Stay updated with the latest global maritime news, including shipping industry trends, international port developments, crew updates, and key events affecting the world of shipping and seafaring. Your source for timely and reliable maritime industry information.
Turkey’s GSD Holding has ordered another Japanese-built bulker as part of its fleet renewal programme. The company has signed a contract for a 40,300 dwt handysize vessel, with delivery planned for 2030, Splash 247 reports.
Spanish authorities have seized 3.36 tonnes of cocaine after intercepting a high-speed boat south of Gran Canaria, Maritime Executive reports. The Guardia Civil found the drugs in 139 packages after officers chased the RIB and detained its five crew members.
The International Maritime Organization has ended four days of talks on its proposed Net-Zero Framework without reaching a final agreement. The discussions showed some progress, but key issues remain unresolved, Maritime Executive reports.
The Russian-flagged Ro-Ro vessel Lady Mariia was attacked by several drones while sailing through the central Mediterranean, Maritime Executive reports. The ship left Oran, Algeria, on September 1 and was later tracked east of Malta. The attack reportedly took place between Crete and Libya.
Norway will provide assistance to Russian citizens left in a difficult situation in Svalbard after the seizure of the Professor Molchanov. The vessel was detained in the Arctic archipelago following a Norwegian court order linked to a legal claim by Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, Reuters reports.
APM Terminals, part of Maersk, is in talks to help develop Nigeria’s planned Badagry deepsea port. The project could become a new major container gateway for Nigeria and West Africa. APM Terminals has signed an agreement to start exclusive negotiations with the project developers, Splash 247 reports.
Ilya Espino de Marotta has taken over as Administrator of the Panama Canal, becoming the first woman to lead the waterway. She will serve a seven-year term through 2033 as the Canal faces growing water concerns and plans major infrastructure projects, GCaptain reports.
Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming has ordered six 13,650-TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships from South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean. The $1.14 billion order is part of Yang Ming’s plan to renew and improve its fleet, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
Ten crew members are missing after the Turkish-flagged general cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu sank following a collision with the product tanker Alsu in the Sea of Marmara on September 2, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
CSSC Shipping is expanding its dry bulk portfolio with 10 new 80,000 dwt bulk carriers in China, Splash 247 reports. The deal is worth around $481 million and will add a large block of new tonnage to the company’s fleet.
DP World has named its first methanol dual-fuel vessel, DP World London, during a ceremony in Aarhus, Denmark. The new container ship is part of the company’s fleet modernisation strategy and its move toward lower-emission shipping solutions, Marine Insight reports.
The Panama Canal is changing its booking system to give shipping companies more flexibility as water conditions put pressure on available transit capacity, Splash 247 reports. The temporary changes will apply to Neopanamax vessels and are designed to make better use of the canal’s limited capacity.
Greek shipowner Enesel is expanding its return to the dry bulk market with a new 210,000-dwt Newcastlemax at a Chinese shipyard. Splash 247 reports that the latest deal brings Enesel’s dry bulk newbuilding programme to nine vessels, little more than a year after the company exited the sector.
Seaspan has reached investment grade status after Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) upgraded its issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to BBB- from BB+, Seaspan announced on August 27. KBRA also affirmed Seaspan’s senior secured debt rating at BBB.
Two of Maersk’s largest container ships passed through the Suez Canal together on August 22, Maritime Executive reports. The move is part of Maersk’s efforts to return more vessels to the Suez-Red Sea route and improve sailing efficiency.
More than 90 seafarers are being held by pirates and armed robbers in the Gulf of Aden and nearby waters as piracy resurges in the region, Splash 247 reports, citing the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Canada’s largest icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, reached the North Pole on August 16 during its 2026 Arctic mission, Maritime Executive reports. The vessel is collecting scientific data to help Canada map the limits of its continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Helsinki Shipyard has won a contract to build Finland’s next icebreaker, Splash 247 reported. The 96-meter vessel, named Aino, will replace the 1954-built Voima. Construction is planned to start in 2027, with delivery scheduled for September 2029. Sata Shipbuilding in Pori will produce the steel and ship blocks, while final assembly will take place in Helsinki.
Container shipping is slowly returning to the Suez Canal as major carriers reassess the security risks in the Red Sea. The Maritime Executive reports that MSC is the latest major carrier to test the route.
A.P. Moller - Maersk may move away from its long-standing containership fleet limit as CEO Vincent Clerc prepares the company for further fleet growth, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
For years, Maersk kept its fleet capacity around 4m-4.4m TEU. New vessels mainly replaced older ships. But the company has now moved well above that level.
Grimaldi Group has a new flagship ship. According to The Maritime Telegraph, the company just received MV Grande Pacifico. It is now the largest car-carrying ship (PCTC) in Grimaldi's fleet. The ship was built by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu. It is the first of five new sister ships.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are expanding their return to the Red Sea by adding Jeddah to the AE15 service under the Gemini Cooperation. The Maritime Telegraph reports that the new call will restore a direct connection with Saudi Arabia while security risks in the region remain high.
Transworld Shipping Lines has agreed to sell its largest containership, SSL Brahmaputra, to DP World-controlled Avana Logistek for $11.4m, according to Splash 247.
The 4,250-TEU vessel was built in 2003 and joined the Shreyas fleet in 2017 after being acquired as Queens Quay. Renamed SSL Brahmaputra, it became the company’s largest containership at the time.
A personal phone call by a ship pilot contributed to a fatal collision on the Houston Ship Channel, according to a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Maritime Executive reports that the bulk carrier Yangze 7 struck the towboat Miss Peggy on July 19, 2024, killing one crew member and injuring two others.
