Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz Remains at a Trickle Due to Uncertainties

Temporarily welcome again: Russian crude imports have boomed (file image courtesy SCF)

Gulf Conflict Gives a Boost to Sanctioned Oil Producers

Published Apr 9, 2026 3:52 PM by The Maritime Executive

The conflict in the Arabian Gulf has given a lift to sanctioned crude oil producers, according to analysts at Vortexa. "High-risk" Russian, Venezuelan and Iranian barrels have been helping to fill the gap left by the removal of everyday Saudi, Kuwaiti, Iraqi and Emirati grades - bringing revenue for blacklisted exporters and relief for global energy markets. Sanctioned grade export quantities have expanded every month since the start of the year, helping to keep on-water inventory high despite an accelerated...

Search for Missing Maintenance Worker After Fire on Submarine at Hyundai

Published Apr 9, 2026 3:38 PM by The Maritime Executive

A rescue effort was underway at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, after one worker was reported missing during a fire on a submarine undergoing maintenance. Late reports said the body of a woman in her 60s who was working as a cleaner for a subcontractor had been located, but it is in an inaccessible area of the submarine. The fire started midday on Thursday, April 9, on the Hong Beom-do, a Type 214 submarine, which...

Maryland Reaches Settlement in Principle with Owner/Operator of Dali

Published Apr 9, 2026 2:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

The State of Maryland announced that it has reached a settlement in principle with the owners and operators of the containership Dali for the 2024 destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Details of the settlement were not announced, with the state saying terms were being finalized but that it resolves a significant portion of its claims, specifically against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine. Maryland had filed in U.S. District Court alleging that the disaster was the result of “negligence,...

Bulkers head for the "toll booth" between Qeshm and Larak, April 8 (Windward)

Shipping Faces Tough Choices on Whether to Pay for Access to Hormuz

Published Apr 8, 2026 10:59 PM by The Maritime Executive

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...

Shipping

Chinese owned bulker docked in Australia

Australia Bans Chinese-Owned Bulker for Unpaid Crew Wages

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, well-known for its strict enforcement actions, announced it has issued a six-month ban against a Chinese-owned bulker for unpaid crew wages and other violations. It is the second ban the authority has issued in a little over a month, with it saying it should serve as a reminder to employers of their obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention. The Liberia-flagged bulker BBG Wuzhou (81,895 dwt) recently arrived in the port of Newcastle, where AMSA reports...

Tugs & Salvage

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

The Baltimore City Fireboat Station is reporting that it received a mayday call from a tug operating south of the city in the Curtis Bay/Curtis Creek region. The vessel reported it was taking on water. The vessel is being identified as the Gale (145 gross tons) towboat, and from the pictures, it appears to have been moving a fuel barge. The vessel, built in 1980, has been owned by a Maryland-based company, McLean Contracting, since 2020. It is 65.5 feet...

Government

UK Foils "Nefarious" Russian Activity Near Subsea Cables

The UK government claims that it has discovered and disrupted Russian plans to conduct "nefarious" activity over critical subsea fiber optic cables. The plot involved the assets of the secretive Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI), a spy-submarine outfit that reports directly to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The month-long operation started when British forces detected an Akula-class Russian attack sub in Arctic waters last month. Working with Norwegian partners, the UK military tracked the sub; further detections established...

Corporate News

Statement from the International Chamber of Shipping

[By: International Chamber of Shipping] Statement from Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, following the announcement of the conditional ceasefire between the United States and Iran Thomas A. Kazakos said: "We welcome the conditional ceasefire between the United States and Iran and hope this signals a beginning of a return to stability in the region. “This news will be a relief to the 20,000 seafarers who have been at the forefront of this crisis. Our...

Cruise Ships

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Passengers aboard the Fiji cruise ship might have thought they were about to relive a scene from the 2000 movie “Cast Away,” in which Tom Hanks becomes stranded for years on an uninhabited island. Their ship, the Fiji Princess, grounded on April 4 on the same island used in the movie. The 179-foot (55-meter) cruise ship operates cruises up to a week in length around the islands in Fiji. Built in 1998, the ship has 32 passenger cabins with a...

