search the site
Hormuz, Shipping Unions & Sailors...
Corporate media prefer to talk about Donald Trump at a daily rate that has long surpassed other entertainers: the war of the USA...
Bangladeshi ship denied passage through...
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s (BSC) vessel Banglar Joyjatra has failed to cross the Strait of Hormuz despite getting close as Iranian authorities...
Shipping operators remain reluctant to...
Ships in the Strait of Hormuz have been warned by Iran’s navy that any vessel attempting to pass without...
Qatar Begins Work to Resume...
By Stephen Stapczynski and Salma El Wardany Apr 8, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Qatar is mobilizing engineers and workers with the aim...
Moby Prince: Italy’s worst maritime disaster since World War II...
posted on: Apr 11, 2026
In April 1991, a fire onboard the Italian passenger ferry ‘Moby Prince’, Italy’s worst merchant marine disaster since the end of World War II, broke out. The incident, resulting in death of all but one person onboard, highlighted how miscommunication in emergency situations can be disastrous. The incident At 22:03 on 10 April 1991, the Moby Prince left Livorno, heading to Olbia with 65 crew and 75 passengers onboard. While taking the route out of the harbor, the ferry’s prow hit the anchored oil tanker Agip Abruzzo and sliced through its tank number 7. The tank was filled with 2,700 tons of Iranian light crude oil. Some oil spread on the surface of the sea and caught fire, but around 100 to 300 tons was sprayed on to the ferry by the impact. A fire quickly engulfed the ferry. At 22:25, the ferry’s radio operator sent a Mayday from...
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Pipeline Bypassing Hormuz Damaged in Iranian Attack, Source Says...
posted on: Apr 11, 2026
April 8 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s crucial East-West oil pipeline, currently its only outlet for crude exports, was hit in an Iranian attack and other facilities in the kingdom were also targeted, an industry source told Reuters on Wednesday. The pipeline was diverting around 7 million barrels per day (bpd) from the kingdom’s oil heartland in the east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu after Iran effectively shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, trapping huge volumes of oil and gas and sending world energy markets skyrocketing. Flows through the pipeline are expected to be affected, the source said, adding damage was being assessed. That could exacerbate what experts have called the world’s worst energy crisis. Aramco uses about 2 million bpd domestically, leaving roughly 5 million bpd for export. Yanbu loadings averaged a near-capacity 4.6 million bpd in the week starting March 23, shipping data shows, despite attacks targeting the hub on March 19. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary...
Hapag-Lloyd CEO: Middle East crisis has added $50–60 million in weekly costs...
posted on: Apr 10, 2026
Hapag-Lloyd expressed cautious optimism on 8 Apirl regarding the potential resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The company has noted that fully restoring normal traffic across its network could take at least six to eight weeks. As reported, in a call with customers, CEO Rolf Habben Jansen further echoed the guarded stance of container shipping peer Maersk, emphasizing the need for additional security assurances. According to Reuters, Maersk stated that the two-week ceasefire agreed between the U.S. and Iran could open some opportunities for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, but did not yet provide enough security certainty to resume normal operations. “Even though a ceasefire has been agreed overnight, it’s fair to say that the conflict in the Middle East continues to severely disrupt shipping and supply chains,” the Hapag-Lloyd CEO said, describing the situation as very fluid. Jansen...
India’s steel and infrastructure boom fuels dry bulk outlook...
posted on: Apr 10, 2026
According to Intermodal’s latest market report, India’s sustained economic expansion, driven by robust domestic demand, infrastructure investment, and rising steel and raw material needs, is reinforcing its growing role in global seaborne commodity trade. As explained, in a global environment defined by geopolitical uncertainty and inflationary pressures, India continues to demonstrate resilient growth potential. Although the OECD has estimated a slowdown in India’s GDP growth from 7.6% in FY 2025-2026 to 6.1% in FY 2026-2027, reflecting challenges such as energy supply disruptions, currency depreciation, and inflation, India is still projected to record the highest growth among G20 economies. Industrial and infrastructure momentum India’s growth is underpinned by domestic demand, driven by an expanding middle class and accelerating urbanization, and further reinforced by sustained public infrastructure investment. Policy support remains a central pillar of this dynamic. The Union Budget 2026–27 reaffirmed the government’s commitment to infrastructure development, with approximately $147bn...
