Container shipping, freight, cargo, tankers, supply chains, shipping operations and regulatory developments relevant to maritime trade.
Shipping coverage follows the operational decisions that shape maritime trade, including container services, freight movements, cargo handling, supply chains and the rules affecting ship operators.
Where a development has a clear UK port or regulatory dimension, related reporting is connected to the relevant port profile and UK Maritime archive so readers can follow the wider operational context.
MarineLink reported on 30 September 2026 that Interferry will mark its 50th anniversary at its annual conference in Bangkok, where the association’s leadership has warned members the ferry sector continues to change.
Nakilat celebrated the naming of Energy North at HD Hyundai Samho in Yeongam; the LPG/Ammonia carrier is due to enter service on 2 October 2026, MarineLink reported on 30 September 2026.
A two-tonne consignment of premium Malaysian tree-drop ripe durian, shipped by a consortium including Daikin Reefer, reached Dalian in 12 days and was inspected on 19 September with quality reported as comparable to air freight.
Riyadh’s Ministry of Energy has denied claims it acquired 25 oil tankers and has rejected suggestions that any such purchases contributed to higher freight costs for Iraqi crude, a report on 23 September 2026 states.
Lloyd’s Register’s analysis, published by MarineLink on 23 September 2026, finds 200,000m³ LNG carriers could raise cargo throughput and lower unit transport costs without necessitating major terminal modifications.
Nord Gas Solutions will supply cargo handling and LPG fuel systems for eight 90,000 cubic metre VLGCs ordered by BW LPG and built at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, MarineLink reported on 23 September 2026.
Trafigura has set up Volare Shipping Ltd. to own and scale a modern fleet of oil tankers, beginning with six VLCCs and eight newbuilds, with commercial management handled by Trafigura’s shipping arm.
A model of the Greek salvage tug AIGAION PELAGOS was placed on display at the International Maritime organisation headquarters in London after a ceremony on 9 September attended by the IMO Secretary-General and Greek embassy representatives.
Sources indicated that only 12 commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and Sunday, a decline of nearly two-thirds from the previous weekend's 35, citing Reuters and the latest shipping data.
MarineLink reported on 21 September 2026 that visible transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to 17 commodity vessels over the weekend, down from 37 a week earlier, amid continuing Gulf tensions.
A The report on 20 September 2026 records Rhine levels at 20 cm on 18 September and cites forecasts that levels could fall to zero by the end of the month, posing a threat to barge traffic on a key European fuel artery.
U.S. Central Command says intensified mine‑clearance and naval escort operations have produced a two‑week surge in oil and LNG transits through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the highest flow in six months.
A NYK-operated pure car and truck carrier made the first recorded call at Chan May Port on 18 September 2026, enabling the region's first export shipment of finished vehicles and creating a new logistics option for central Vietnam.
Data reported by MarineLink and compiled by Signal Group show shipowners have placed over twice the number of supertanker orders this year compared with 2025, in a buying spree worth more than $20 billion and the largest in at least 25 years as a US‑Iran war alters oil trade.
Dutch charterer Transito has unveiled Total Freight, an integrated sea-and-inland service under a single contract designed to ease cargo movements between European seaports and the hinterland as low-water conditions persist.
The Suez Canal Authority announced the first transit of the mega container ship OOCL PORTUGAL among the north convoy and reported container-ship net tonnage of 72.1 million tons for the first eight months of 2026, with COSCO’s return also recorded.
A MarineLink report says Panama Canal bulker transits have fallen 22% year on year since July as tankers gain slots amid rising US energy exports to Asia and El Niño threatens water levels.
A delegation led by Japan’s environment minister inspected International Car Operators’ finished-vehicle terminal at the Port of Zeebrugge and toured the LNG-fuelled PCTC Wild Rose Leader on 6 September, a The report says.
A The report on 14 September 2026 said that during August Russia relied increasingly on tankers operated by Hong Kong companies to carry seaborne crude after Greek operators largely left the Black Sea following heightened maritime attacks.
BGN and IINO KAISHA LTD have signed a time‑charter for a new 90,000 cbm dual‑fuel VLGC under construction at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the trade press reported on 14 September 2026.
reports reports that Sea Legend Shipping’s 1,740-TEU ship Dubai Tower sailed from Ningbo and, after transit of the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic, made a call at the UK’s Port of Teesport as part of the China–Europe Arctic Express service.
