U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Fugitive Tanker After Transatlantic Chase

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

Published Jan 7, 2026 6:00 PM by The Maritime Executive

The massive port complex in China’s central region is reporting a new record, claiming to be the first port worldwide to have handled a record 1.4 billion tons of cargo ranging from containers to dry bulk. Officials highlight that the port is expected to have maintained its position for the 17th consecutive year as the busiest overall port complex in terms of annual cargo throughput. The Ningbo-Zhoushan port, they highlight, has grown rapidly, moving up four places in the ranking...

Op-Ed: Bangladesh's Phased HKC Rollout Makes Sense - If Enforced

Published Jan 7, 2026 5:59 PM by Prof. Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmed

When the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) entered into force on June 26, 2025, it changed the legal landscape of global ship recycling overnight. What had long been discussed as a future compliance goal suddenly became binding international law. Bangladesh, the world’s largest ship-recycling state by volume, immediately found itself under intense scrutiny. Critics were quick to argue that allowing ship-recycling yards to comply with the Convention “phase by phase” after...

U.S. Navy Expands Maintenance and Repair Work with South Korea’s Shipyards

Published Jan 7, 2026 5:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Navy is continuing to expand its maintenance, repair, and overhaul assignments with South Korea’s shipyards as part of a strategy to maintain ships when possible closer to their areas of deployment. Korea broke into the MRO segment in 2024 and has now completed a series of contracts while expecting more work from the United States. South Korea’s largest shipbuilding group, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, is marking two milestones in the MRO business for the United States. The yard...

Delivery of Third U.S. Training Ship Delayed by Mechanical Problems

Published Jan 7, 2026 4:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

Reports from the media in Maine indicate the delivery of the third U.S. training ship, the State of Maine, has now been delayed till likely February as the ship awaits repairs to its propulsion systems. The project continues to be behind schedule due to construction delays and has been further compounded by the faults discovered on the ship during trials. The State of Maine is the third of five National Security Multi-Mission vessels being built by the Maritime Administration as...

Shipping

Indefinite U.S. Control of Venezuelan Oil Could Benefit Tankers, Traders

Following the removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration plans to oversee the country's oil exports, and will take delivery of 30-50 million barrels as a starting point. That initial consignment is just the start, though, and the oil export management arrangement will continue indefinitely, sources at the White House confirmed to CNBC. "We are going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela, first this backed up stored oil, and then indefinitely, going forward, we will sell...

Tugs & Salvage

Bulgaria Seeks Reimbursement from Owners of Salvaged Shadow Fleet Tanker

Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration presented a bill to the representatives of the Chinese-owned shadow fleet tanker that it was forced to salvage last month after it washed up on the shores of Bulgaria. The vessel had been attacked by Ukrainian forces while it was in the Black Sea heading to Russia to load crude oil. The Ministry of Transport and Communications announced on Wednesday, January 7, that it had presented a bill for €270,371 ($315,802) using a private bailiff to deliver...

Government

What Does UNCLOS Say About the U.S. Boarding of Bella 1?

[By Andrew Serdy] Relations between the US and Russia have hit a fresh bump after the US coastguard boarded a vessel sailing in the Icelandic waters, claiming it was in breach of sanctions on Venezuela. The incident immediately sparked claim and counter-claim from the US and Russia. The US claimed it was acting correctly to execute a warrant issued by a US federal court. Russian officials, meanwhile, were reported by the country’s Tass news agency as saying this was in...

Corporate News

Terra Nova Expeditions Launches 2027/28 Season

[By: Terra Nova Expeditions] Terra Nova Expeditions is thrilled to announce the launch of its 2027/28 Antarctic season, offering travellers unparalleled access to the world’s most remote and awe-inspiring landscapes. Sailing aboard the legendary St. Helena, a 98-passenger expedition vessel with a rich history and recently upgraded facilities, the season promises intimate, immersive, and authentic polar experiences. Building on a Successful Track Record Following a highly successful launch in 2025, Terra Nova Expeditions remains driven to offer a differentiated product...

