South America News

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.The deployment is part of Trump's military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft. It is likely to raise concern in the…

Yinson Production has received Main Scantling Approval (MSA) from classification society DNV for its Meridian purpose-built floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) hull design.The newly approved Meridian FPSO hull is designed to perform in challenging offshore environments.It merges low carbon innovation with high performance adaptability, engineered to meet the intensifying demands of deepwater and ultra-deepwater operations.With its strategic flexibility and outstanding processing capacity…

As the global shipping industry grapples with a plethora of regulatory, technological and sustainability shifts, few sectors embody both the challenges and opportunities as acutely as the ferry industry.Interferry leads the charge to ensure there is balance, rationalizing legislative mandate with market, technical and economic reality. Interferry is the trade association representing the worldwide ferry sector, an at the helm is Mike Corrigan, CEO, who has spent the past several…

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the top U.S. general Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, the first trip there by senior Pentagon officials since the start of a military buildup in the Caribbean that has escalated tensions with Venezuela.Hegseth and Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were seen being received by Puerto Rico's governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez, in photographs she posted to social media site X.U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to rename itself the Department of War, a change that will require action by Congress.

A large buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Southern Caribbean has officials in Caracas and experts in the United States asking: is the move aimed at combating drug cartels, as the Trump administration has suggested, or is it for something else entirely?Seven U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, are either in the region or are expected to be there soon, bringing along more than 4,500 sailors and marines.U.S. President Donald Trump has said combating drug cartels is a central goal for his administration and U.S.

Southern Energy S.A. (SESA), a company formed to enable LNG exports from Argentina, has reached final investment decision (FID) for the charter of 3.5MTPA MK II floating LNG (FLNG) from Golar LNG.The key commercial terms for the 20-year charter agreement include net charter hire to Golar of $400 million per year, plus a commodity linked tariff component of 25% of FOB prices in excess of $8/mmbtu.The FLNG, currently under conversion in China, will sail to Argentina following her redelivery…

Greek police have dismantled a gang that had been hiding cocaine in sheets of leather that were smuggled from Bolivia to Greece on container ships, police officials said on Friday.They said the method used by the gang signalled a shift in methods for smuggling the drug from South America to Europe.Eleven people have been arrested so far, including nationals form Bolivia and Spain, after police monitored the suspects for months following a tip-off by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have acquired Approval in Principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for its jointly developed liquefied CO2 (LCO2) / methanol carrier. AiP acquisition for this type of carrier marks a world's first.Technologies for converting CO2 into fuel or chemical products are attracting attention as a means of utilizing CO2 in CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage).

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines have acquired Approval in Principle (AiP) from CLassNK for the design of their jointly developed liquefied CO2 (LCO2) and methanol carrier, a world first for this type of vessel.The vessel is based on a low-pressure LCO2 carrier. It aims to transport CO2, which serves as raw material, on outward voyages and synthetic methanol on return voyages.If dual transport of CO2 and methanol is achieved, empty-cargo trips can be eliminated…

Humans arose in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago and later trekked worldwide, eventually reaching some of Earth's most remote places. In doing so, they surmounted geographic barriers including treacherous ocean expanses. But how did they do that with only rudimentary technology available to them?Scientists now have undertaken an experimental voyage across a stretch of the East China Sea, paddling from Ushibi in eastern Taiwan to Japan's Yonaguni Island in a dugout canoe to demonstrate how such a trip may have been accomplished some 30…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Solstad Offshore has confirmed contracts for two of its construction support vessels (CSVs), which will be put to work in South America.The first contract is with Petrobras for the Normand Flower CSV, owned by Solstad Maritime.The contract, valued at $115 million excluding ROV services, was first announced in April 2025, and has now been formally approved and signed.It will begin in January 2026 with a has a duration of four years.The vessel will be on bareboat contracts from Solstad Maritime to Solstad Offshore…

On May 7, 2025, the first in a groundbreaking fleet of 3,000-ton deadweight hopper barges, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., was officially launched at Juruá Shipyard in Manaus, Brazil. The event marked a milestone in LHG Mining’s river transportation initiative in South America.This inaugural barge is part of a 400-unit fleet commissioned by LHG Mining to enable the efficient, sustainable transport of high-grade iron ore from Corumbá, Brazil, to export terminals in Uruguay. The cargo will travel over 2…

