Maritime news

Headlines aggregated from the maritime press. Links go straight to the source — Seafarer Index does not reproduce full articles.

• Japanese VLCC transits Strait of Hormuz
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  A Japanese tanker has crossed the Hormuz Strait from the Arabian Gulf today along with a Chinese tanker and SeaLead container ship

• Hormuz deadlock spurs landbridge developments
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  Rail corridor across Saudi Arabia and Egypt to link Arabian Gulf to Mediterranean.

• Norden bumps 2026 guidance on surging spot rates
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  Iran war lifts tanker spot rates while adding cost pressures on dry bulk operations.

• Is the tide turning against US opposition to the IMO NZF?
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026 · regulation

  Deliberations on the IMO’s Net Zero Framework continue as the US and its allies attempt to swing the vote against the regulation

• Nearly 1,200 Filipino seafarers have exited the Strait of Hormuz
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  Some 36 Filipino crew were on board two vessels that safely transited the Strait on 24 – 25 April

• Russia-Linked LNG Carriers Head North After Reflagging, Signalling Arctic Fleet Expansion
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  Four recently reflagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers linked to new Turkish-controlled entities are heading north in the Atlantic, in what analysts say could mark a new push in Russia’s effort to expand its constrained export fleet.

• Trump to Address Iran Proposal ‘Soon’ as Oil Rises Further
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  US President Donald Trump convened his national security team to discuss Iran’s proposal to end a war now in its third month and which has left thousands dead across the Middle East, as well as disrupted energy supplies.

• Damen and UK Dredging ink contract for newbuild
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  The newbuild trailing suction grab hopper dredger is to be built at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam

• Boluda takes control of Seatrium’s towage fleet in Singapore
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026 · wages

  Boluda expands in Southeast Asia as Singapore shipyard group Seatrium exits tugboat business

• Tanker markets tip into oversupply with ballast surge
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  An extraordinary simultaneous build-up of ballast vessels across every major crude tanker segment has moved geopolitically driven disruption into a fundamental demand-side crisis. With the Strait of Hormuz now closed for 60 days, the initial freight rate spike driven by risk premium and trade inefficiency has given way

• A transformation in progress - Panama Canal development projects
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026

  As the world's critical waterways come into sharp focus, the Panama Canal is in the middle of one of the most ambitious transformation phases in its history.

• Yangzijiang Maritime expands orderbook with 10-ship newbuild deal
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Maritime Development has moved to deepen its forward fleet with an order for 10 newbuildings spanning tankers and bulk carriers. The group said it has signed contracts with Chinese yards for four 114,000 dwt product/crude tankers, four 49,800 dwt product and chemical tankers, and two 40,000

• CMT returns to Qingdao Beihai for newcastlemax brace
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Taiwan’s Chinese Maritime Transport (CMT) has returned to China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Qingdao Beihai yard with an order for two more newcastlemax bulk carriers. The Taipei-listed owner confirmed it will pay between $77.5m and $80.5m per 210,000 dwt vessel via its subsidiaries China Vantage Shipping and China

• Freedom of navigation non-negotiable – IMO Secretary-General
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026 · regulation

  Arsenio Dominguez tells the UN there is no legal basis for Iran to introduce tolls on the Strait of Hormuz

• Columbia confirms Hadjipetrou as CEO after abrupt leadership exit
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Columbia Group has moved to steady the ship by confirming Andreas Hadjipetrou as its permanent chief executive, weeks after the sudden departure of long-time leader Mark O’Neil. Hadjipetrou, a near 30-year veteran of the organisation who most recently served as chief commercial officer, had been acting in the interim r

• Tainted bunkers in Asia add to shipowners’ woes amid price and supply pressures
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Compounding existing concerns over price and limited availability, shipowners seeking bunkers in Asia face another issue: tainted fuel. Marine insurer Skuld has issued an advisory warning members of a pattern of on-spec but potentially problematic fuel being bunkered across Asia, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong an

• The maritime industry risks forgetting the people who keep it safe
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Arun Sharma, the executive chairman of the Indian Register of Shipping, writes for Splash today. The maritime industry’s greatest asset is not its fuel technology, its digital platforms or its regulatory frameworks. It is its people. At a time when shipping is entering one of the most consequential periods in its moder

