22 APR 2026 The first of two large, fully-electric containerships was placed in service in China. Built for Ningbo Ocean Shipping, they are being promoted as a key advancement in sustainability and China’s leadership in green shipping. The first are reported to be China’s first, the largest intelligence containerships powered …
Read More »USCG CONFIRMS FINDING CAPSIZED US CARGO SHIP BUT NO SIGN OF CREW
21 APR 2026 The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed in a statement on Monday, April 20, that it has identified the overturned vessel found in the Northern Mariana Islands as a missing U.S. cargo ship. The search is ongoing, having located additional debris, but so far, no sign has been reported …
Read More »TIME, NOT DISTANCE
20 APR 2026 For centuries, the great circle route has been an elegant solution addressing the shortest path between two points. Modern shipping, however, operates in a world where distance alone is an incomplete metric. Climate volatility, the economics of fuel, charter party complexity, congestion, safety and even wildlife migration …
Read More »FOUR CRUISE SHIPS ESCAPE PERSIAN GULF AFTER BEING TRAPPED FOR 47 DAYS
19 APR 2026 Taking advantage of the relative calm with the current ceasefire and reports that the Strait of Hormuz is open, the first of the cruise ships began their outward journey. Six cruise ships had been caught in the Persian Gulf when hostilities began and have remained for the past 47 …
Read More »TRAFFIC CONFUSION IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
18 APR 2026 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on April 17 that the Strait of Hormuz ‘is open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed between Israel and Lebanon’. He said ships …
Read More »IRAN ANNOUNCES “OPENING” OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ
17 APR 2026 Having secured U.S. assistance in pressuring Israel to accept a 10-day pause of hostilities against Iranian-allied terrorist group Hezbollah, the government of Iran has announced that it is “completely” reopening the Strait of Hormuz after a bruising six-week closure. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage …
Read More »ZIM’S EMPLOYEES GO OUT ON STRIKE AS HAPAG MERGER MOVES FORWARD
16 APR 2026 Employees of Israeli shipping firm Zim have gone on strike to protest the labor terms of the firm’s sale to Hapag-Lloyd, according to local media. Union officials told CTech that they are concerned that Hapag-Lloyd wants to offer early retirement to many longtime employees instead of keeping them on. …
Read More »HOW IRAN AND THE U.S. JUSTIFY DIFFERING VIEWS ON FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION
15 APR 2026 While everyone agrees that, geographically speaking, it is a strait – a narrow sea passage connecting two places that ships want to go – its political and legal status is rather more complicated. The United States and Iran both eye the strait – a choke point through …
Read More »U.S. NAVY DESTROYER TURNS BACK TWO IRAN-LINKED TANKERS
14 APR 2026 The U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping is unfolding successfully so far, according to U.S. Central Command, including enforcement along the Gulf of Oman coastline. Two tankers that attempted to leave Chabahar were interdicted by a U.S. Navy destroyer and instructed to turn around, officials told Reuters late …
Read More »SHIPPING FACES TOUGH CHOICES ON WHETHER TO PAY FOR ACCESS TO HORMUZ
12 APR 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, …
Read More »