East conflict, with 88 vessel attacks recorded since March and UAE box throughput down 65% year on year.

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Aerial view of a laden crude oil tanker at sea
Sanctions

Oman Signals Progress on Joint Hormuz Shipping Corridor With Iran

Oman's foreign minister says talks with Iran on jointly managing a Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor are advancing, with a single temporary lane expected to replace the current two-corridor system.

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Laden tanker under way on open water leaving a dark wake
Sanctions

Iran Approves Transit Service Fees for Authorised Ships in Hormuz

Iran's parliamentary security commission has approved a schedule of service fees for vessels it authorises to transit the Strait of Hormuz, payable in rials or a currency of Tehran's choosing.

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Oil and chemical tanker under way at sea
Incident

Tanker Hit and Disabled on Omani Side of the Strait of Hormuz

A projectile struck an oil tanker off Musandam overnight, damaging the engine room and disabling the ship on the Omani coastal route through the strait.

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Turkish-operated cargo vessel transiting the Bosphorus
Incident

Turkish Ship's Cook Killed in Second Black Sea Drone Strike

Drone strikes on two cargo ships off the Russian Black Sea coast left eight injured and one dead, the victim having been rescued from the first vessel hit.

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Harbour tugs working alongside a larger vessel
Incident

Tug SL Sual 1 Capsizes and Sinks During Refloat Off Luzon

The grounded tug SL Sual 1 capsized within minutes of a refloat attempt off Zambales, with all ten personnel abandoning ship safely into the water.

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Container ship entering a congested container port
Port activity

Container Port Congestion Hits Record 4.3m Teu Waiting to Berth

Congestion has removed more than 4.3m teu of capacity from circulation, surpassing the pandemic peak in absolute terms and keeping freight and charter rates elevated.

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Gas carrier and oil tanker under way at sea
Industry

Hormuz Transits Fall to Two Vessels in a Day, Lowest Since May

Only two ships entered the Strait of Hormuz on August 24, the lowest daily count since early May, with fewer than 20 commercial vessels crossing over the weekend.

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Tanker under way at sea leaving a dark wake
Sanctions

US Treasury Sets Cure Period Before Iran Banking Sanctions

Washington has signalled secondary sanctions on foreign banks working with five Iranian sectors including shipping, but is allowing a cure period for self-correction.

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Tanker traffic approaching the Strait of Hormuz
Sanctions

Iran Blacklists 45 Ships as OFAC Warns Against Hormuz Compliance

Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority has published a 45-ship non-compliance list, while Washington warns that even responding to its requests can trigger sanctions.

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Loaded crude oil tanker under way, seen from the air
Incident

Houthi Missile Strike Hits Bahri VLCC Amzan in the Red Sea

The Saudi-flagged VLCC Amzan was struck 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, extending the Houthi campaign to the kingdom's main alternative crude export route.

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Large container ship viewed from the air at sea
Industry

MARAD Signs Nuclear Propulsion Agreement With CORE POWER

The US Maritime Administration and CORE POWER have agreed to work through the regulatory and commercial obstacles blocking a US-flagged nuclear-powered merchant fleet.

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Large vessel under construction in a shipyard dry dock
Industry

Canada Orders Six Polar Icebreakers From Davie in C$11.3bn Deal

Ottawa has committed C$11.3bn to six Polar Class 3 icebreakers at Chantier Davie in Levis, with construction starting in 2027 and the series complete by 2038.

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General cargo ship under way at sea
Incident

Ransom Standoff Deepens Around Hijacked Somali-Held Coaster

A $2m ransom demand, unconfirmed reports of strikes on boats approaching the hijacked coaster Lutuf, and a regional warning against payment have complicated the standoff.

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Skiff operating off the Horn of Africa in a piracy-affected area
Incident

IMO Demands Release of More Than 90 Seafarers Held by Pirates

The IMO has demanded the immediate release of more than 90 seafarers held by pirates and armed robbers, with six vessels now detained after a resurgence of attacks.

