Shipping News

Oman said it would keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping without imposing any tolls and had designated two temporary routes north and south of the existing shipping lane to facilitate the safe passage of vessels departing the region.In coordination with the International Maritime Organization, Oman established temporary maritime corridors to help ships leave the area safely amid heightened security risks.The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war…

Oil tanker operators are reaping record profits after nearly doubling the hire cost of vessels going through the Strait of Hormuz and wider Gulf region this week on rising demand as traffic through the waterway slowly picks up, according to shipping data and sources.Traffic through the vital strait has been modest since Iran lifted its effective blockade last week after agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire with the U.S., as talks on a permanent deal to end their war continue.The number of ships going through Hormuz is a fraction of the daily average of 125 before the conflict began on February 28.

An evacuation plan to enable hundreds of ships with some 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz is underway after Iran and the U.S.

The Board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has unanimously elected John Denholm CBE as Chairman of the Board.The decision was made by the ICS Board of Directors at the organization's Annual General Meeting, held at Palazzo Valentini in Rome, Italy.John Denholm succeeds Emanuele Grimaldi, President and Managing Director of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, who has served as Chairman since June 2022.A qualified chartered accountant, John Denholm joined the family-owned shipping business J. & J. Denholm, becoming Chief Executive in 1993. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of J. & J.

Australian mining company Fortescue has signed an agreement with Belgian shipping and cleantech group CMB.TECH to charter up to 12 ammonia-capable bulk carriers, stepping up efforts to decarbonize maritime transport and support the development of green ammonia as a marine fuel.Under the agreement, Fortescue will charter 12 Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels, each with a carrying capacity of 210,000 deadweight tonnes, from Bocimar, the dry bulk shipping arm of CMB.TECH.Up to three of the vessels will be delivered with dual-fuel ammonia engines and are expected to enter service by the end of 2026…

"Global fertilizer shipments have fallen 11% y/y since the start of the Iran war. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has restricted fertilizer exports from the Persian Gulf, tightening the global supply and increasing prices. The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran could lead to a rebound in shipments,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Under normal conditions, 16% of global fertilizer shipments come from the Persian Gulf and pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has significantly disrupted cargo volumes.

Shippers in Asia and Europe said confidence in resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz could take weeks to rebuild and navigation will only restart once safety is assured, after the U.S. and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the waterway.U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to end their war and reopen the strait on Friday. Global oil prices fell about 5% on Monday in response.President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that ships loaded with oil are starting to move out of the strait…

Japanese shippers welcomed on Monday the U.S.-Iran peace agreement which will reopen the Strait of Hormuz but are awaiting more details of the deal and clearance of mines before allowing their ships to pass the chokepoint.According to the association, 38 Japanese-linked vessels remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28 has largely stopped shipping through the strait, the transit route for roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply…

A new European partnership is set to help shipping companies navigate one of the industry's biggest climate challenges: how to decarbonize the existing fleet quickly, safely, and cost-effectively.The new FIT-HORIZONS project is bringing together 19 leading maritime companies, researchers, universities, software developers, and technology providers from across Europe to develop an intelligent and flexible retrofit design environment for low- and zero-emission shipping.Coordinated by SINTEF Ocean and funded by the European Union with nearly USD$4.61 million (€4 million)…

BIMCO has adopted a Biofuel Clause for Time Charter Parties to address legal and operational challenges as the use of low-carbon fuels in shipping increases.As the shipping industry decarbonizes, regulatory frameworks reshape companies’ fuel strategies. The integration of biofuels into charter party agreements is complex, however, and often raises questions around fuel quality, engine compatibility and liability. The clause provides clear definitions, agreed fuel specifications aligned with ISO standards and a structured process for sampling, testing, storage, and handling of biofuels.