Shipping Faces Tough Choices on Whether to Pay for Access to Hormuz...
posted on: Apr 10, 2026
Iran is demanding a fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, hoping to raise funds and to normalize its control over the world’s most important choke point for energy shipping. The question for shipowners is simple: is it a good idea to pay, and if so, who will cover the cost? Since March, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has generated extraordinary political leverage for Iran by metering out transit rights and attacking ships at will; by one calculation, a transit fee could also generate up to $90 billion in annual revenue. The fee structure for the passage has been reported widely. It is said to amount to about $1 per tonne of oil for tankers, and more if the vessel is affiliated with a less-favored nation. Some nations with trade ties to Iran – e.g., China, India and Pakistan – have received free transit rights for a limited...
Threatening mines, Iran claims new Hormuz traffic scheme; vessels told Strait closed...
posted on: Apr 10, 2026
A fragile truce between Iran and the US and Israel has quickly given way to attacks and recriminations, with a deadly Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran keeping tight control on ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s semi-autonomous military branch, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has halted vessels in the Strait, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, and Iran state-backed media outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting released information from Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization that included a map detailing both a traffic separation scheme and the threat of naval mines. “Due to the war situation in the Persian Gulf and possible anti‑ship mines in the main traffic zone of the Strait of Hormuz, vessels must co-ordinate with the IRGC Navy and use the designated routes,” IRIB quoted Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization as saying. UK-based maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the ’alternative...
In Strait of Hormuz, Iran and China take aim at US dollar hegemony...
posted on: Apr 10, 2026
As the United States-Israel war on Iran — paused for two weeks on Wednesday amid fresh diplomatic talks — has roiled the global economy for more than a month, Iran and China have seized the opportunity to address a shared gripe about the global financial system. Their common cause: ending the hegemony of the US dollar. For years, they say, Washington has leveraged the dominance of the dollar in international trade to exert influence and inflict pain on enemies and competitors, Iran and China included. The supremacy of the dollar is especially apparent in the global oil market, where about 80 percent of transactions are settled in the currency, according to a 2023 estimate by JP Morgan Chase. In Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit from the Gulf for about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, Tehran and Beijing have found a tool to boost the...
যুদ্ধবিরতির পর হরমুজ প্রণালি পার হতে নোঙর তুলেছে বাংলাদেশি জাহাজ...
posted on: Apr 9, 2026
ইরান যুদ্ধ শুরুর পর হরমুজ প্রণালির ভেতরে পারস্য উপসাগরে আটকা পড়েছিল বাংলাদেশি পতাকাবাহী জাহাজ এমভি বাংলার জয়যাত্রা। তবে বুধবার ভোরে যুদ্ধবিরতির পর আটকে থাকা জাহাজটি হরমুজ প্রণালি পার হওয়ার জন্য নোঙর তুলেছে। বাংলাদেশ শিপিং করপোরেশনের (বিএসসি) মালিকানাধীন জাহাজটিতে বাংলাদেশের ৩১ জন নাবিক রয়েছেন। জাহাজ চলাচল পর্যবেক্ষণকারী সংস্থা মেরিন ট্রাফিকের ওয়েবসাইটে দুপুর ১২টায় দেখা যায়, জাহাজটি সৌদি আরবের রাস আল খাইর বন্দর থেকে রওনা হয়েছে। দুপুর ১২টায় দাম্মাম বন্দরের বহির্নোঙরে অবস্থান করছিল জাহাজটি। জাহাজটির গতিবেগ দেখাচ্ছে ঘণ্টায় ৮ দশমিক ৩০ নটিক্যাল মাইল। জাহাজটির ড্রাফট (জাহাজের পানির নিচের অংশের দৈর্ঘ্য) ১০ দশমিক ৮০ মিটার। জাহাজটির প্রধান প্রকৌশলী রাশেদুল হাসান বুধবার দুপুর ১২টায় প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, ‘সৌদি আরবের রাস আল খাইর বন্দর থেকে প্রায় ৩৭ হাজার টন সার বোঝাই করে আমরা দাম্মাম বন্দরের বহির্নোঙরে ছিলাম। যুদ্ধবিরতির পর এখন নোঙর তোলা হয়েছে। হরমুজের দিকে যাচ্ছি। হরমুজ পার হওয়ার পর জাহাজটি দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকার কেপটাউন বন্দরে নেওয়া হবে।’ তিনি আরও জানান, হরমুজ থেকে ৪২৫ নটিক্যাল...
Hong Kong firm files arbitration against Maersk, claiming it schemed with Panama over port takeover...
posted on: Apr 9, 2026
FILE PHOTO: A view of the Balboa Port is pictured after Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison agreed to sell its interests in a key Panama Canal port operator to a BlackRock Inc-backed consortium, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to curb China’s influence in the region, Panama City, Panama, March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo HONG KONG (AP) — A subsidiary of a Hong Kong-based conglomerate started arbitration proceedings against Danish logistics and port group Maersk, accusing the company of aligning with Panama in a scheme to take over its port operations on the Central American country’s critical canal. The Panama Ports Company, a unit of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings, said in a statement dated Tuesday that Maersk A/S had undermined a contract over the Hong Kong company’s operations of ports at either end of the Panama Canal in order to pave the way for a new operator affiliated with...
