Maritime news
Headlines aggregated from the maritime press. Links go straight to the source — Seafarer Index does not reproduce full articles.
- Transpacific-Europe rate gap blows out to recordSplash247 · 9/20/2026
The world’s two great east-west container trades are moving in dramatically different directions, with the gap between transpacific and Asia-Europe spot rates widening to unprecedented levels. Clarksons Research said in its latest Shipping Intelligence Weekly that “geographic divergence” continued in the container frei
- ClarkSea Index surges 27% above 2007 peakSplash247 · 9/20/2026
Clarksons’ cross-sector ClarkSea Index continues to record new all-time highs as strong conditions spread across gas carriers, bulkers, containerships and car carriers to go alongside the extraordinary earnings seen in the crude tanker sector. The ClarkSea Index climbed another 14% on Friday to $64,569 a day, propelled
- Pantheon sells 15-year-old VLCC above newbuild benchmarkSplash247 · 9/20/2026
Anna Angelicoussis-led Pantheon Tankers is cashing in again on the booming VLCC secondhand market, with brokers reporting the sale of the 2011-built Sea Leopard for $135m. The 314,000 dwt DSME-built tanker has been committed to undisclosed buyers in what ranks among the largest VLCC secondhand deals reported last week.
- Dong Fang Offshore lines up another newbuild at VardSplash247 · 9/20/2026
Taiwanese offshore vessel owner Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) has approved another newbuild at Norway’s Vard, setting aside up to $86m for a service operations vessel aimed at the international offshore energy market. A stock exchange disclosure shows DFO’s board approved construction of one operations and maintenance suppo
- Paratus and Vantris JV clears Petrobras PLSV tender hurdleSplash247 · 9/20/2026
Paratus Energy and Vantris Energy joint venture Seagems has moved closer to adding another pipelay support vessel to its Brazilian operation after Petrobras accepted its bid for an unidentified third-party vessel. Paratus said that Petrobras had published partial results from its latest PLSV tender, confirming acceptan
- Italian owner Augusta Due expands with Chinese tanker trioSplash247 · 9/20/2026
Italian product tanker owner Augusta Due has signed for three 40,800 dwt oil and chemical tankers in China as the Mednav Group company pushes ahead with a wider fleet renewal programme. The Rome-based owner has signed the contract with Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment, part of Tongling Port and Shipping Group. N
- Bumi Armada joins Wison in FLNG lease-and-operate pushSplash247 · 9/20/2026
China’s Wison New Energies has teamed up with Malaysia’s Bumi Armada and FPSO Ventures to target floating LNG projects under an integrated lease-and-operate model. The three companies have signed a strategic cooperation agreement, combining their capabilities across FLNG design and construction, asset ownership and lon
- Henghui books up to four heavylifters at ZPMCSplash247 · 9/20/2026
China’s Henghui Shipping has signed for up to four 38,000 dwt multipurpose heavylift vessels at Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery, expanding ZPMC’s push into specialised project cargo ships. The deal covers two firm vessels plus two options. Neither pricing nor delivery dates have been disclosed.The ships will carry thre
- Kistos books rig and heavylifter for Dutch North Sea decomSplash247 · 9/20/2026
UK-listed Kistos has contracted a rig and a lift vessel for the decommissioning of its Q10-A gas field in the Dutch North Sea, with offshore work scheduled to start in 2028. The company disclosed the two contracts in its interim results. The rig will carry out a single plug-and-abandonment campaign on the field’s wells
- Indonesia Got A Free Aircraft Carrier; Fixes Will Cost MillionsgCaptain · 9/20/2026
By Chandra Asmara Sep 17, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A retired Italian aircraft carrier built to launch Harrier fighter jets arrived at Indonesia’s busiest port Friday with plans for a very different second...
- Denmark Speeds Up Ukraine Aid Package After Russian Warship Fires Flares At HelicoptergCaptain · 9/20/2026 · accident
COPENHAGEN, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Denmark is speeding up a donation to Ukraine in response to a recent incident in which a Russian warship fired flares towards a Danish military helicopter, narrowly...
- Deluge Of Copper Arriving In US Leaves New Orleans With LogjamgCaptain · 9/20/2026
By Yvonne Yue Li, James Attwood and Julian Luk Sep 18, 2026 (Bloomberg) –There’s nothing outwardly remarkable about the journey of the Nord Norfolk, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier sailing across the...
