Trump Could Add 25 Percent Tariff on Chinese Goods to Get Leverage on Iran

Coast Guard responders hoisted the survivor from the rocks (USCG)

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Published Jan 12, 2026 4:23 PM by The Maritime Executive

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a surfer who went adrift and wound up on the rocks on an isolated shore, beating the odds of survival. On Thursday afternoon, a 68-year-old man went surfing off a beach at Aguandilla, Puerto Rico. He dropped out of contact, and when he did not return by the following evening, the operator of the Airbnb where he was staying reported him missing. In response, the U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a Jayhawk helicopter to...

Manslaughter Trial Begins for Captain of Solong Involved in Fiery Collision

Published Jan 12, 2026 4:13 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Russian master of the containership Solong was scheduled to begin his trial for the 2025 collision in which the vessel, while on his watch, rammed the US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate. UK authorities charged Vladimir Motin, age 59 from Russia, with gross negligent manslaughter just days after the March 10, 2025, incident, which killed one crewmember aboard the containership. The trial was set to begin at London’s “Old Bailey” court, 10 months after the incident. Motin pleaded not guilty last...

cocaine displayed on dock after being seized from ship

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

Published Jan 12, 2026 2:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

Spain’s National Police are reporting its largest ever cocaine seizure at sea, completed last week near the Canary Islands. While calling it a historic blow to maritime cocaine trafficking, they are reporting that the seizure faced complications as the target vessel ran out of fuel. An international operation led by Spain, with assistance from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal, continued the efforts to target and disrupt cocaine smuggling. The Spanish dubbed the effort “Operation White Tide,”...

Finland Releases Ship Suspected of Cable Damage as Investigation Proceeds

Published Jan 12, 2026 12:59 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Finnish Border Guard, midday on Monday, January 12, escorted the cargo ship Fitburg out to sea after nearly two weeks of detention. The police reported that the phase of the investigation into the damage to subsea telecommunication cables has proceeded so that the vessel is no longer required. The Fitburg flagged in St Vincent and the Grenadines and owned by a Turkish company with links to Russia, was permitted to get underway with its AIS signal showing the ship...

Shipping

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

Tugs & Salvage

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Government

A battery-powered container feeder (CATL)

Op-Ed: China's Shipping Sector Would Thrive Under IMO Carbon Rules

[By Mao Xiaoli] Later this year, member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will resume negotiations on whether to adopt an agreed plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. China had originally supported the approval of the plan, known as the Net-zero Framework, at an IMO meeting in April 2025. However, about six months later, at talks on whether to sign off the framework formally, the country sided with the majority of member states to postpone the decision...

Corporate News

Casablanca Cruise Port Opens New Cruise Chapter with Silver Muse Call

[By: Global Ports Holding] Casablanca Cruise Port marked the start of the cruise season with the arrival of Silver Muse of Silversea Cruises on 6th January, welcoming its first cruise call under the management of Global Ports Holding (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator. For the 2026 cruise season, Casablanca Cruise Port is expected to welcome over 100 cruise calls, with passenger volumes projected at approximately 135k, reflecting increasing cruise line interest in Casablanca as a regional hub. The...

Cruise Ships

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Hawaii’s hotly contested and closely followed “Green Fee,” a new tax on hotels, short-stay rentals, and cruises, suffered a setback just hours before it was due to go into effect. It is the first tax of its kind imposed on tourists to contribute to the state’s costs of addressing environmental issues. Two judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court granted on New Year’s Eve (December 31) a last-minute request for an injunction in a suit brought by the cruise industry...

Ports

Baltimore’s Sparrows Point Container Terminal Receives Key Permits

Plans to develop a new container terminal as part of the redevelopment of the Sparrow’s Point region of Baltimore marked key steps with the US Army Corps of Engineers and federal authorities granting construction permits. The project is a joint venture with MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), which calls for doubling Baltimore’s container capacity and further establishing the port as a critical gateway to the Mid-Atlantic and central United States. The Army Corps announced late last week that it has...

