EU opens legal recycling route for shadow fleet tankers, sanctions maze constrains impact
EU opens legal recycling route for shadow fleet tankers, sanctions maze constrains impact
in
International Shipping News
11/05/2026
New EU rules will provide a legal channel for recycling shadow fleet tankers, according to industry participants and analysts, even though their actual impact could be limited by the complex international sanctions network.
In its 20th sanctions package against Russia, adopted April 23, Brussels announced an exemption for companies to deal with EU-sanctioned ships if they were to be sent to scrapyards.
“The scrapping clause is a constructive addition,” Dimitris Roumeliotis, a research analyst at Xclusiv Shipbrokers, told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy. “Ιt creates a legitimate pathway for vessels to exit the shadow fleet through recycling.”
In recent years, Russia, Iran and Venezuela have partnered with shadow fleet operators to acquire tens of hundreds of aged tankers to maintain their energy sales in circumvention of Western sanctions.
Many shipping p
HD Hyundai Robotics Secures Order for Robotic Welding Solutions from Chouest Group, Establishing a Strategic Foothold for Global Smart Yard Expansion
HD Hyundai Robotics Secures Order for Robotic Welding Solutions from Chouest Group, Establishing a Strategic Foothold for Global Smart Yard Expansion
in
Shipbuilding News
11/05/2026
As a proven case of implementing the advancement and productivity innovation of the shipbuilding industry envisioned by the MASGA initiative, HD Hyundai Robotics, the robot manufacturing and solutions subsidiary of HD Hyundai, has made a full-scale entry into the U.S. shipyard automation market and established a strategic foothold for expanding its global shipbuilding automation business. This breakthrough was driven through HD Hyundai Robotics USA, Inc., the company’s U.S.
China’s shipping industry propels shift toward intelligence
China’s shipping industry propels shift toward intelligence
in
International Shipping News
11/05/2026
Scenes once only seen in science fiction — ships plotting routes autonomously, identifying obstacles in real time, and docking at ports with fully automated cranes — are quickly becoming the new normal in China’s maritime industry.
Driven by a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, the world’s largest shipping nation is actively pivoting toward “smart shipping,” which experts say is essential for developing “new quality productive forces” and securing supply chains.
“Smart shipping is a water transport system focused on vessel autonomy, supported by digital infrastructure and guaranteed by collaborative operational control,” said Geng Xiongfei, an expert from the country’s Ministry of Transport (MOT). He noted that developing this sector is essential for improving safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
The stakes are high. China currently boasts the world’s
Shipping firms are being whipsawed by changing stances and risks as they wait for Hormuz to reopen
Shipping firms are being whipsawed by changing stances and risks as they wait for Hormuz to reopen
in
International Shipping News
11/05/2026
With hundreds of vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf and costs piling up, shipping companies are being whipsawed by uncertainty over how and when the Strait of Hormuz might reopen more than two months into the Iran war.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” a way for the U.S. to “guide” ships to exit the strait. Two ships made the transit, but by Tuesday Trump abruptly paused the effort to allow time for a deal to end the war.
Meanwhile, the risks for ships and crew haven’t faded.
Force Majeure in the Age of Geopolitical Shock and Energy Security
Force Majeure in the Age of Geopolitical Shock and Energy Security
in
International Shipping News
11/05/2026
A
s the Strait of Hormuz enters its eleventh week of effective closure with hundreds of vessels at anchor and roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade at a standstill, a recurring question asked by industry leaders globally is: does this trigger force majeure? The answer depends on the precise wording of the force majeure clause and the context in which the contract was concluded. We take a closer look at the position under English law, which governs a large proportion of the world’s shipping and energy contracts.
Ongoing Geopolitical Disruption – A New Normal
The Strait of Hormuz crisis did not arrive in a vacuum. It follows the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, the rerouting of global trade around the Cape of Good Hope and the cascading effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on energy supply chains.
For shipowners, charterers, commodity traders and energy companie
Trump Says Iran’s Response to U.S. Peace Proposal is Unacceptable
President Donald Trump speaks with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during military operations in Iran, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. The White House/Social Media/Handout via REUTERS
Trump Says Iran’s Response to U.S. Peace Proposal is Unacceptable
Reuters
Total Views: 0
May 10, 2026
By Nayera Abdallah (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran’s response to a
U.S.
MMI Daily Iron Ore Index Report May 11 2026
MMI Daily Iron Ore Index Report May 11 2026
in
Chinese iron ore and steelmaking prices
11/05/2026
On May 8, 2026, iron ore futures experienced oscillating movements in the morning session before edging lower in the afternoon.
The main contract I2609 closed at 814.5 yuan/ton, down 0.06% from the previous trading session. Port spot prices remained largely flat compared to the day before. Traders showed limited enthusiasm for quoting, while most steel mills adopted a wait-and-see approach, with purchases driven mainly by immediate needs.
Russia-linked LNG Carrier ‘Merkuriy’ Loads at Arctic Hub, Expanding Shadow Fleet Capacity
(Source: Rosmorport)
Russia-linked LNG Carrier ‘Merkuriy’ Loads at Arctic Hub, Expanding Shadow Fleet Capacity
Malte Humpert
Total Views: 0
May 11, 2026
The LNG carrier
Merkuriy
, recently reflagged to Russia alongside three other tankers, has been observed loading liquefied natural gas at the
Saam
floating storage unit (FSU), satellite imagery and automatic identification system (AIS) data show. The vessels are serving the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project.
Merkuriy
is one of four LNG carriers – alongside
Kosmos
,
Luch
and
Orion
– that were previously part of Oman’s Asyad Shipping fleet and sold en bloc earlier this year for roughly $110 million, according to company disclosures and shipbroking sources.
All four vessels have since been reflagged to Russia
, according to maritime tracking data and industry reporting.
Initial uncertainty over their new role has now given way to mounting evidence that the ships are being integrated into the logistics chain supporting Arctic LNG 2, a sancti
LNG Shipping Market in Quiet Mode, as LPGs on the Rise
LNG Shipping Market in Quiet Mode, as LPGs on the Rise
in
International Shipping News
11/05/2026
The LNG spot market experienced a quiet week, with rates easing modestly across all major routes amid subdued fixing activity. While underlying vessel availability remains relatively tight, the lack of fresh cargo demand kept downward pressure on earnings across both basins.
On the BLNG1 Australia–Japan route, 174,000 cbm vessels declined by $3,400 week-on-week to settle at $67,100/day. The Pacific market remained muted, with minimal activity and little momentum to support rates.
The BLNG2 US Gulf–Continent route edged lower, with earnings slipping $1,000 to $94,500/day.
Second Qatari LNG tanker Heads Through Hormuz to Pakistan as Iran War Continues, Data Shows
A photo taken on December 5, 2025, of Al Kharaitiyat vessel, which data shows it was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, May 9, 2026, after departing Qatar’s Ras Laffan en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan, in this picture obtained from social media. Obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. VERIFICATION: – Location not verified – Identity of the vessel confirmed as al kharaitiyat vessel by its structure, color and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number which matched archive images – Date confirmed by the original files metadata
Second Qatari LNG tanker Heads Through Hormuz to Pakistan as Iran War Continues, Data Shows
Reuters
Total Views: 1
May 11, 2026
By Marwa Rashad
LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) – A second Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan, highlighting how cargoes are crossing the waterway on a case-by-c