What Does China’s Shifting Grain Supply Strategy Mean for Global Commodity Trade Flows?
What Does China’s Shifting Grain Supply Strategy Mean for Global Commodity Trade Flows?
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Dry Bulk Market
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International Shipping News
22/04/2026
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ollowing last year’s US-China trade truce, China has resumed purchases of US grains and soybeans, a development welcomed by Washington after years of steadily declining volumes. Yet even as Beijing honours its commitments to American farmers, it is simultaneously casting its net wider. This month, Chinese trader COFCO lifted the first Argentinian corn cargo bound for China in 15 years, a move that underscores how food security, rather than trade diplomacy, is driving Beijing’s agricultural strategy.
The urgency of that strategy has only sharpened in recent months, as conflict in the Middle East has forced the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global fertilizer flows and raising the prospect of smaller harvests and higher food prices in the season ahead.
China slashes US grain imports as Brazil fills the gap
The grain
Only three ships cross Strait of Hormuz as shipping halt persists
Only three ships cross Strait of Hormuz as shipping halt persists
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International Shipping News
22/04/2026
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted on Tuesday, with only three vessels crossing the waterway in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data reported on by Reuters on Tuesday.
The Ean Spir products tanker sailed through Hormuz on Tuesday after calling at an Iraqi port, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.
The Lianstar cargo ship also passed through the strait from an Iranian port, the data showed.
The Meda liquefied petroleum gas tanker crossed the strait on Monday in its second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back previously, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.
The three vessels represent a fraction of the 140 ships that sailed through daily before the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28.
More than a dozen tankers passed through the strait after Iran briefly declare
Windward: Q1 2026 Risk Report: Shipping’s Most Turbulent Quarter in 50 Years
Windward: Q1 2026 Risk Report: Shipping’s Most Turbulent Quarter in 50 Years
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International Shipping News
22/04/2026
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n February 28, the Iran war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Within days, daily traffic through the world’s most critical oil chokepoint collapsed from roughly 120 vessels to a trickle — a 97% drop that left more than 800 ships stranded west of the strait, thousands of seafarers in limbo, and Asian refiners scrambling for crude that could no longer reach them.
It was not the only shock. The quarter opened with the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the culmination of a six-week U.S.
Ship Owners Move Towards Second Hand Vessels
Ship Owners Move Towards Second Hand Vessels
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Hellenic Shipping News
22/04/2026
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ctivity over the past week looked to be more dynamic in the S&P front, rather than the newbuilding market. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “on the On the Newcastlemax sector, Chinese buyers acquired the “RTM CARTIER” – 205K/2012 HHIC and the “RTM ZHENG HE” – 205K/2012 HHIC for excess USD 90 mills each. Moving down the sizes, the Post-Panamax “OHSHU MARU” – 92K/2011 Namura was sold for USD 16.2 mills, while the Panamax “ALEXANDROS PETRAKIS” – 76K/2008 Shin Kasado sold for region USD 13.3 mills to Chinese buyers.
Source: Xclusiv
In the Ultramax sector, two resales the “NEW DAYANG NDY1315” and “NEW DAYANG NDY1316” – 64K/2027 New Dayang changed hands at USD 36.5 mills each.
Hormuz Shipping Disruptions Show No End as Trump Extends Ceasefire, Maintains Blockade
AH-64 Apache helicopters fly over the Strait of Hormuz, April 17, 2026, with multiple commercial vessels visible below, as U.S. Army crews maintain a persistent aerial presence to support freedom of navigation and monitor maritime traffic in the strategic waterway. Central Command Photo
Hormuz Shipping Disruptions Show No End as Trump Extends Ceasefire, Maintains Blockade
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 15
April 21, 2026
President Donald Trump said he will extend the current ceasefire with
Iran
while maintaining the U.S.
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation for shipping
The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation for shipping
in
International Shipping News
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Shipping: Emission Possible
22/04/2026
The maritime sector accounts for 3% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, amounting to 145.2 million tonnes of CO2 in 2024. Under current policies, maritime emissions could represent one-third of all transport emissions in 2050. Between 5-7% of these emissions – or 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 – happen in ports, degrading air quality, worsening climate change and impacting port residents and workers’ health.
EU warns of ’catastrophic’ impact if Hormuz blockade continues
EU warns of ’catastrophic’ impact if Hormuz blockade continues
in
International Shipping News
22/04/2026
European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Tuesday the Commission will provide guidance on handling airport slots, anti-tankering, passenger rights and public service obligations in the event of jet fuel shortages due to the Iran war.
Tzitzikostas said there were no shortages “as of today” but warned the consequences of a continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would be “catastrophic” for Europe and the world without the return of permanent freedom of navigation.
The Commission will emphasize the bloc must quickly ramp up production of sustainable aviation fuel and synthetic fuels to reduce dependence on Middle East imports, he said in a news conference in Brussels, confirming a report on Friday.
Europe maintains emergency jet fuel stocks, and these reserves can be and will be released only when necessary, Tzitzikostas said. He added that any national jet fuel release shou
Analysts view: Is UK’s falling unemployment masking deeper labour market weakness?
Analysts view: Is UK’s falling unemployment masking deeper labour market weakness?
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World Economy News
22/04/2026
The United Kingdom’s unemployment rate fell to 4.9% in the three months to February, down from 5.2%, according to recent labor market data.
However, analysts from major financial institutions cautioned that the headline figure masks persistent weakness in the jobs market, with concerns mounting about the impact of geopolitical tensions on future employment trends.
The surprise drop in unemployment came ahead of escalating conflict in the Middle East, which analysts say could reverse recent gains. Financial experts highlighted several warning signs beneath the surface of the seemingly positive headline number.
Deutsche Bank noted that while the unemployment rate posted a surprise drop, underlying weakness persists. The firm pointed to an 11,000 fall in employees according to flash HMRC Payroll data, a 136,000 increase in redundancies in the three months to February, and jo
Iran Tankers Go Dark to Sail Past US Blockade Laden With Oil
Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026. REUTERS
Iran Tankers Go Dark to Sail Past US Blockade Laden With Oil
Bloomberg
Total Views: 10
April 22, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 22, 2026 (Bloomberg) –At least two fully laden Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf and past a US blockade this week, part of a flotilla that has made its way around the warships and ferried roughly 9 million barrels of oil to the market.
The Hero II and Hedy, two Iran-flagged, very-large crude carriers, are the latest to be captured in satellite imagery, moving past the line identified by the US and into the Arabian Sea on April 20, according to data intelligence firm Vortexa. The pair can together carry as much as 4 million barrels of oil.
The exit of laden tankers demonstrates the limits of US efforts to cordon off Tehran’s crude exports — which President Donald Trump has described as a “tremendous success” — and pressure an otherwise resilient Iranian
Three Vessels Hit by Gunfire in Strait of Hormuz, Crews Safe
The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Three Vessels Hit by Gunfire in Strait of Hormuz, Crews Safe
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 22, 2026
DUBAI, April 22 (Reuters) – At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a
U.S. blockade
of Iranian ports.
A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.
The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat.