How viable is Syria as a trade route to bypass blocked Hormuz strait?
How viable is Syria as a trade route to bypass blocked Hormuz strait?
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International Shipping News
29/04/2026
As disruption in the Strait of Hormuz pushes governments and businesses to seek alternative routes, Syria is re-emerging as a potential trade corridor, linking Iraq to the Mediterranean and the Gulf to Europe.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, said earlier this month that the country’s geography makes it a “safe corridor” and an “alternative route” for energy supplies and supply chains, particularly between the Gulf and Turkiye.
That role is already beginning to take shape. Under a joint agreement between Syria and Iraq, Iraqi oil exports have started moving through Syrian ports, Al-Sharaa said.
His remarks come as the regional conflict has upended longstanding energy and commercial trade routes.
When the US and Israel began joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran retaliated by attacking Israel and the Arab states and effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a
ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook
ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook
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International Shipping News
29/04/2026
Singapore and Malaysia
VLSFO delivery schedules in Singapore have stretched further, now ranging between 7-15 days, compared to 5-12 days previously. HSFO lead times have also lengthened to 7-12 days from last week’s 5-10-day window. LSMGO availability has tightened as well, with lead times extending to 6-9 days, up from 2-7 days.
Singapore’s residual fuel oil inventories have trended lower, averaging 5% below March levels so far in April, according to Enterprise Singapore.
UN shipping chief hopes for consensus over Net-Zero Framework despite divisions
UN shipping chief hopes for consensus over Net-Zero Framework despite divisions
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International Shipping News
29/04/2026
International Maritime Organization member states could still reach a consensus on the Net-Zero Framework without a vote despite currently divided views, the UN agency’s secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, said April 27 after what he described as “momentum” during recent technical meetings.
The framework, designed to place a cost on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from marine energy from 2028, was first hammered through in a vote in April 2025 before its opponents successfully prevented its adoption last October by winning a separate vote to delay the negotiation by a year.
The UN agency is holding the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee April 27-May 1, during which member states will have further talks over the framework as a growing number of countries are seeking to revise the previously approved text.
“The fact that they’re actually
Newbuilding Orders Picking Up Pace in the Wet Sector
Newbuilding Orders Picking Up Pace in the Wet Sector
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Hellenic Shipping News
29/04/2026
M
ore tankers and LNGs have been on the newbuilding ordering “menu” over the past week. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “in the gas carrier sector, China’s Zhoushan Dashenzhou Shipbuilding secured an order for 3 x 10,000 cu.m. LNG/ammonia carriers from Brazil’s Transpetro, the Petrobras subsidiary.
U.S. Forces Search and Release Containership Suspected of Violating Blockade on Iran
forces board the M/V Blue Star III suspected of breaching the U.S. maritime blockade on Iran, April 28, 2026. Forces Search and Release Containership Suspected of Violating Blockade on Iran
Mike Schuler
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April 28, 2026
U.S.
US-Led Bloc Condemns China Pressure on Panama-Flagged Ships
A view of the Balboa Port is pictured after Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison agreed to sell its interests in a key Panama Canal port operator to a BlackRock Inc-backed consortium, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to curb China’s influence in the region, Panama City, Panama, March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun
US-Led Bloc Condemns China Pressure on Panama-Flagged Ships
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 28, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday released a joint statement with five Latin American and Caribbean governments backing Panama’s sovereignty and condemning pressure tied to recent actions against Panama-flagged vessels, escalating a maritime dispute that has increasingly moved from port concessions into global shipping and geopolitics.
Issued jointly by the United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, the statement said the governments were “monitoring with vigilance” what it called China’s “targeted economic pressure” following Panama
Marine fuels contaminated with unwanted chemical compounds
Marine fuels contaminated with unwanted chemical compounds
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Marine Insurance P&I Club News
29/04/2026
Recently, Skuld has seen several vessels reporting bunkered fuel that is on specification as per ISO 8217 parameters. Still when advanced tests were carried out, Gas Chromatography MassSpectrometry (GCMS) showed a high presence of hydrocarbon compounds, phenolic compounds, and other alkylresorcinol derivatives.
Most of these bunkered fuels stem from Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The results mentioned above are similar to those reported by fuel testing laboratories, i.e., that it include levels of shale oil components.
Hanwha Ocean beats Q1 forecasts on LNG-led profits
Hanwha Ocean beats Q1 forecasts on LNG-led profits
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Shipbuilding News
29/04/2026
Hanwha Ocean posted a first-quarter earnings surprise, driven by a high-margin shipbuilding portfolio centered on liquefied natural gas carriers, as demand for alternative fuels strengthened amid Middle East-driven energy volatility.
According to the company’s earnings call Monday, operating profit for the January-March period rose 70.6 percent on-year to 441.1 billion won ($300 million), while revenue edged up 2.1 percent to 3.21 trillion won.
The “Lebretha,” the 200th LNG carrier constructed by Hanwha Ocean for SK Shipping (Hanwha Ocean) The “Lebretha,” the 200th LNG carrier constructed by Hanwha Ocean for SK Shipping (Hanwha Ocean)
Hanwha Ocean posted a first-quarter earnings surprise, driven by a high-margin shipbuilding portfolio centered on liquefied natural gas carriers, as demand for alternative fuels strengthened amid Middle East-driven energy volatility.
According to the company’s earnings call
China establishes world’s largest integrated maritime safety network
China establishes world’s largest integrated maritime safety network
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International Shipping News
29/04/2026
China has developed the world’s most comprehensive maritime safety and support infrastructure, creating a complete navigational assistance network covering coastal ports and shipping lanes, according to the Ministry of Transport.
In the first quarter of this year, China’s coastal and inland ports handled 8.11 million vessel calls and 4.795 billion tons of cargo — up 6.57 percent and 21.72 percent year on year, respectively.
Behind this busy shipping network lies an equally extensive support system. “Maritime safety and support services provide technical backing for waterborne activities through spatial geographic information, navigation aids, communications, and environmental sensing, explained an official with the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) under the Ministry of Transport. “This ensures vessel safety, improves shipping efficiency, and supports marine economic develo
Maersk suspends Berbera port bookings, tightening Horn trade routes
Maersk suspends Berbera port bookings, tightening Horn trade routes
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International Shipping News
29/04/2026
Maersk has suspended new cargo bookings to and from the Port of Berbera in Somaliland, adding strain to Horn of Africa trade corridors.
The move could disrupt regional flows, particularly domestic cargo, and tighten already fragile supply chains.
The Danish shipping line did not give a formal reason, but the suspension comes amid rising political tensions in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi group recently warned of what it described as expanding Israeli influence in the Horn following diplomatic ties with Somaliland.
The Houthis said such moves threaten Somalia’s sovereignty and the stability of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with potential implications for global trade.
The decision disrupts a fast-growing inland corridor linking coastal ports to Ethiopia’s import demand. The firm advised customers to seek alternative land-based solutions.
Trade shockBerbera has emerged as a strateg