News

Recent freight rises have began putting pressure on the bauxite trade. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “recent developments in the Guinea bauxite trade are introducing a more complex outlook for the Capesize segment, as the interaction between freight costs, commodity pricing and government policy begins to influence trade flows on one …

Three 20-year-old liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers were recently sold to a newly formed company in Türkiye, with two subsequently reflagged to Sierra Leone, a ship registry favored by Russia’s dark fleet. Two of the vessels are currently sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in ballast and are expected to bunker at Port Elizabeth …

BIMCO will establish a Task Force on Biofouling Management to strengthen industry input into the upcoming work at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the development of a legally binding framework for the control and management of ships’ biofouling. The task force, meeting virtually, aims to gather structured, experience based insights from BIMCO members on …

With the war in the Middle East entering its fourth week, questions regarding oil production capacity are beginning to arise. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “the past few days have seen the conflict extend beyond chokepoint disruption into direct strikes on production and refining infrastructure across the Gulf. Following Israel’s attack …

Capesize It was a week of mixed route performance in the Capesize market. Following a positive close on Friday, the Capesize Timecharter Average (C5TC 182) ultimately rose by $817 week-on-week. The C3 Brazil to China route edged above $30, a level last seen in July 2024 with the current laycans across both the first and …

Global shipping has entered a precarious and unstable era. Rising geopolitical tensions in key maritime corridors, including threats from Iran to target vessels transiting strategic waterways and the disruption of energy and export routes, are reminding the industry that the seas carrying the world’s trade are not always predictable. Alongside these developments, operational and commercial …

The turmoil in the global tanker and energy markets from the current crisis in the Middle East could soon lead to a global issue, with 40% of total seaborne crude oil exports affected. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “in Jan-Dec 2025, global crude oil loadings went up by +2.0% y-o-y …

Surging bunker prices are reshaping freight dynamics, with fuel costs now accounting for a significantly larger share of freight than usual. While all vessels are exposed to high prices, scrubber-fitted ships remain relatively better positioned. This creates further upside risk for freight rates despite limited disruption to dry bulk fundamentals. While the US/Israel–Iran conflict has …

Email is still the spine of maritime operations. Chartering instructions, spares orders, crew changes, port documentation, vendor payments to name a few. Most of it moves through inboxes, even as ships add new digital tools. But the way shipping markets treat email risk is far from uniform. In my work across Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, the …

Despite the latest market disruptions due to the war in the Middle East, newbuilding ordering activity has been moving forward. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “newbuilding activity progressed on a healthy pace last week, with 10 orders for 35 firm plus 4 optional orders, across he dry bulk, tanker, containership and …