• Noble racks up $565m in fresh rig deals as backlog hits $7.5bn
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Offshore drilling giant Noble Corporation has announced several new rig deals in its latest fleet status report. One of the rigs that was reportedly considered for sale by the company due to it having no work scheduled beyond August 2026, the 2010-built semisub Noble Deliverer, has won a new contract with Woodside. The

• Trump administration pays $900m to scrap two more offshore wind projects
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026 · wages

  The Trump administration has struck two more deals with energy companies to quit their US offshore wind projects, reimbursing Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind nearly $900m in total to cancel their leases. Under the agreements, Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind will end their offshore wind leases and commit to sh

• Petra Energy secures multi-field services deal offshore Malaysia
  Splash247 · 4/28/2026

  Malaysia’s Petra Energy has secured a field operations management services contract on five offshore fields within the SK407 license located offshore Miri, Sarawak. The contract, awarded by Vestigo Petroleum, is for the provision of field operations management services on the West Lutong, Baram, Tukau, Siwa, and Fairly

• FMC Chair Joins U.S. Opposition to IMO Carbon Plan With Warning
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026 · regulation

  The chair of the Federal Maritime Commission has joined the U.S. delegation to high-stakes climate talks at the UN’s International Maritime Organization, accompanied by an explicit warning that could signal a more confrontational...

• COSCO-linked Shanghai Time orders trio of bulkers at Nantong Xiangyu
  Splash247 · 4/27/2026

  Shanghai Time Shipping has stepped into the newbuilding market with an order for three bulk carriers, marking its first collaboration with Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. The Chinese owner has contracted two 82,000 dwt kamsarmax vessels alongside one 63,800 dwt ultramax, with all three ships schedu

• Fujian Highton ramps up MPP push with fresh newbuilds
  Splash247 · 4/27/2026

  Chinese owner Fujian Highton Development is stepping up its move into the multipurpose and heavylift segment, placing fresh orders for four vessels as it works towards building a 100-ship fleet. The Shanghai-listed company said its wholly owned subsidiary has signed contracts with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding for four 62

• What Are Bulk Carrier Ships? Types, Sizes, & How They Work
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  Bulk carriers move more cargo by weight than any other ship type. A complete guide to bulk carrier types, sizes, design features, and safety regulations.

• Seatrium avoids prosecution in Brazilian corruption case with $110m settlement
  Splash247 · 4/27/2026

  Singapore-listed offshore and marine group Seatrium has avoided criminal prosecution after the High Court approved a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) tied to Brazil’s long-running Operation Car Wash corruption probe. The agreement, signed with Singapore’s Public Prosecutor in July 2025, was formally approved this m

• Ulsan Port Claims World’s First Ammonia Bunkering in Alternative Fuel Milestone
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  South Korea’s Ulsan Port Authority said it has completed what it describes as the world’s first port-to-ship ammonia bunkering operation for a commercial vessel, marking a new step in shipping’s search for scalable zero-carbon fuels.

• Trump Expands Offshore Wind Buyout Strategy With New Deals Steering Capital Into LNG and Oil
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  The Trump administration has expanded its newfound strategy of unwinding offshore wind development through negotiated buyouts, announcing two new agreements that will see two projects give up federal offshore leases...

• IMO Chief Warns ‘No Safe Transit’ in Hormuz, Rejects Tolls at U.N. Security Council
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026 · regulation

  The head of the International Maritime Organization used a rare appearance before the United Nations Security Councilon Monday to deliver some of his strongest statements yet that the crisis in the Strait of...

• Oil Prices Hit Two-week High as Iran Talks Stall and Strait Shipments Lag
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) – Oil prices climbed about 2% to a two-week high on Monday as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled and shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remained...

• Dual Hormuz Blockade Cuts Ship Transits to Near Zero
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut to international shipping as the double blow of Iranian and US blockades leaves the key energy corridor largely dormant.

• Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026 · piracy

  Fresh concerns over a widening resurgence in Somali piracy intensified over the weekend after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two apparent vessel hijackings off Somalia within hours of each other,...