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

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

Shipping

Indefinite U.S. Control of Venezuelan Oil Could Benefit Tankers, Traders

Tugs & Salvage

Bulgaria Seeks Reimbursement from Owners of Salvaged Shadow Fleet Tanker

Government

What Does UNCLOS Say About the U.S. Boarding of Bella 1?

Corporate News

Terra Nova Expeditions Launches 2027/28 Season

Cruise Ships

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

Ports

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

Offshore

Ørsted Files Additional Lawsuit Challenging Stop-Work Order on Sunrise Wind

Danish offshore energy developer Ørsted has filed its second lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s December 2025 stop-work order on five under-construction wind farms along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The company says the latest suit challenges the lease suspension and is seeking a preliminary injunction against the stop-work order. The suit follows a similar action filed by Ørsted last week as the joint owner of the Revolution Wind project. In addition, Equinor, which is developing the Empire Wind project, as well...

Shipbuilding

Russia's New Baltic Patrol Ship Could be a Covert Yacht for Putin

After nine years of construction, United Shipbuilding Corporation has delivered the emergency rescue vessel Voyevoda to the Russian Marine Rescue Service, MORSPAS. Voyevoda has unique characteristics that set her apart from anything else in the agency's response fleet. Wraparound glass on a forward observation deck; refined, curving lines and livery; a reported complement of eight residential suites; and a top speed of 22 knots all set her apart. The vessel's real purpose - first reported in English by Naval News,...

Environment

Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification

[By Anna Napolitano] The past 12 months have been worrying for researchers who study the chemistry of the ocean. More and more evidence has been published showing that human activities are fundamentally altering this chemistry in an acidic direction. At the end of 2025, it seems clear ocean acidification is pushing the largest habitat on Earth into a risky zone. Ocean acidification is part of the global carbon cycle. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonic acid. This...

Business

A floating modular nuclear power station based on molten salt reactor technology, granted an AIP by BV in 2022 (BV)

Regulatory and Liability Challenges to Unlocking Nuclear Power for Maritime

2025 was a challenging year for the maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts. Reports at the beginning of the year highlighted that despite an acceleration in the industry’s engagement in low-carbon clean technologies, international shipping emissions were said to have largely returned to 2008 levels. Positive signals came early in January with the introduction of FuelEU Maritime (FEUM), which represents one of the most comprehensive pieces of regional emissions legislation to date, and which seeks to incentivize the integration of low-carbon alternative...

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U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Fugitive Tanker After Transatlantic Chase

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

Op-Ed: Bangladesh's Phased HKC Rollout Makes Sense - If Enforced

U.S. Navy Expands Maintenance and Repair Work with South Korea’s Shipyards

Delivery of Third U.S. Training Ship Delayed by Mechanical Problems

Indefinite U.S. Control of Venezuelan Oil Could Benefit Tankers, Traders

Bulgaria Seeks Reimbursement from Owners of Salvaged Shadow Fleet Tanker

What Does UNCLOS Say About the U.S. Boarding of Bella 1?

Terra Nova Expeditions Launches 2027/28 Season

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

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

California Protects Blue Whales and Blue Skies With Historic State Law

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

Drew Marine Insights Tour: Connecting Expertise with Shipboard Challenges

Indefinite U.S. Control of Venezuelan Oil Could Benefit Tankers, Traders

Bulgaria Seeks Reimbursement from Owners of Salvaged Shadow Fleet Tanker

What Does UNCLOS Say About the U.S. Boarding of Bella 1?

Terra Nova Expeditions Launches 2027/28 Season

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

China’s Sprawling Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Sets New Record of 1.4 Billion Tons

Ørsted Files Additional Lawsuit Challenging Stop-Work Order on Sunrise Wind

Russia's New Baltic Patrol Ship Could be a Covert Yacht for Putin

Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification

Regulatory and Liability Challenges to Unlocking Nuclear Power for Maritime

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events