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Oil and gas platform off the Norwegian coast
Industry

Equinor, Aker BP and Var Energi Form NCS Exploration Alliance

Norway's three largest shelf operators will pool data, technology and exploration capacity to test 20 to 25 high-impact prospects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

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Offshore oil and gas platform and drilling rig at sea
Industry

McDermott Wins $1bn-Plus EPCI Contract for ADNOC Gas Project

McDermott and its Qingdao consortium will build a surface pressure-boosting facility for ADNOC's Umm Shaif gas project under a contract the contractor classes as above $1bn.

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Deck machinery aboard a floating production storage and offloading vessel
Industry

CB&I Lands Three-Year Ivory Coast FPSO Services Contract

CB&I Asset Solutions will run operations, maintenance and integrity management on an FPSO off Ivory Coast under a three-year contract worth between $50m and $100m.

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Offshore gas platform at sea under an evening sky
Industry

Shell Shelves Aphrodite Offshore Gas Project in Trinidad

Shell has released the initial rig slot for its Aphrodite gas development off Trinidad after failing to agree offtake terms with the National Gas Company.

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A cruise ship hull under construction in a covered dock
Industry

Ultra-Luxury Newbuilds Now Take a Fifth of the Cruise Orderbook

Ultra-luxury tonnage accounts for 20 percent of cruise ships on order by number, drawing investment from Royal Caribbean Group, MSC and luxury hotel brands.

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A car carrier entering port
Industry

Car Carrier Emissions Data Gets a Formal Governance Body in GRC Council

The Global Ro-Ro Community has established a council to govern its emissions accounting methodology and data handling rules for the car carrier trades.

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Aerial view of an Australasian harbour and its berths
Industry

Cruise Lines Press Australia on Port Costs and Permits as Ships Leave

An industry alliance says cruising contributes A$7.3 billion a year to Australia, as operators cite permit uncertainty and port charges for pulling ships out of the market.

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A passenger ship hull in a shipyard dry dock
Industry

Residential Cruise Ship Projects Multiply as Financing Stays the Obstacle

Several residential cruise ship ventures have announced newbuildings and conversions, but only one operator has so far put a converted ship into service.

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A large hull under construction in a building dock
Industry

Fincantieri Books Two More Viking Ocean Ships for 2032 Delivery

Fincantieri has converted options into firm contracts for two 54,300 gross ton Viking ocean ships, to be built at Ancona for delivery in 2032.

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Tugs assisting a large passenger ship alongside
Industry

Disney Sets Course for 13 Cruise Ships With a New Meyer Werft Class

Disney Cruise Line will roughly quadruple capacity from its pre-expansion base, with three new Meyer Werft ships, a Japan-based vessel with NYK and a fleet of 13 by late 2030.

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A cruise ship passing under a bridge
Vessel sales

NCLH Moves Five Ships Out as a $20 Billion Orderbook Builds

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is running the industry's only active fleet optimization programme, with five ships leaving between 2026 and 2028 and 16 on order to 2037.

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An offshore construction vessel working in open water
Industry

Chilean Study Confirms Antarctica Subsea Cable Is Technically Feasible

A feasibility study led on behalf of Chile's telecoms regulator has mapped two subsea cable routes to Antarctica, the larger connecting nine landing points across five countries' bases.

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A bulk carrier loading grain alongside a berth
Port activity

Studies Back Year-Round Shipping to Churchill Through Hudson Bay

Three studies have concluded that existing ice-class tonnage can work the Churchill corridor year-round, as grain exports resume through the port after a five-year pause.

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Yard workers on a hull inside a shipbuilding dock
Industry

Labor Shortage Caps Japan's Plan to Double Shipbuilding Capacity by 2035

Japan is putting $6.5 billion behind a plan to double shipbuilding output by 2035, but orders have fallen 15 percent this year because yards cannot staff the work.

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A fishing vessel working far offshore
Incident

Two Diverting Ships Rescue 27 From Burning Tuna Seiner Off Galapagos

All 27 crew of the Ecuadorian tuna seiner Drennec were recovered within 11 hours of the first distress alert, 450 nautical miles southwest of the Galapagos Islands.