The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY), a leading industrial maritime hub, took part in the "Posidonia 2026" exhibition held in Athens, Greece, June 1-5. The exhibition provided ASRY with a platform to showcase its integrated services and specialized maritime solutions across different sectors of the industry, while also strengthening engagement with key clients, strategic partners, decision-makers, and representatives of global shipping and maritime operators. It also helped expand opportunities for cooperation…

Three more liquefied natural gas tankers have exited the Strait of Hormuz with their transponders off and are bound for destinations in Asia, although the exact timing of their transit is unclear, ship-tracking data from LSEG and Kpler showed.This comes as the United States and Iran traded air attacks for a second straight day on Thursday, with U.S. President Donald Trump vowing further strikes unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal and Washington saying it fired on a vessel carrying…

The cost of shipping a container of goods from Asia to the United States has doubled since the start of the Iran war, driven by spiking fuel prices and an uptick in demand from importers who are worried costs will only rise further as the conflict wears on."If you want to know how seriously to take the threat of an energy crisis, look at container shipping rather than oil markets because the risk is priced into the spiraling freight rates far more clearly," said Peter Sand, chief…

As weather extremes, aging infrastructure and growing freight demands place increasing pressure on the U.S. inland waterway system, industry and government leaders say one factor is indispensable to maintaining reliable navigation: collaboration.That was the central message from a panel discussion during FreightWeekSTL 2026, where representatives from American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discussed how coordinated planning, shared data and targeted infrastructure investments are helping keep commerce moving on the Mississippi River.The session…

Exmar has taken delivery of MGC ANTWERPEN, deemed by the Belgian shipping company as the world's first oceangoing vessel powered by a dual-fuel ammonia engine.The newbuild mid-size gas carrier is capable of carrying up to 46,000 cubic meters of ammonia or liquefied petroleum gas and can operate with close to zero emissions when fueled by low-carbon ammonia.Exmar said the vessel was developed in collaboration with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, WinGD, Nord Gas Solutions and Lloyd's Register.According to the company…

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that they would ban Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, adding to challenges for global shipping through the Middle East during the Iran war.The group said in a statement it had launched an attack on Israel and enacted a total ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, warning of further escalation.Any Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping would worry energy markets more than three months into Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz…

According to the latest figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, 36 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in May 2026.Activity was primarily driven by LPG/ethane carriers, which accounted for 26 of the orders. A further eight LNG-fuelled vessels were ordered, including six container vessels and two car carriers, alongside two ethanol-fuelled bulk carriers.So far in 2026, a total of 119 orders have been placed for alternative-fuelled vessels.

Even if the U.S.

Two tankers carrying oil products exited the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, while a liquefied natural gas carrier loaded cargo in the United Arab Emirates, shipping data showed - rare movements as traffic through the chokepoint remains limited.Several tankers have managed to leave the Gulf in the past month, but oil and LNG flows are still severely constrained by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. About a fifth of global oil and LNG supply normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz.Aframax tanker Cy Victorious…

Only a month into the Iran war, Qatar-based distributor Salam Studio & Stores had already gone weeks without its regular Red Bull shipments, prompting it to test a little-used route.The conflict and effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, now in their fourth month, had scattered its products across ports in India and Sri Lanka, while Gulf hubs it typically relies on faced Iranian fire and capacity constraints.Wary of losing market share, Salam opted for an untested solution: shipping cargo to Doha via Saudi Arabia's Port of NEOM…

From Congestion-as-Normal to Time-as-a-ServiceAt the Port of the Future Conference in Houston, Texas, I had the privilege of speaking on a subject that, at first hearing, may sound radical, perhaps even impractical: “Zero-Queue Ports – No Anchored Ships and No Truck Lines.” Yet the packed room, the close attention of the audience, and the thoughtful discussion that followed confirmed something important. The maritime world is ready to challenge its old assumptions. It is ready to ask whether congestion…

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has confirmed that its container vessel MSC Sariska V was struck by two projectiles while departing the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq on June 1, though no crew members were injured.According to the company, the first projectile hit the vessel while a pilot was onboard during departure from the port, while a second struck the crew accommodation area shortly afterwards.MSC said all crew members were safe and unharmed and that the vessel and its…

“Shipping has entered a period where complexity is building faster than it can be absorbed," said ABS Chairman and CEO John McDonald at the annual gathering of the ABS Hellenic National Committee. "Costs are rising and decision cycles are shortening. This combination is creating a widening gap between what is technically possible and what is operationally viable at sea. Closing that gap is now central to competitiveness.”McDonald expanded on the organization’s latest announcement…