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More Dark Tankers Arrive at...
By Weilun Soon Feb 13, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Three US-sanctioned tankers have arrived for demolition on India’s west coast in under...
Giant shipping containers fall into...
Every year, thousands of steel crates fall from ships, posing a hidden risk to other vessels, the environment, and...
MSC Extends Dominance as Container...
Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company has reached a new milestone, pushing its total containership capacity past 7.2 million TEU and solidifying its...
Underestimated wake: Shipping traffic causes...
Commercial shipping not only affects the Baltic Sea on the surface, but also has a significant impact on the...
Japan says it seized Chinese vessel amid tensions with Beijing...
posted on: Feb 15, 2026
Japanese authorities say they have seized a Chinese fishing vessel that tried to flee when ordered to stop for an inspection, in a move that may further fuel tensions with Beijing. The boat was in Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture in the south-west when it was intercepted and its captain arrested on Thursday, according to the country’s fisheries agency. “The vessel’s captain was ordered to stop for an inspection by a fisheries inspector, but the vessel failed to comply and fled,” the fisheries agency said. The seizure is the first time since 2022 that the agency has seized a Chinese fishing boat. China has yet to react to Japan’s statement. There were 11 people aboard, including the captain who is a 47-year-old Chinese national, the fisheries agency said. Authorities and Japanese media have described the seized vessel as a “tiger net fishing boat” with a high capacity....
Report: United States is Deploying USS Ford CSG to the Middle East...
posted on: Feb 15, 2026
050517-N-0120R-127.USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea (May 17, 2005) – While departing Yokosuka’s harbor, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) steams past a small group of Japanese fishing vessels and steams toward Sagami Bay to conduct precision anchor checks. Currently underway in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Kitty Hawk demonstrates power, projection and sea control as the U.S. Navy’s only permanently, forward-deployed aircraft carrier, operating from Yokosuka, Japan..U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2ND Class William H. Ramsey. The crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was reportedly warned yesterday, February 12, that they will not be returning to their home port after operations in the Caribbean and will instead deploy to the Middle East, according to reports based on briefings from officials carried by The New York Times. The USS Gerald R. Ford left her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, on June 24, heading first to Europe, and even after its long commitment...
NGOs urge IMO: Ammonia cannot be shipping’s next pollution problem...
posted on: Feb 15, 2026
A coalition of environmental and technology NGOs is calling on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reject proposals that would permit ships to routinely discharge ammonia into the ocean. Their appeal comes after a week of discussions at the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) Sub-Committee in London (9–13 February), where governments examined, for the first time, how to manage ammonia effluent from ammonia-fueled vessels. While ammonia is being explored as a lower-carbon marine fuel, the groups warn that allowing its discharge at sea would simply swap one pollution problem for another. Instead, they urge the IMO to adopt a straightforward safeguard: require ships to retain ammonia effluent onboard and offload it at port reception facilities. This approach, they argue, would enable shipping to cut greenhouse gas emissions without introducing a new source of toxic marine pollution. The joint statement was issued by Opportunity Green, Environmental Defense Fund, One Planet Port, Pacific...
CK Hutchison Escalates Legal Battle Over Panama Ports Ruling...
posted on: Feb 15, 2026
Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison Holdings Limited has formally notified Panama of a dispute under an investment protection treaty, escalating a legal fight that has thrown the future of two key Panama Canal ports into uncertainty and drawn sharp international reactions. At the center of the dispute is a ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court that Law No. 5 of January 16, 1997, which is the legal foundation for CK Hutchison’s nearly three decades operating the Balboa and Cristobal container terminals, is unconstitutional. While the decision has not yet been published or entered into force, the Panamanian government has already begun advancing plans for a forced exit of Panama Ports Company (PPC), CK Hutchison’s indirect subsidiary, with no clear transition framework in place. CK Hutchison warned that publication of the ruling would immediately render operations at both terminals illegal, making continued operations impossible. The company said the fate of the ports now rests entirely with the Panama...
Dubai Ports Giant DP World Loses Major Investors Over Epstein Files Link...
posted on: Feb 13, 2026
By Nazih Osseiran and Sam Tabahriti Feb 11 (Reuters) – The UK development finance agency and Canada’s second-largest pension fund have suspended new investment with globalports operator DP World over alleged ties between its chief executive and the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, raising pressure on the Dubai-based firm. Members of the U.S. Congress said DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s name appeared in the files, prompting renewed scrutiny of his past interactions with Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The documents, some of millions published by the U.S. Department of Justice and showing Epstein’s web of relationships with prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business, suggest a close relationship between the two men for more than a decade after Epstein’s conviction in 2008 on prostitution charges involving an underage girl. The documents include emails and text messages that appear to show discussions between the two men about...
WiseTech and Hapag-Lloyd test IoT visibility
posted on: Feb 13, 2026
A new pilot links smart containers directly into CargoWise, giving shippers live position and dynamic arrival data. The partnership signals how carriers and software providers are reshaping container oversight through real-time intelligence. WiseTech Global and Hapag-Lloyd have launched a pilot that could change how shipowners and managers monitor container flows across global trades. The initiative will integrate Hapag-Lloyd’s Live Position and Live ETA data into CargoWise, shifting visibility from historical event reporting to real-time operational control. Hapag-Lloyd has equipped its fleet of 2 million containers with IoT devices that transmit frequent location updates. The pilot will test WiseTech’s ability to ingest and process millions of data points each day, converting raw signals into usable information for planning and execution. For ship management teams and logistics executives, the implications are practical. Instead of relying on periodic status messages, they will be able to monitor container positioning continuously, detect deviations, and...