A DNV white paper, cited by reports on 9 September 2026, calculates that between 165 and 208 LNG bunker vessels may be required globally by 2030 as fuel demand grows faster than supply infrastructure.
Kuwait Petroleum Corp is preparing for prolonged trade-flow disruption from the US–Iran conflict and intends to acquire more ships to better control supplies, a company executive told APPEC 2026, sources indicated on 9 September 2026.
Piraeus-based Kyklades Maritime has contracted ShipMoney to manage wage advances and crew payouts digitally across 18 tankers, covering about 500 seafarers, a report published on 7 September 2026 said.
A report published on 7 September 2026 summarising Euronews data shows how Europe’s busiest ports remain central to supply chains and why recent route disruptions have focused attention on maritime transport.
Sources published a Gibson tanker report on 4 September 2026 that quotes an announcement attributed to President Trump and credits Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd with the claim about '65 billion barrels'.
reports reports that BIMCO expects global container capacity to reach a new high of 34 million TEU once a small number of ships under construction are handed over.
Persistent congestion on the Danube is reducing the pool of small general cargo and short-range dry bulk vessels available to the Black Sea trades and is likely to sustain higher freight rates through the grain export season, sources indicated on 2 September 2026.
Brittany Ferries halted the transport of live farm animals, including unweaned calves, on 1 September 2026, a step MarineLink describes as a milestone in NGO efforts to end long-distance live transport and press for enforcement of animal welfare laws.
PIRIOU has delivered the Atlantis to NEWTOWT earlier this summer, the first vessel delivered to the new French shipowner after its takeover of TOWT; the ship joins Anémos and Artémis as the fleet's third sailing cargo vessel.
A MarineLink report on 31 August 2026 said about 80 vessels queued to enter the Danube for passage to Ukraine's river ports, and a shipper noted a gradual rise in the number being allowed through.
MarineLink reported on 31 August 2026 that visible commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to five per day over the weekend of 29–30 August 2026 as companies acted cautiously amid continuing attacks on ships.
The company has adopted MSM as its trading name and moved its Dubai head office to new premises in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, reflecting a name already widely used by staff and partners.
Freight rates for Pakistan–US trade have risen sharply this year, reaching $7,900 per container in places, as war‑risk insurance and fuel costs climb amid the conflict in Iran.
A.P. Moller - Maersk has moved to weekly fuel-surcharge reviews in response to rising bunker costs linked to the situation in the Middle East, Port Technology International reported on 27 August 2026.
Preliminary Kpler data cited by Al Jazeera and CNBC and summarised by reports show just five commercial tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, a figure reported below the 10-day average amid renewed diplomatic activity.
Shipping data published by MarineLink on 25 August 2026 show just two tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, 24 August, the lowest daily tally of commodity vessel transits since early May and far below the recent 10‑day average of 14.
Odfjell SE reported a significantly higher financial result for the second quarter of 2026, citing higher earnings and increased fleet capacity as the principal drivers, with safety performance continuing to be strong.
Crowley has announced a weekly container service connecting Port Houston with Santo Tomás de Castilla in Guatemala and Puerto Cortés in Honduras, MarineLink reported on 19 August 2026.
The alliance responded after sources indicated a Liberian‑flagged container ship leaving Ningbo to attempt the Northern Sea Route and a South Korean company buying a vessel for an Arctic crossing.
Preliminary data published on 18 August 2026 recorded six commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a modest increase from the weekend that left crossings in single digits amid stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks.
CMA CGM Group has appointed Natasha Griffin as chief executive of its North American arm, which will be based in Norfolk, Virginia and oversee the Group’s shipping, logistics, intermodal and supply chain activities.
Proposed guidelines would strengthen verification, ownership records and oversight after the IMO reported 529 ships falsely flying a country’s flag.
The Singapore-flagged Maersk Sebarok completed an initial Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea passage, but the company said no wider network change followed.
UNCTAD reports that longer voyages, volatile freight markets and constrained uptake of alternative fuels pushed shipping ton-miles to a record increase in 2024 while overall trade growth is forecast to stagnate in 2025.
A proposed international regime would combine a fuel-intensity standard with an economic mechanism for ocean-going ships above 5,000 gross tonnage.