A New Front in Shipping’s Climate Battle: The Federal Maritime Commission
Container ships wait off the coast of the congested Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Long Beach, California, U.S., October 1, 2021. REUTERS/ Alan Devall/File Photo
A New Front in Shipping’s Climate Battle: The Federal Maritime Commission
Editorial
Total Views: 174
May 6, 2026
By Sean Pribyl, Michael Amy (Holland & Knight) –
Federal Maritime Commission (
FMC
) Chairman Laura DiBella recently
participated
in the U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 84th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) session in London, marking an unprecedented development in U.S.
Container Spot Rates Snap Back as Carriers Push Emergency Surcharges Amid Hormuz Tensions
A cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen at the port of Oakland, California, U.S., August 4, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Container Spot Rates Snap Back as Carriers Push Emergency Surcharges Amid Hormuz Tensions
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
May 7, 2026
Container spot rates rebounded this week after
three consecutive weekly declines
, as ocean carriers pushed through a new wave of emergency fuel and peak season surcharges tied to rising operational risks and continued uncertainty surrounding the
Strait of Hormuz crisis
.
According to the latest Drewry World Container Index (WCI), the composite index increased 3% to $2,286 per 40-foot container, driven primarily by gains on major Transpacific routes.
Rates from Shanghai to New York climbed 7% week-over-week to $3,721 per FEU, while Shanghai to Los Angeles rose 5% to $3,062 per FEU.
The increases come as carriers implement Emergency Fuel Surcharges (EFS) and Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) amid elevated bunker costs, longer
Shipping decarbonization no longer an ‘if’ – Net Zero Framework endures at MEPC 84
Shipping decarbonization no longer an ‘if’ – Net Zero Framework endures at MEPC 84
in
International Shipping News
07/05/2026
Delegates at the 84th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) agreed to preserve the Net Zero Framework (NZF) as the central basis for continued negotiations, following intense last-minute debates over the scope and direction of the upcoming intersessional work.
In the final hours of negotiations, member states reached a compromise on the Terms of Reference (TOR) for intersessional discussions ahead of MEPC 85. While the revised text allows for the submission of additional and alternative proposals, it affirms that the NZF remains the primary reference point for advancing the IMO’s mid-term measures. A broad coalition of countries continued to defend the NZF’s core architecture, reinforcing its status as a hard-won multilateral compromise with sustained majority backing across regions.
A compromise timeline was ultimately adopted, with
Gulf’s Fragile Trade Lifeline Hangs on Two Eastern UAE Ports
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Gulf’s Fragile Trade Lifeline Hangs on Two Eastern UAE Ports
Reuters
Total Views: 0
May 6, 2026
FUJAIRAH, May 6 (Reuters) – At the UAE port of Fujairah, conveyor belts offloaded grain from bulk carriers on Wednesday, while crude oil flowed through pipes and onto tankers berthed along its quay.
Dozens of loaded trucks lined up near the port and others parked outside waiting their turn, while offshore, vessels labeled Cosco, Gardenia and other shipping lines lay at anchor, service boats weaving between them.
Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, another eastern port with open access to the Indian Ocean, have become the UAE’s economic lifeline since the effective closure of the
Strait of Hormuz
.
They are now handling the bulk of the UAE’s seaborne trade in place of the major terminals on the western c
Maersk delivered volume growth across all businesses in Q1
Maersk delivered volume growth across all businesses in Q1
in
International Shipping News
07/05/2026
A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S (OMX: MAERSK-B) delivered solid first quarter results with EBIT of USD 340m, driven by strong volume growth across all businesses, continuous operational improvements, and cost containment measures.
Executive Summary
Ocean outperformed the market growing volumes by 9.3%
Logistics & Services grew revenue by 8.7% while continuing to improve margins
Terminals lifted volumes by 4.3% and made significant expansion investments
Continued execution of the USD 1.0bn share buy-back programme
Global container market volume expected to grow by 2-4% in 2026
Maersk’s full-year guidance is maintained
CEO
Statement
“We’ve seen strong demand across most regions this quarter, supporting robust volume growth in our three business segments. In Ocean in particular, market volatility remains high and industry oversupply continues to put pressure on rates.
CMA CGM Containership Confirmed Attacked in Hormuz, Crew Injured
A CMA CGM containership transits the South Red Sea under escort by a EUNAVFOR warship. Photo courtesy Operation ASPIDES
CMA CGM Containership Confirmed Attacked in Hormuz, Crew Injured
Reuters
Total Views: 1
May 6, 2026
PARIS, May 6 (Reuters) – A CMA CGM container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, injuring crew members and damaging the vessel, while another vessel run by the French group exited the Gulf, as the
U.S.-Iran conflict
continued to disrupt shipping traffic.