Chinese sea captain pleads not guilty in Hong Kong court to damaging Baltic Sea cables...
posted on: Feb 13, 2026
HONG KONG (AP) — A Chinese sea captain of a Hong Kong-flagged vessel accused of damaging undersea cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2023 pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a Hong Kong court. Wan Wenguo, captain of the Newnew Polar Bear container ship, appeared at a Hong Kong magistrate court and pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal damage. He also pleaded not guilty to two separate charges relating to violations of marine safety requirements for his vessel. Cases of critical undersea cable and gas pipelines sabotaged in the Baltic Sea since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have raised security concerns among governments. Finnish authorities previously determined the Newnew Polar Bear vessel was responsible for damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects Finland and Estonia, in October 2023. Finland also sought China’s cooperation in the investigation. A charge sheet seen by The Associated...
MTN brings Amazon Leo to shipowners
posted on: Feb 13, 2026
MTN will distribute Amazon’s new low Earth orbit service to commercial shipping and offshore fleets worldwide. The agreement places Amazon Leo into multi-orbit maritime networks at a time when shipowners are seeking higher capacity and lower latency at sea. It signals another step in the rapid reshaping of maritime connectivity. MTN has finalised an agreement to offer Amazon Leo as an authorised reseller for maritime deployment, initially targeting commercial shipping, yachting, offshore, and cruise and ferry operators. For shipowners and managers, the development adds another layer of choice to an increasingly complex connectivity market. Amazon Leo is building a constellation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit designed to provide lower latency and higher transmission capacity than traditional geostationary systems. In operational terms, that promises real-time applications, telemetry, remote operations and hybrid network architectures that can support both crew welfare and vessel performance. “Being selected as an authorized...
DP World deal put on hold, but port protesters refuse to budge until cancelled...
posted on: Feb 12, 2026
The interim government today (8 February) announced that the controversial deal to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based DP World would not be signed during its tenure, yet port workers have refused to budge, insisting their indefinite strike will continue until the proposal is cancelled entirely. Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Bin Harun said at a press briefing in Dhaka today that the lease agreement with DP World “is not going to happen” under the current administration. However, the standoff has brought Chattogram Port, which typically handles more than 90% of the country’s international trade, to a grinding halt for the second time in a week, leaving export containers worth an estimated Tk6,500 crore stuck across various depots and terminals and threatening fresh disruption to trade just a week ahead of Ramadan. The Bandar Rokkha Sangram Parishad (port protection movement council) vowed to...
US MARAD issues guidance for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz...
posted on: Feb 12, 2026
The US Maritime Administration (US MARAD) has issued an advisory warning U.S.-flagged commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. Commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman have long been at risk of being hailed, queried, boarded, detained, or seized by Iranian forces. Iranian forces have historically utilized small boats and helicopters during boarding operations and have attempted to force commercial vessels into Iranian territorial waters, including as recently as 3 February 2026. The U.S. government is continually assessing the maritime security situation in the region to identify and differentiate threats and safeguard freedom of navigation, ensure the free flow of commerce, and protect U.S. vessels, personnel, and interests. Guidance If hailed by Iranian forces, U.S.-flagged commercial vessels should provide vessel name and flag state and affirm that they are proceeding in accordance with international law as reflected in the Law of the...
RiskIntelligence: Top maritime security trends and threats in 2025...
posted on: Feb 12, 2026
RiskIntelligence has published its Maritime Annual Incident Figures 2025 report, highlighting the latest trends in piracy, insurgency, hijackings and maritime security incidents. In 2025, global maritime security faced significant disruption amid heightened geopolitical tensions and increased attacks on commercial shipping, posing serious challenges to maritime safety and stability worldwide. RelatedNews South East Asia According to the report, in South East Asia, a total of 135 boardings were reported throughout South East Asia in 2025 compared with 100 in 2024, refelcting an increase of 35%. While boardings of bulk carriers saw an increase of 15% and remain the most targeted vessel type, container ships saw the sharpest rise in boardings. Kidnappings of seafarers have ceased since 2020. The Singapore Strait remains the site of the highest frequency of vessel boardings, representing 81% of the total in 2025, where 100% of incidents involve vessels that are underway. 56% of reported incidents resulted in property being...
Hong Kong Lodges Formal Protest Over Panama Canal Port Court Decision...
posted on: Feb 12, 2026
(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong has protested against Panama’s court ruling which struck down the contract granted to Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. to operate two ports near the country’s strategic canal. Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Algernon Yau lodged the protest during a meeting with Panama’s consul general José Ramón de Jesús Varela Fábrega on Friday, saying that the ruling would “seriously undermine international trade rules.” Last month, Panama’s top court decision voided CK Hutchison’s contract, handing a win to US President Donald Trump’s campaign to curb Chinese influence over strategic infrastructure in the Americas. “We strongly disagree with and oppose the judgment regarding the unconstitutionality of the two contracts for the continued operation of the two ports between the Panama government and CK Hutchison,” said a Facebook post from Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, citing Yau. The post also referenced the meeting between Yau and the consul general. Yau said CK Hutchison has...
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The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential By Minar Rashid 21E On 15 November, the BMCS Gala Night 2025 was held at Singapore’s Orchid Country Club. With the vibrant participation of hundreds of Bangladeshi mariners and their families, the event became a remarkable reunion […]
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