Four shipowners from Sweden, Norway and Canada have ordered four new VINGA product tankers for delivery in 2028 and 2029, expanding the Furetank-developed vessel series to 26 ships.Two of the vessels will be owned by FureBear, a joint venture between Sweden's Furetank and Canada's Algoma Central Corporation, while Norway's O.H. Meling and Sweden's Älvtank will each take one.The order marks O.H.
A flourishing cruise market and European shipbuilders’ unerring contractual success in the sector has taken orderbooks into the middle of the next decade, ensuring production continuity and underpinning fresh capital expenditure and R&D commitments by the continent’s foremost players.
Continuous design refinement and incremental productivity gains — reflecting the Japanese concept of kaizen — alongside unremitting attention to contractual performance and product quality have seen the country’s shipbuilders maintain a high profile in certain sectors of the commercial vessel market.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after marathon talks with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire.The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ordered both Alaska Tanker Company (ATC) and Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), Saltchuk Resources subsidiaries, to immediately recognize the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) and bargain in good faith with more than 125 Licensed Deck Officers.
When Yeh Chih-sheng steps aboard Taiwan Coast Guard vessel CG1005 in the choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait, he brings more than his uniform and orders: he also has temple charms blessed by the gods revered by fishermen for protection at sea.Yeh is first mate of the 2,400-ton ship based in Taiwan's Penghu islands
In February 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a major decision that caught the attention of shipowners, bunker suppliers, charterers, and maritime lawyers around the world. The case – Three Fifty Markets, Ltd. v. M/V ARGOS M, et al. – is a masterclass in how maritime liens, bunker supply chains, and “no lien” clauses collide in modern shipping commerce
Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China that appears tied to a
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rule defining when ocean carriers unlawfully refuse to negotiate or provide vessel space, rejecting a challenge from the World Shipping Council (WSC).The case stems from the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA)
A private survey of leading stakeholders conducted by Human Rights at Sea demonstrates a nationwide pattern of chronic under-funding in the provision of seafarer support services in Australia.Human Rights at Sea conducted the online survey to identify what port welfare resources are already in place and any gaps that need to be addressed.
On January 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump designated Laura DiBella to serve as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.Chairman DiBella was sworn in as a Commissioner on January 6, 2026. She was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025 and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025, to serve a term that expires on June 30, 2028.
Increased sanctions (enforcement), resilient oil demand, partly due to stock building in China, and growing OPEC+ supply have all contributed to create a rate environment we have not seen since the freight rate boom in the early days of the pandemic, says Poten & Partners in an opinion this week.Very limited fleet supply growth in 2024 and 2025 has also contributed.