The
San Antonio
was hit on Tuesday, with injured seafarers evacuated for medical treatment,
CMA CGM
, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, said on Wednesday, declining further comment.
It marked the latest attack on ships since the war erupted, stranding hundreds of vessels and disrupting 20% of global oil trade.
Washington launched an operation on Monday to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing two
U.S.-flagged vessels
to exit the Gulf.
However, U.S. President Donal
UNCTAD: Hidden Trade Barriers, Not Tariffs, Are Driving Export Costs Higher
Photo: Shutterstock/Strikernia
UNCTAD: Hidden Trade Barriers, Not Tariffs, Are Driving Export Costs Higher
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
May 7, 2026
UN Trade and Development is warning that the biggest barriers to global trade are increasingly found not in tariffs, but in the technical, regulatory and certification requirements exporters must navigate to reach foreign markets.
In its
May Global Trade Update
, UNCTAD said non-tariff measures — including technical rules, health and safety standards, and certification procedures — now exceed tariff costs in 88% of cases, making them the dominant driver of export costs for most countries.
The burden is falling hardest on developing and least developed economies, which face the double hit of rising tariffs and higher compliance costs. UNCTAD said least developed countries lose around 10% of their exports to G20 markets because they cannot meet these requirements.
The report does not argue for eliminating such rules, which often support health
Drewry: Suez Canal Containership Crossings Recover
Drewry: Suez Canal Containership Crossings Recover
in
International Shipping News
07/05/2026
Drewry’s Red Sea Diversion Tracker delivers timely intelligence to shippers, carriers, ports and other stakeholders on the evolving structure of carrier networks in the region. This tracker page will be updated fortnightly (every other Tuesday).
Red Sea Diversion Tracker – assessment for 05 May 2026
The number of containerships sailing via the Suez Canal recovered in the last 2 weeks, going back to the pre-Iran conflict levels, according to the Drewry Red Sea Diversion Tracker.
In the 2-week period ended 3 May, 56 containerships transited through Suez (27 in week 17 and 29 in week 18). The 2-week total was up 33% from the 42 transits in the previous 2-week period ended 17 April.
Much of the increase was due to CMA CGM, which ramped up the number of its 8,000teu+ Suez transits to 10 in the latest 2-week period, up from 2 in the previous 2-week period.
Dry-Bulk Shipping Rates Hit Two-Year High on Capesize Demand
ImagineStock/Shutterstock
Dry-Bulk Shipping Rates Hit Two-Year High on Capesize Demand
Bloomberg
Total Views: 1
May 7, 2026
By Katharine Gemmell
May 7, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A key measure of bulk-shipping rates jumped to the highest level since December 2023, driven by rising demand for Capesize vessels along with tightening supply of ships that haul bulk commodities.
The Baltic Dry Index surged 5.6% to 2,991 points on Wednesday, extending gains for a fourth session. The gauge tracks freight rates for Capesize, Panamax, and Supramax ships transporting raw materials such as iron ore, coal and grain.
The Capesize market has “strengthened sharply over the past two weeks” on tightening ship availability in the Pacific, disruptions to iron ore exports from Brazil, and hedging of future freight rates, said Pranay Shukla, the head of dry bulk freight and commodities research at S&P Global Energy.
Strong bulk commodity exports in April are expected to continue this month and into June, according t
Maersk Says Energy Crunch to Persist Even If Iran Peace Deal Struck
A cargo ship docked at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, May 6, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Maersk Says Energy Crunch to Persist Even If Iran Peace Deal Struck
Reuters
Total Views: 0
May 7, 2026
By Stine Jacobsen and Jesus Calero
COPENHAGEN, May 7 (Reuters) – Shipping group Maersk MAERSKb.CO beat first-quarter profit forecasts on Thursday but warned the Iran war had pushed its fuel costs up by nearly $500 million a month and that the energy crisis would persist even if a peace deal was reached.
Shares in Maersk were down 6.5% at 1100 GMT after its results, underperforming a broadly flat Copenhagen benchmark index amid worries that high fuel prices could hit profits.
Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said the war had added roughly 3 billion Danish crowns ($472.7 million) to the company’s monthly costs as bunker fuel prices surged from around $600 to just under $1,000 per metric ton.
Clerc sai