34,000 shipping routes diverted from Hormuz disruption: Report...
posted on: Apr 9, 2026
More than 34,000 ships diverted routes in the first four weeks of disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a new report finds, with no sign of normalization as global shipping networks continue to adjust. Week 4 produced the highest total diversion volume of the period, according to visibility platform project44, amid sustained rerouting that has yet to return to pre-disruption patterns since the United States and Israel attacked Iran Feb. 28. Iran has metered a steady trickle of mostly non-U.S.-connected vessel traffic through the narrow waterway that guards the Persian Gulf. Thousands of tankers and cargo vessels have been trapped in the region, stalling 20% of global crude oil supplies and sending fuel prices soaring. President Donald Trump in a profane Easter Sunday social media post threatened Iran with escalating attacks if it did not open the strait. Tehran dismissed those threats. Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) and other shipping lines have...
Bulk carrier successfully refloated after grounding in Suez Canal...
posted on: Apr 9, 2026
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced that its salvage tugboats successfully refloated the bulk carrier XIN TIAN YUAN after it ran aground due to a rudder-related technical failure while transiting the canal on 2 April 2026. The incident occurred at kilometer 87 in the canal during the northbound convoy from Denmark to Singapore. The Panama-flagged vessel measures 225 meters in length, 32.2 meters in beam, and has a tonnage of around 41,000 tons. According to SCA Chairman Adm. Ossama Rabiee, four SCA tugboats were immediately deployed following alerts from the Main Navigation Control Center. The coordinated salvage operation, supported by the Crisis Management Committee and multiple SCA departments, successfully freed the vessel at around 4:00 p.m. local time. After refloating, the vessel was escorted to the Great Bitter Lakes for inspection after its crew reportedly resolved the technical malfunction. Authorities confirmed that navigation from the southern direction was unaffected,...
দেশে পৌঁছেছে জ্বালানি পণ্যবাহী ৪ জাহাজ...
posted on: Apr 8, 2026
দেশের জ্বালানি নিরাপত্তা নিশ্চিত করতে চট্টগ্রাম বন্দরে এসে পৌঁছেছে তরলীকৃত প্রাকৃতিক গ্যাস (LNG), এলপিজি (LPG) এবং গ্যাস অয়েলবাহী চারটি জাহাজ। আজ সোমবার (৬ এপ্রিল) চট্টগ্রাম বন্দর কর্তৃপক্ষের মেরিন বিভাগ থেকে প্রকাশিত এক প্রতিবেদনে এই তথ্য জানানো হয়েছে। বন্দর সূত্র জানায়, উপসাগরীয় অঞ্চলসহ বিশ্বের বিভিন্ন দেশ থেকে এসব জ্বালানি পণ্য নিয়ে জাহাজগুলো চটগ্রাম বন্দরে নোঙর করেছে। বর্তমানে এই জাহাজগুলো থেকে পণ্য খালাসের প্রক্রিয়া চলছে। আগত জাহাজগুলো হলো গ্যাস চ্যালেঞ্জার (GAS CHALLENGER): ভারত থেকে এলপিজি (LPG) নিয়ে জাহাজটি গত ৩১ মার্চ বন্দরে পৌঁছায়। বর্তমানে এটি ‘ভাটিয়ারী’ এলাকায় অবস্থান করছে। শান গ্যাং ফা শিয়ান (SHAN GANG FA XIAN): মালয়েশিয়া থেকে গ্যাস অয়েল নিয়ে আসা এই জাহাজটি ৩ এপ্রিল বন্দরে ভিড়েছে। এটি বর্তমানে ‘DOJ/6’ জেটিতে অবস্থান করছে এবং আগামী ৭ এপ্রিলের মধ্যে এর পণ্য খালাস সম্পন্ন হওয়ার কথা রয়েছে। কুল ভয়েজার (COOL VOYAGER): নাইজেরিয়া থেকে এলএনজি (LNG) নিয়ে আসা বিশাল এই জাহাজটি ৫ এপ্রিল বন্দরে পৌঁছেছে। বর্তমানে এটি ‘FSRU’-তে অবস্থান করছে এবং ৮...
Featured Post
Eid Mubarak 
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 […]
JOB SITES
CONTENTS
LINKS
Happy New Year