Ports

Retail Imports Continue Decline Despite Little Impact from the Middle East

Retailers' import volume into the United States continues to be weighed down by concerns over tariffs and trade policy, says the National Retail Federation. It continues to expect month-over-month and year-over-year declines through most of the first half of 2026, while saying that other than fuel costs, retailers are not being significantly affected by the conflict in Iran. The retail trade group issued its monthly outlook for container import volumes, projecting monthly declines in six of the first eight months...

Shipping

Australia Bans Chinese-Owned Bulker for Unpaid Crew Wages

Tugs & Salvage

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

Government

UK Foils "Nefarious" Russian Activity Near Subsea Cables

Corporate News

Statement from the International Chamber of Shipping

Cruise Ships

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Ports

Retail Imports Continue Decline Despite Little Impact from the Middle East

Offshore

QatarEnergy’s U.S. LNG Plant Achieves First Production at Critical Time

Just as the world is looking for alternative sources of LNG, Golden Pass LNG in Texas reported it has achieved first production. The project, which has been in planning and development for 15 years, is set to start export shipments in the second quarter, coming online to help fill some of the shortfall from Qatar and the Middle East. The United States is already setting records for LNG shipments and has been rivaling Qatar for the title of the largest...

Shipbuilding

Exmar’s Pioneering Ammonia Dual-Fuel Gas Carriers Named at Hyundai Shipyard

Two innovative vessels, which are being billed as the world’s first mid-size gas carriers with ammonia dual-fuel engines, were named as they are nearing completion. The vessels, which were ordered in 2023 and 2024 by Exmar, a specialist in gas shipping, are being built at the Ulsan, South Korea, shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and are viewed as the cutting edge for a new era in shipping. The ships, which are each 46,000 cubic meter gas carriers, were named...

Environment

EcoNavis to Validate and Demonstrate Improved Design for Wind Rotors

Scotland-based EcoNavis Solutions believes it has a technological innovation that can enhance the performance of wind rotors. With wind-assisted propulsion gaining increased interest, the company is using a Scottish Enterprise research grant to move its concept from the drawing board to validation and demonstration. The basic concept of the wind rotor promoted by Anton Flettner in the 1920s remains largely unchanged after more than a century. The spinning rotor captures the energy of the wind to provide additional thrust for...

Business

Maryland Reaches Settlement in Principle with Owner/Operator of Dali

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Select any month to view events: April May June July August September October November December January February March

Traffic Through Strait of Hormuz Remains at a Trickle Due to Uncertainties

Gulf Conflict Gives a Boost to Sanctioned Oil Producers

Search for Missing Maintenance Worker After Fire on Submarine at Hyundai

Maryland Reaches Settlement in Principle with Owner/Operator of Dali

Shipping Faces Tough Choices on Whether to Pay for Access to Hormuz

Australia Bans Chinese-Owned Bulker for Unpaid Crew Wages

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

UK Foils "Nefarious" Russian Activity Near Subsea Cables

Statement from the International Chamber of Shipping

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Retail Imports Continue Decline Despite Little Impact from the Middle East

Cyber Risk in Shipping: From Technical Threat to Business Reality

Architecture of Adaptability: Designing Vessels to Stand the Test of Time

Improve Fleet Value With Digital Optimization of Cruise Ship Hotel Areas

Australia Bans Chinese-Owned Bulker for Unpaid Crew Wages

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

UK Foils "Nefarious" Russian Activity Near Subsea Cables

Statement from the International Chamber of Shipping

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Retail Imports Continue Decline Despite Little Impact from the Middle East

QatarEnergy’s U.S. LNG Plant Achieves First Production at Critical Time

Exmar’s Pioneering Ammonia Dual-Fuel Gas Carriers Named at Hyundai Shipyard

EcoNavis to Validate and Demonstrate Improved Design for Wind Rotors

Maryland Reaches Settlement in Principle with Owner/Operator of Dali

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Join the conversation.

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events