News

A 5% increase in global steel exports in 2025 was driven by a surge in Chinese exports. Steel flows in 2025 are 5% higher than in 2024. China has driven the increase in outward steel flows, as its exports rose by 19%. Elsewhere, outward steel flows fell 2% y/y. Outlook to 2026, weak domestic steel …

With 2025 volumes nearly counted, Drewry’s upgraded Intra-Asia Container Market Insight, which now supports port, country and region level insights, reveals that the China to Vietnam market remains the most important country-to-country trade flow in the intra-Asia trade for the second year in a row. This trade grabbed first place in 2024 from the China …

Seaborne trade through the Arctic is growing steadily over the last few years, in what could be a significant factor of the latest Greenland debacle. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “Donald Trump brought the Arctic into the spotlight recently, asserting that Greenland is essential to U.S. national security and expressing his …

Most charterers spend their time thinking about ships, cargo, and freight, not about financing structures. Yet behind many vessels today lies a complex web of ownership and lending arrangements. When something goes wrong in that chain, it can directly affect the charterer’s ability to perform under their own contracts. Consider a charterer with a time …

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) net-zero emissions target by 2050 is challenging. Today, the industry accounts for 3% of the world’s total emissions – matching the output of the aviation sector. Growth in global trade and production have seen emissions surge in recent years. The industry is predicted to grow at 2% year on year to 2028, a trend which, …

The tanker market is again turning its focus over to Iran, after a turbulent week with the developments in Venezuela. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “following two weeks of unrest, the oil market is again focused on Iran after a period of relative calm since last summer’s 12‑day war. At the …

Capesize The market endured another challenging week, with sentiment steadily weakening across most routes as rates continued to slide. In the Pacific, despite consistent miner participation and generally healthy operator activity, this proved insufficient to counter growing pressure from available tonnage. The C5 route softened throughout the week, with fixtures gradually slipping from the high-$7.00s …

Dry bulk shipping is entering a new era of both opportunity and challenge. Robust commodity demand and evolving trade patterns, driven by China’s quest for supply security, are transforming global flows. At the same time, regulatory pressure and sliding sustainability goals are redefining strategies for shipowners and operators worldwide. After years of volatility, shaped by …

The tanker market faced a downward correction during the month of December, OPEC said in its latest monthly report. Dirty tanker spot freight rates dipped in December following the strong gains seen in recent months. VLCC spot freight rates experienced a drop, but remained at strong levels on continued demand for long-haul flows. Spot freight …

Chart of the Week| AG Supply Vs Demand • Despite some encouraging short-term signals, the underlying demand is not yet strong enough to fully warrant the current positive sentiment in the VLCC market. • AG freight conditions have improved from the early-January extremes, alongside a roughly 20% reduction in net vessel supply from recent peak …