CHICAGO — July 30, 2026 — The United States cannot rebuild its maritime strength by focusing solely on its ocean coasts. Instead, the nation's industrial resurgence depends on recognizing the Great Lakes as one of America's five maritime coastlines and leveraging the region's unmatched manufacturing ecosystem, according to U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel.
The world's oil tanker fleet is behaving as if the Strait of Hormuz is reopening — even as the waterway itself remains only partially navigable and politically contested. From ship tracking data to freight rates, the signals are clear: owners and charterers are moving early to position vessels for a return to Gulf exports.
Oman's Asyad Group and France's CMA CGM Group have signed a framework agreement to develop, manage and operate a multipurpose logistics terminal in Sohar, establishing a strategic partnership aimed at boosting maritime connectivity and opening new regional trade corridors.The agreement, signed during the official visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to France
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has delivered a hybrid construction and cable laying vessel (CLV) to Japan's Toyo Construction, marking its first vessel delivery to the Japanese offshore wind market.The vessel was handed over at Vard Langsten in Norway on June 26. It is also the first vessel Toyo Construction has ordered from Vard.
Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with research organization Inkfish for the design and construction of a deep-sea research vessel based on the VARD 9 42 design, in a deal valued at nearly $810 million (€700 million).The company said the contract is the largest order ever secured by Vard for a single vessel and the largest order of its kind for a Norwegian shipyard.
Long-distance ferry routes form a key part of Japan’s national transport infrastructure, connecting the archipelago’s four major islands and littoral centers of population, commerce and industry.RoRo passenger (RoPax) ferry fleet renewal and development has been a constant process over the past two decades in particular
In December of 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the award of two contracts to build up to six Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreakers. The announcement declaring the vessels would be built between the United States and Finland in a major step forward for America’s national security in the Arctic region. The decision process encompassed more than the security of the Arctic passage.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation and Saltchuk Resources, Inc. announced a definitive agreement for Saltchuk to acquire Great Lakes at an aggregate equity value of approximately $1.2 billion and a total transaction value of $1.5 billion.Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both companies
Singapore-based engineering group Seatrium has reported strong execution in the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, bolstered by major offshore and wind project deliveries, a high-value order book and strategic asset sales.The group’s net order book stood at about $12.8 billion (S$16.6 billion), covering 24 projects slated for delivery through 2031.
Stena Line strengthened its position in the Baltic Sea by acquiring NLC Ferry Ab Oy/Wasaline and taking over operations of the ferry route between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland.“It is with great joy and enthusiasm that we at Stena Line take on the responsibility for Wasaline and the route between two important regions and cities, Umeå and Vaasa,” says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
The American Waterways Operators, the trade association of the American tugboat, towboat and barge industry, has released a new video on the industry's contributions to U.S. national and homeland security.The two-minute video, The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry: Supplying America, Securing America, notes that while the mariners who transport cargo and facilitate commerce on America's rivers
South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's biggest shipbuilder, said on Wednesday that it plans to merge with its affiliate HD Hyundai Mipo as it targets a bigger slice of the U.S. shipbuilding market.With the merger, the company said it aims to lead U.S.-Korea shipbuilding cooperation projects touted during a recent summit between the leaders of the countries that Seoul has dubbed