An unprecedented level of investment in multi-deck vehicle carriers is being driven by tonnage replacement and scale economy strategies, but emphatically also by explosive growth in China’s automotive exports.Global deep-sea automotive shipments, excluding the Russian trade, were estimated at some 15.6 million units in 2025, up 5 percent on 2024, maintaining recent years’ trajectory. China’s inexorable rise as a producer and exporter is the conspicuous influence on traffic development.
As political chatter centers on rebuilding the U.S. maritime industry, Brett Hewitt, Executive Director, Marine Finance, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, offers a lender’s-eye view of a market where vessels are expensive, assets can remain productive for decades and the quality of the operator can be every bit as important as the collateral.For lenders, one of the Jones Act market’s biggest attractions is remarkably straightforward: boats last a long time.“The collateral has a long useful life,” Hewitt said, noting that vessels are documented with the U.S.
China dipped into its massive crude oil stockpile in August for the third month in the past four as increased refinery processing exceeded a modest increase in oil imports.Refineries processed about 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) more than what was available to them from imports and domestic oil production, according to calculations based on official data.China, the world's biggest crude importer, slashed its purchases to the lowest in a decade in the wake of the higher oil prices caused by the disruption to supplies from the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Oil prices rose nearly $3 on Tuesday after a report said oil loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu have been suspended, and Libya halted operations at three oil fields, heightening concerns that disruptions to key oil supply routes could persist for weeks.Brent crude futures were up $2.81, or 2.66%, at $108.49 a barrel at 1106 a.m. ET, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 futures were up $3.29 at $104.68 a barrel. If prices hold, both contracts would be on track to close at their highest in nearly four months.
BroCoTec, a Houston-based maritime cyber security specialist, is urging US vessel operators to act now on new Coast Guard cybersecurity regulations, warning they are a 'banana skin' for unprepared companies.The regulations establish cybersecurity requirements for covered U.S.-flagged vessels, facilities and Outer Continental Shelf facilities. The rule became effective July 16, 2025, with phased compliance requirements.
The first thing that stands out when you walk through a modern shipyard isn't the technology – it's the sheer scale of the work and the size of the parts going into these massive ships the size of city blocks. I recently visited a Korean shipyard watching teams of workers join two 50-foot-tall, 100,000-pound hull sections into place. This particular shipyard does this every day, building up to 40 ships a year.Seeing that kind of scale firsthand puts into perspective just how much coordination, labor, and industrial capacity it takes to keep a yard operating at full speed.
Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC) announced a manufacturing partnership with fellow Florida-based boatbuilder SŌLACE Boats, a partnership designed to enable MARTAC to scale production of its Devil Ray USV platforms by 100 vessels per year, meeting increasing demand signals from U.S. and allied-nation governments as well as supporting national security operations. SŌLACE Boats has an established reputation for designing and building high-performance and high-strength boats.
Following its acquisition of compressor manufacturer Köhler & Hörter (KOHO) last year, the marine pump and gauging system specialist Svanehoj appointed long-time Neuman & Esser executive Jens Wulff as Managing Director of KOHO and Head of Compressors at Svanehoj.Wulff brings more than 14 years of experience from global compressor manufacturer Neuman & Esser, where he held senior positions across sales, operations, and management, most recently as Regional CEO for EMEA & India.KOHO was founded in 1948 by Alfred Köhler and August Hörter.
Oman's Maritime Security Centre said on Tuesday that the Panama-flagged oil tanker 'EL GAIA' was being towed to an Omani port after a fire broke out in its engine room following an attack.The tanker was about 103 nautical miles northeast of Musandam when it was attacked, the centre said. An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing.(Reuters - Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Andrew
A Russian frigate fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, the Nordic NATO member's military said.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after incidents involving gas pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, all of which have increased tensions between Moscow and the West.The Fennec military helicopter had been on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate, the Danish defence command said in a statement late on Monday.
Shipping group Maersk said on Monday that four more of its joint container services with Germany's Hapag-Lloyd will resume sailings through the Suez Canal, as they gradually return to using the shortcut between Asia and Europe.The Asia-Europe trade corridor through the Suez Canal was abandoned by most shippers earlier this decade after attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthis, forcing ships to take the much longer trip around Africa."The Suez Canal is a vital maritime corridor between East and West and a key driver of efficient global supply chains," Denmark's Maersk said in a statement.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia on Monday and Gulf Arab states postponed planned talks with Iran, underscoring fears that the Middle East conflict could spread further and threaten global oil supplies.U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wanted to reach a deal with Washington, signalling a possible diplomatic opening despite the widening regional tensions."The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage - The concept of which we are open to," Trump wrote on Truth Social.