- Crew claims hackers seized control of LNG carrier safety systemsSplash247 · 9/20/2026
A US LNG cargo bound for Italy has been diverted after the crew of its carrier reported a systems failure as a suspected cyberattack, adding to growing concerns over attacks on shipboard digital systems. The Liberia-flagged Vivit Africa LNG, owned by South Korea’s H-Line Shipping and on long-term charter to commodities
- Trump signs Russia sanctions law with shadow fleet in the crosshairsSplash247 · 9/20/2026 · enforcement
President Donald Trump signed sweeping new sanctions legislation on Friday targeting Moscow’s oil trade and the tanker fleet that supports it. The White House confirmed Trump had signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, expanding statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions against Russia
- US Tariffs Threaten Great Lakes Shipping Tied To Canada TradegCaptain · 9/20/2026
By Brendan Murray Sep 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The American Century often draws a crowd when the ship pulls into the Port of Duluth-Superior to load Minnesota iron ore. Kids cheer when the captain...
- US Reaches Greenland Deal To End Row That Threatened NATOgCaptain · 9/19/2026
By Sanne Wass Sep 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The US, Denmark and Greenland struck a security deal that expands Washington’s role on the Arctic island, ending for now a long-running diplomatic spat...
- World Running Short Of Supertankers Threatens Long-Haul Oil FlowgCaptain · 9/19/2026
By Yongchang Chin, Sherry Su, Nathan Risser and Alex Longley Sep 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The soaring cost of moving oil around the world is making some long-distance crude trades uneconomical, threatening...
- US, China Discuss Cutting Tariffs On US LNG Ahead Of Xi VisitgCaptain · 9/19/2026
By Jarrett Renshaw Sept 18 (Reuters) – The US and China are discussing a plan to reduce or eliminate China’s tariffs on American LNG as part of a broader package of energy...
- LNG Tanker Carrying US Cargo To Europe Turns Back After Crew Reports Suspected CyberattackMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The Vivit Africa LNG was sailing through the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas towards Italy early this month.
- U.S. Nearly Boarded Chinese Ship In Middle East After AI-Assisted Intelligence ErrorMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The operation was stopped after more experienced analysts and subject-matter experts reviewed the information behind the report.
- U.S. Boards Two Foreign-Flagged Ships After Hackers Apparently Break Into Their NetworksMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The Coast Guard, which referred only to the August 21 boarding, said “foreign cyber actors” were involved but did not identify them.
- China Upgrades Military Base In Djibouti Near Red Sea Shipping Routes To Monitor U.S. Movements In GulfMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
According to satellite imagery, Beijing has equipped the military site with new equipment, naval and military assets, new antennas and radar systems.
- Iranian Warship IRIS Lavan Remains In India’s Kochi 6 Months After Seeking Refuge Amid U.S-Iran WarMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
Iran’s Amphibious Landing Ship IRIS Lavan remains in India’s Port of Kochi, half a year after it requested emergency docking in the country.
- Chinese Coast Guard Ship Rams Into Philippine Govt Vessel In The South China SeaMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The Philippine Coast Guard blamed China for risky manoeuvres in the high seas and for deliberately striking the BRP Datu Magat Salamat.
- Somali Navy Rescues All 18 Crew After Cargo Ship Jacuar Runs Aground En Route To EgyptMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport said on September 17 that it was monitoring the ship after water entered part of the vessel.
- Iran Says It Struck And Detained An Oil Tanker In Strait Of Hormuz Over ‘Illegal’ PassageMarine Insight · 9/19/2026 · enforcement
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a separate incident involving a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Cochin Shipyard Lays Keel For First Of Six Next-Gen Missile Vessels For Indian NavyMarine Insight · 9/19/2026
The NGMVs are planned as high-speed vessels. They will have a maximum speed of 33 knots, with a crew of 80 personnel on each ship.
- AI Error Nearly Triggered U.S. Intercept of Chinese Ship, CNN ReportsgCaptain · 9/18/2026
A false intelligence report produced with the help of artificial intelligence nearly led the U.S. military to intercept and board a Chinese ship in the Middle East during the war...
- Shipping’s New Normal: Slower Trade, Higher Costs, Bigger ProfitsgCaptain · 9/18/2026
By Lori-Ann LaRocco – It’s a good time to be an ocean carrier or tanker owner. The slower trade caused by bottlenecks stemming from the U.S. war with Iran, Russia’s...
- Another Tanker Suffers Failure as Crew Suspect Cyber AttackgCaptain · 9/18/2026
A liquefied natural gas tanker bringing fuel from the US to Europe suffered a systems failure that the crew reported as a suspected cyber attack, according to people familiar with the matter.
- London’s Marine Insurers Widen Black Sea High Risk Zone as Shipping Attacks SurgegCaptain · 9/18/2026
London's marine insurance market has widened the area in the Black Sea it deems as ?high risk as the Ukraine-Russia conflict escalates, according to an advisory issued this week.
- Trump Returns to UN as Iran War Spreads Across Shipping ChokepointsgCaptain · 9/18/2026
WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) – When President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations a year ago, he touted the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites just months earlier as “totally obliterating everything” and...