• Maltese-Flagged Car Carrier Collides With Pier In Germany’s Bremerhaven Port
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  Authorities said no crew members were injured in the incident and no fuel or other operating fluids leaked into the water.

• India Repatriates Over 2,764 Seafarers From Gulf As 12.96 Lakh Passengers Return From West Asia
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  The Directorate General of Shipping’s control room has handled 7,755 calls and more than 16,518 emails since it was activated.

• Somali Pirates Hijack Another Vessel Near Garacad, UKMTO Issues Warning
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026 · piracy

  The area has a history of pirate activity, and recent weeks have seen multiple reports of ships being targeted.

• Chinese Navy Hospital Ship Completes Longest Humanitarian Mission, Treats Over 26,000 Patients
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  The mission, known as Harmony Mission-2025, covered about 36,000 nautical miles and marked the first overseas deployment of Silk Road Ark.

• Fire Erupts On Ship Loaded With 1,000 Tonnes Of Scrap Metal At Newport Docks
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026 · accident

  A major response was launched, with five pumping appliances, two hydraulic aerial platforms and specialist units deployed.

• Thousands Of Seafarers Remain Stranded In And Around Strait Of Hormuz Amid U.S.-Iran Conflict
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  On April 18, two Indian-flagged vessels were fired upon by the IRGC while trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Video: U.S. Military Hits Two Drug-Smuggling Vessels In Eastern Pacific, Kills Five
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  President Donald Trump has described the U.S. as being in “armed conflict” with cartels and has justified the strikes as necessary.

• Iran-Linked Oil Tankers Sail West After Boarding by US
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  Two Iran-linked oil tankers that US forces interdicted near Sri Lanka last week are now sailing west. US forces carried out “maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding” of two oil supertankers, the Tifani and the Phonix on April 21 and 23 respectively, the Pentagon said last week, without elaborating what would

• Seafarer Shares First-Hand Account With IMO About Being Stranded In Persian Gulf
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026 · regulation

  IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called on all Member States to support efforts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

• U.S. Intercepts Sanctioned Merchant Vessel In Arabian Sea, Redirects Ship Back To Iran
  Marine Insight · 4/27/2026

  The vessel, M/V Sevan, was among 19 ships recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for transporting Iranian oil.

• Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted With No US-Iran Deal in Sight, Data Shows
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  At least seven ships - mainly dry bulk vessels - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while talks between Iran and the United States have stalled.

• DDW Offshore sells anchor handler for $23m
  Splash247 · 4/27/2026

  Norway’s DDW Offshore, a subsidiary of Akastor, has sold one of its anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels to an undisclosed buyer. The company said that it entered into a binding agreement to sell the 2011-built Skandi Emerald anchor handler for a purchase price of $23m. According to an Oslo Bors filing, the agreem

• 2026 Vessel Speed Reduction Season Kicked off on Earth Day
  gCaptain · 4/27/2026

  Industry Leadership Celebrated by Blue Whales and Blue Skies Program Earth Day marked several important milestones for California’s coast, benefiting both coastal counties and marine life. On April 22, Blue...

• Nautilus International elects Sascha Meijer as general secretary
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026

  Assistant general secretary steps up as Mark Dickinson's 17-year leadership comes to an end.

• Climate activists to greet MEPC delegates on Monday
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026

  IMO delegates arriving at the IMO headquarters faced huge banners calling for climate activists to ‘Stand up to Trump & the Petrostates’ this morning.

• APM Terminals Valencia concession extended until 2049
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026

  APM Terminals concession in Valencia now extends to the ordinary maximum of 50 years under Spanish port laws

• PIL and PSA launch Singapore’s first green transhipment shipping service
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026

  Trial set to launch in May builds on MoU signed in March 2025 between PIL, PSA and DNV.

• China Merchants Energy Shipping books eight containerships
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026

  Group to spend $556m on 1,800 teu and 8,200 teu methanol-ready ships due for delivery in 2028.

• Elemental forces set to collide in IMO NZF battle
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/27/2026 · regulation

  Will the dinosaurs win the day and keep maritime in fossil fuel, or can the progressives maintain the net zero momentum, the battle lines have been drawn