Shipping

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

Tugs & Salvage

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Government

Op-Ed: China's Shipping Sector Would Thrive Under IMO Carbon Rules

Corporate News

Casablanca Cruise Port Opens New Cruise Chapter with Silver Muse Call

Cruise Ships

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Ports

Baltimore’s Sparrows Point Container Terminal Receives Key Permits

Offshore

Revolution Wind Receives Court Injunction Against Trump’s Stop-Work Order

The Revolution Wind offshore wind farm won a preliminary injunction against the Department of the Interior’s December stop-work order, which permits the company to resume offshore work while the case proceeds. The project being developed by Ørsted and a joint venture with a division of BlackRock is the first of the offshore wind projects to receive relief from the courts, while two other hearings are also set for later this week. Judge Royce Lamberth signed two orders on Monday afternoon,...

Shipbuilding

A new P-17A class frigate, Mahendragiri, at launch at Mazagon Dock (Gov't of India)

Report: India Wants to Ramp Up its Warship Exports

India is reportedly working to expand warship exports as part of the ongoing push to revamp its shipbuilding industry. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) has already issued directives to the state-owned shipyards, instructing the facilities to build their capacities for export orders. According to a report by the defense news site Indian Defense Research Wing, the MOD’s directive covers expansion of docking and manufacturing infrastructure in the shipyards. In addition, the shipyards are expected to customize their blueprints for naval...

Environment

HMM and HD KSOE Start Demonstration and Testing of Wing Sail on Tanker

South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HMM are starting a demonstration and test period for Korea’s first domestically developed wing sail for wind-assisted propulsion. The shipbuilder has been developing its version of the technology as part of its efforts to advance value-added, green ship designs and technology. The wing sail was recently installed on the product tanker Oriental Aquamarine (50,000 dwt). The vessel was built in 2020 and has been owned by HMM since 2023. Registered in...

Business

Union Condemns Pace of Investigation Into P&O Ferries' 2022 Ferry Layoffs

A trade union in the United Kingdom is reawakening the ghosts of the 2022 unilateral sacking of about 800 seafarers by P&O Ferries after condemning a government agency for delays in concluding civil investigations against the company’s bosses. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has criticized the Insolvency Service over delays in launching a civil trial against P&O Ferries. RMT believes the delayed civil investigation is eroding confidence and allowing senior figures involved in the layoffs...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Trump Could Add 25 Percent Tariff on Chinese Goods to Get Leverage on Iran

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Manslaughter Trial Begins for Captain of Solong Involved in Fiery Collision

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

Finland Releases Ship Suspected of Cable Damage as Investigation Proceeds

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Op-Ed: China's Shipping Sector Would Thrive Under IMO Carbon Rules

Casablanca Cruise Port Opens New Cruise Chapter with Silver Muse Call

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Baltimore’s Sparrows Point Container Terminal Receives Key Permits

Navigating Port Funding Uncertainty: Adaptation Unlocks Opportunities

California Protects Blue Whales and Blue Skies With Historic State Law

One Event. World Of Maritime. This February, Copenhagen is the Place to Be

Spanish Operation “White Tide” Makes Largest Cocaine Seizure at Sea

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Surfer Who Survived 30 Hours on Rocks Offshore

Op-Ed: China's Shipping Sector Would Thrive Under IMO Carbon Rules

Casablanca Cruise Port Opens New Cruise Chapter with Silver Muse Call

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Baltimore’s Sparrows Point Container Terminal Receives Key Permits

Revolution Wind Receives Court Injunction Against Trump’s Stop-Work Order

Report: India Wants to Ramp Up its Warship Exports

HMM and HD KSOE Start Demonstration and Testing of Wing Sail on Tanker

Union Condemns Pace of Investigation Into P&O Ferries' 2022 Ferry Layoffs

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events