- Three Tanker Attacks Hit Hormuz as Saudi Oil Is Forced Back Toward StraitgCaptain · 9/18/2026
A new burst of attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is hitting just as Saudi Arabia is being forced to send more oil back through the waterway...
- U.S. Sanctions Crypto Exchange Tied to Iran’s Hormuz Transit PaymentsgCaptain · 9/18/2026 · wages, enforcement
The United States has sanctioned an Iranian cryptocurrency exchange that Treasury says was used to move payments collected from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz into Iran’s financial system. The...
- Russia Kills Captain Of Tanzanian-Flagged Ship & Injures 3 Crew In A Brutal Drone Attack In Black SeaMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
A cargo ship sailing under the flag of Tanzania was attacked by a Russian drone while it was heading to a port in Ukraine.
- Maersk confirms 26-ship newbuilding spreeSplash247 · 9/18/2026
Maersk has confirmed orders for 26 large containerships, ending days of speculation over a major fleet expansion programme. The Danish carrier said on Friday that all 26 ships will have capacity of 18,600 teu and will feature dual-fuel engines capable of operating on LNG. Deliveries are scheduled across 2029 and 2030.
- Major LNG shipping firms Launch Trial To validate Onboard Emissions Monitoring TechMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Lloyd’s Register, Seapeak, Kongsberg Maritime and Tunable will test CEMS accuracy on a new LNG carrier, comparing direct CO₂ measurements with established emissions data.
- New 22,000 m³ LNG Bunkering Ship Concept Receives AiP from American Bureau of ShippingMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Hanwha Power has secured ABS approval for a 22,000-cubic-meter LNG bunkering vessel featuring LNG-ammonia dual-cargo capability and hybrid propulsion.
- World’s First Hydrogen-Fueled Engine for Large Commercial Vessels Reduces GHG Emissions By Over 95%Marine Insight · 9/18/2026
Japan Engine has completed the world’s first hydrogen-fuelled engine for large commercial vessels, achieving over 95% GHG reductions during factory testing.
- World’s First Ship-to-Ship Ammonia Bunkering To An Ammonia-Fueled Vessel CompletedMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
NYK Line and Japanese partners have completed the world’s first ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering operation on an ammonia-fuelled vessel.
- Carnival Debuts First-Ever Short Cruises On Excel-Ship From GalvestonMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Carnival Jubilee will offer four and five-day cruises from Galveston in 2028-29, adding shorter Western Caribbean itineraries to its schedule.
- MoU Signed To Develop Next-Generation Ethanol-fuelled 50,000 DWT Medium Range TankerMarine Insight · 9/18/2026 · regulation
K Shipbuilding and Lloyd’s Register are developing a 50,000 dwt ethanol-fuelled MR tanker, aiming to assess its feasibility and secure AiP.
- U.S. Navy Awards Contract To Build Multiple Landing Craft Utility VesselsMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
The contract is a firm fixed-price agreement awarded under an OTA. It will be the first vessel built at Port Alpha shipyard in Texas.
- French Fishermen Block Key Mediterranean Ports Over Rising Fuel Costs Linked To US-Iran WarMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
French fishermen blocked the entrances to the ports of Nice and Sete and an oil depot in Frontignan on Thursday, Sept. 17.
- Pakistan Accuses Indian Warship Of ‘Dangerous Manoeuvres’ In Its EEZ Before Collision With Naval VesselMarine Insight · 9/18/2026 · accident
The incident is the first open military tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since their four-day conflict in May 2025.
- US Navy’s 100,000-Ton Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan Returns To Fleet After 18-Month OverhaulMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has returned to its operational fleet after an 18-month maintenance programme.
- Indonesia’s First Aircraft Carrier Reaches Jakarta Amid Debate Over Cost & Naval AmbitionsMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Italy’s warship Giuseppe Garibaldi has been acquired by Indonesia and is set to become its first-ever aircraft carrier.
- Finnish Authorities Board Ship In Baltic Sea During Live Exercise To Protect Undersea CablesMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Finnish officials said the incidents have led them to improve their response to vessels suspected of damaging underwater infrastructure.
- U.S Sanctions Iran’s BitBank Over Bitcoin Payments Linked To Strait Of Hormuz Shipping TollsMarine Insight · 9/18/2026 · wages, enforcement
The transfers were part of a network used by Iranian financier Babak Zanjani to move hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin to the IRGC.
- World’s Largest Boat Hoist With 1,700-Tonne Capacity Under Construction In ItalyMarine Insight · 9/18/2026
Italian lifting equipment manufacturer ASCOM has started building a boat hoist that will be able to lift vessels weighing up to 1,700 tonnes.