Shipping Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz Remains at a Trickle
At least six ships - a fraction of the usual traffic - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed on Wednesday, while the U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked over coming to terms that would re-open the crucial waterway.The vessel traffic was mainly through Iranian waters and included the Vast Plus chemical tanker, which is subject to US sanctions, according to Kpler ship-tracking data and satellite analysis from SynMax.Most of the ships were dry bulk carriers…
Ukraine Asks Israel to Seize Grain Carrier Stolen from Russian-Occupied Territory
Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said on Wednesday, amid a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment.Ukraine and Israel traded accusations on Tuesday, with Ukraine saying it had repeatedly urged Israel via diplomatic channels to take measures regarding the vessel. Israel accused Kyiv of…
Direct Travel Expands Avenir Platform for Specialty Markets
Direct Travel announced the expansion of Avenir, its global travel platform across its specialty market divisions, including Energy, Marine and Mining. Delivered through ATPl's specialist businesses, Avenir provides a single global platform and unified service model for executive and project-based business travel complementing the company's sector specific logistics and workforce mobility solutions.With this expansion…
North Star Acquires Four New Service Operation Vessels
North Star, a fully integrated offshore infrastructure service provider, has completed the acquisition of four new Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) from Edda Wind.The transaction takes its offshore wind fleet to 14 vessels, among Europe’s largest.The four SOVs, which are currently deployed on offshore wind contracts, provide immediate access to high-specification capacity and enhance North Star’s flexibility in meeting customer needs across key European markets.
Orca AI, Samsung Heavy Industries Join Forces to Advance Autonomous Vessel Technology
Maritime AI company Orca AI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), a leading shipbuilder, to jointly accelerate the development, deployment and scaling of next-generation autonomous vessel technologies in real-world operations.The phased collaboration will combine SHI’s autonomous solutions with Orca AI’s AI-powered maritime operations platform, enabling the scaled deployment of AI-assisted navigation…
Submarine, Shipbuilding Demand Power GD Q1 Growth
General Dynamics reported a solid start to 2026, with its maritime-focused Marine Systems segment delivering standout growth driven by continued demand for U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs.The company posted overall first-quarter revenue of $13.5 billion, up 10.3% year-over-year, but the strongest gains came from Marine Systems, where revenue jumped 21% to $4.34 billion.Operating earnings in the segment climbed even faster…
U.S. Appeals Court Backs FMC in Evergreen Dispute
A long-running dispute over container detention charges between Evergreen and a U.S. trucking company has been resolved, with a federal appeals court siding squarely with the regulator and reinforcing limits on when carriers can impose such fees.In a decision issued April 28, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a petition by Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corp.
Wilson Sons Pilots Drone Delivery for Offshore Operations
Brazilian maritime logistics and port operator Wilson Sons has started testing drone deliveries for offshore logistics operations in Guanabara Bay, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.The company is conducting its first drone operations to deliver and collect documents for platform supply vessels, with trials underway since April 6 from its offshore support base in Rio.The drones, operated by Speedbird Aero…
Strait of Hormuz Closure Curbs Dry Bulk Demand
"The Iran war and the resulting disruptions to ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have increased uncertainty for both the global economy and the dry bulk market. Around 4% of dry bulk cargoes and tonne mile demand typically sail through the strait and at present, and around 210 ships, equivalent to roughly 1% of the dry bulk fleet, are currently trapped in the Persian Gulf,” says Filipe Gouveia…
Japan-Linked Tanker Carrying Saudi Oil Passes Strait of Hormuz
Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Tuesday, becoming the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the Iran war began.Before the U.S.-Iran conflict broke out on February 28 and disrupted Middle East crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, Japan relied on the region for 95% of its oil imports…
Ukraine Strikes Russia's Tuapse Refinery
A Ukrainian drone attack caused a major fire at a Russian oil refinery in the city of Tuapse on Tuesday, officials said, in what President Vladimir Putin described as evidence of increased Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets.It was the third attack on the Black Sea port in less than two weeks.Ukraine's military confirmed it had carried out the strike, the latest in a series designed to disrupt Russia's oil industry and slash revenue that helps Moscow fund the war in Ukraine.Putin…
Hanwha Ocean and Leidos Partner on Naval Shipbuilding
Hanwha Ocean and Leidos are collaborating to advance next-generation naval ship design, strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capacity, and pursue opportunities across global defense markets.Hanwha Ocean’s shipbuilding, combined with Leidos’ naval design and engineering expertise, is intended to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions aligned with evolving U.S. Navy and allied needs. The companies plan to focus on:• Adapting Hanwha ship designs for full alignment with U.S.
Samsung Heavy Industries to Deliver Floating Data Centers in the U.S.
Mousterian Corporation, Inc. (M3), a developer of floating and water-adjacent data center infrastructure, and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have announced a strategic cooperation to jointly develop and deliver institutional-grade floating data center projects worldwide.Under the cooperation, M3 will lead development, site origination, tenant sourcing, and project delivery, while SHI will contribute its engineering…
Royal Caribbean Orders Two Icon Class Ships
Royal Caribbean Group has confirmed an order with Meyer Turku for a sixth and seventh Icon Class ship to be delivered in 2029 and 2030, respectively.The order is part of the company's long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku that secures the Group's access to shipbuilding capacity through 2036 and includes the previously announced Icon 5 order to be delivered in 2028.The collaboration between Royal Caribbean Group and Meyer Turku spans more than three decades…
Electric Container Ship Delivered in China
China Classification Society (CCS) has classified the Ningyuan Diankun, the world’s largest and China’s first built pure electric high-end intelligent seagoing vessel.Owned by Ningbo Ocean Shipping and built by Jiangxi Shipbuilding, the 740 TEU open-top container ship is 127.8 meters in length, featuring a twin-engine and twin-propeller system with a maximum speed of 11.5 knots.Equipped with 10 containerized batteries as its core power source…
U.S. Biofuels Industry Targets MEPC 84 Negotiations
A joint letter organized by the American Biofuels Maritime Initiative (ABMI) has been sent to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of this week's negotiations at the IMO MEPC 84 meeting in London. The effort is aimed at ensuring that global maritime decarbonization also translates into durable new demand for American biofuels and additional income streams for U.S. farmers and rural communities.In the ABMI letter…
Dassai Moon Project: Sake Space Shot a Success
DASSAI and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries report a successful completion of the first mission of the "DASSAI MOON Project", an initiative aimed at producing sake on the surface of the Moon.In this mission, specialized brewing equipment jointly developed by DASSAI and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, along with sake raw materials, were launched to the International Space Station (ISS).The experiment took place within JAXA's experimental facilities aboard the Japanese experiment module "Kibo…
Chairman DiBella Joins the U.S. Delegation to the IMO
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Laura DiBella joined the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) this week for the 84th session…
41m Shallow Draft River Vessel Ordered for Paraguay
Concordia Damen signed a newbuilding contract with an undisclosed Paraguayan client for a 41-meter Shallow Draft River Pusher, type CDS 4115. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for 2027.The vessel will be deployed on the Paraguay-Paraná River system to support regional logistics operations. It is the second CDS 4115 to be built and delivered by Concordia Damen for a South American customer. The new vessel, which measures measures 41 x 15.5m, will serve along the 2,695-km Paraguay River.
Wittlin Named CEO of GLO Marine
GLO Marine appointed Thomas Wittlin as Chief Executive Officer, effective Q2 2026, signaling the start of a structured growth phase in which the company will evolve from a retrofit-led contractor into a production-enabled marine engineering and integration business.Wittlin brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of shipyard operations, commercial leadership, and global maritime business development.