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A laden tanker aground on rocks off the Omani coast
Incident

Sanctioned Tanker Caroline Bezengi Still Leaking Oil Off Oman

The beached shadow-fleet tanker is settling deeper in the water off the Hallaniyat Islands, and salvage work cannot begin until the Khareef monsoon eases.

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Container ships loading at a port terminal
Industry

MSC Files New Far East-Africa Rates for September as Demand Firms

MSC has filed new freight-all-kinds rates on Far East-Sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Ocean trades for 1-14 September, ranging up to $8,000 per 40-foot container to Somalia.

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An oil tanker at dry dock
Sanctions

Iraq Secures Iranian Approval for Oil Tanker Transit Through Hormuz

Iran has granted permission for Iraqi oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz following repeated requests from Baghdad, though the arrangement remains complicated.

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An oil tanker at dry dock for maintenance
Sanctions

Russian Urals Crude Tops Brent in India for First Time Since May

Russian Urals crude for October delivery to India has been offered at a premium over Dated Brent for the first time since May, as drone attacks constrain loadings from Novorossiysk.

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Ship-to-shore cranes over a container terminal quay
Port activity

Maersk Launches Tangier-Casablanca Rail Link to Ease Port Congestion

Maersk has launched a high-frequency rail service between Tangier and Casablanca aimed at easing congestion at Casablanca, which handled 17 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2026.

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A large ship under construction in a shipyard dry dock
Industry

Global New Ship Orders Rise 27% Year on Year, Nearing Pre-2008 Peak

Global newbuild orders rose 27% year on year in the twelve months to early August, the fastest growth since the 2008 financial crisis, with the order backlog now at 405.9 million gross tonnes.

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A warship docked at port during sunset
Other

Philippines-Japan Military Logistics Pact Enters Into Force

A defence pact allowing Japan and the Philippines to exchange military supplies and services has come into force, deepening a security partnership shaped by China's regional activity.

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An offshore drilling rig against a clear sky
Industry

SBM Offshore Delivers Trion Turret Buoy From China to Mexico

SBM Offshore has shipped a disconnectable turret mooring buoy and related equipment from China to Altamira, Mexico, for the $10.4bn Trion oil development in the Gulf of Mexico.

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A dredging vessel at work
Industry

Boskalis Calls First Half 'Solid' Despite Geopolitical Drag on New Projects

Boskalis reported first-half revenue of EUR1.90bn, down from an exceptionally strong EUR2.35bn a year earlier, as geopolitical uncertainty dampened client appetite for new projects.

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An oil tanker moored alongside other vessels
Industry

Angolan Crude Oil Exports Set to Fall Sharply in October

Angola plans to load 30 crude oil cargoes in October at 932,000 barrels a day, down from 34 cargoes and 1.04 million bpd pencilled in for September.

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A trailing suction hopper dredger under way
Industry

DEME and Jan De Nul Complete Final Caisson for Princess Elisabeth Energy Island

The TM Edison consortium of DEME and Jan De Nul has installed the last of 23 caissons forming the protective ring of Belgium's Princess Elisabeth energy island.

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An ice-capable ship navigating Arctic waters
Industry

China's Sea Legend Launches Regular Container Service Through the Arctic

Chinese line Sea Legend has launched a regular Arctic container service to Europe after a 2025 trial crossing took 20 days from Ningbo-Zhoushan to Felixstowe.

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A crude oil tanker at a storage terminal, seen from the air
Vessel sales

ADNOC L&S Pays Record $115 Million for 15-Year-Old VLCC

ADNOC L&S has bought the 15-year-old VLCC Olympic Leopard for $115 million and renamed her Al Yahr, a record price as European brokers value similar tankers at up to $100 million.

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An offshore wind farm with turbines at sea
Industry

Norway Grants Ventyr a One-Year Delay on Southern North Sea II Wind Licence

Norway's energy ministry has given Ventyr an extra year to submit its licence application for the Southern North Sea II offshore wind project, pushing the deadline to 15 October 2027.

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