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers, deepening cuts at the Pentagon that have shaken the Department of Defense at the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office.Hegseth has long been vocal about how he views the senior-most ranks of the military as too big.The former Fox News host has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump's national security agenda and root out diversity initiatives he calls discriminatory.In a memo…

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean aims to boost its revenue from overseas military vessels to around 4 trillion won ($2.91 billion) by 2030 and hopes to pick up more repair orders from the U.S. Navy, a senior executive told Reuters.The Asian country is a major global shipbuilder and trade talks with the U.S. on tariffs brought up possible cooperation in the sector after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restore U.S. shipbuilding.Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding…

Fast-growing energy demand is driving the need for technical support and guidance in new locations, writes Terrance Roberts, Manager, Global Business Development, ABS.Surging appetite for natural gas is accelerating the development of global and regional supply chains, with established producers seeking new markets and emerging suppliers looking to meet demand from local consumers.Long-tabled export projects are being fast-tracked for approval in North America while new facilities are under development in Canada and South America.

Noble Corporation’s recent decision to sell the Pacific Meltem and Pacific Scirocco for non-drilling purposes highlights a key issue in the drillship market: What happens to cold-stacked rigs that are unlikely to return to work? With the floater market showing signs of weakness and contract opportunities becoming scarcer, reactivating these units is proving even more challenging.Esgian Rig Values has adjusted its valuations since early 2025 to reflect these conditions, reducing 6th generation drillship values by approximately 12%…

Thordon Bearings has seen its RiverTough tailshaft bearing solution surpass 500 installations in the workboat sector.Primarily a retrofit solution but also increasingly specified for newbuilds, RiverTough is designed for coastal and inland waterways, where conditions are typically muddy and abrasive. The solution, applied in combination with hard-coated nickel-chrome-boron (NiCrB) Thordon shaft sleeves, has been verified as outlasting rubber bearings by a factor of two or more in the harshest operating environments.

China's Guangzhou Port, the largest shipping hub in the country's south, opened a direct route to Chancay port in Peru on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, a move it said would reduce logistics costs and bolster trade with Latin America.Located north of Lima, Chancay recently began operations with non-stop voyages to and from Asia, accommodating the largest vessels on South America's Pacific coast.The announcement comes as Beijing aims to further strengthen its relationship with resource rich Latin America amid trade tensions with the United States.On Tuesday, the 300 metre vessel COSC

VARD has signed an MoU with Brazilian state-owned company EMGEPRON that aims to foster future cooperation on national defense programs and promote the exchange of knowledge in emerging technologies.Emgepron is linked to the Ministry of Defence of Brazil through the Command of the Navy. In addition to project management, the company commercializes Brazilian naval defense products and services.Located in Pernambuco, Vard Promar is one of the most modern shipbuilding facilities in South America, with the infrastructure and technical capacity to support both defense and commercial projects.

The United States will "take back" the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation.After talks with Panama's government, Hegseth vowed to deepen security cooperation with Panamanian security forces and said China would not be allowed to "weaponize" the canal by using Chinese firms' commercial relationships for espionage."Together, we will take back the Panama Canal from China's influence," Hegseth said, speaking at a pier renovated with U.S. assistance in Panama City."China did not build this canal.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has achieved another step towards establishing a legally binding framework to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships globally, aiming for net-zero emissions by or around, i.e close to 2050. The IMO Net-zero Framework is the first in the world to combine mandatory emissions limits and GHG pricing across an entire industry sector. Approved by the Marine Environment Protection Committee during its 83rd session (MEPC 83) from April 7-11, 2025, the measures include a new fuel standard for ships and a global pricing mechanism for emissions.

Average container freight rates for Chinese exports have dropped 28% since the start of the year, according to BIMCO. This posts the worst first quarter development in twenty years. Based on input from twenty-three liner operators, the China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) reflects the general export freight rate level from ten major ports.The 28% fall reduced the CCFI from 1,548 at the beginning of the year to 1,112 at the end of the first quarter, not least due to a record high fall in spot freight rates.

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has appointed Stefano Colonna as the new Head of Passenger Ships and Yachts for the North American region.With more than 30 years of leadership experience in the passenger ships and yachting industries, Colonna has held prominent roles, including Vice President of Service for North and South America at NAVIM Group, overseeing Quality Assurance and Certifications, Director of Marine Safety Operations at Carnival Cruise Line and Director of Technical Safety Operations at The Walt Disney Company.Specializing in new builds…