Australia, Japan Sign $7 Billion Warship Deal
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba arrives in preparation for Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Holly L. Herline/Handout via REUTERS.
Australia, Japan Sign $7 Billion Warship Deal
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 18, 2026
SYDNEY, April 18 (Reuters) – Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion)
deal to supply Australia with warships
, Tokyo’s most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.
Defense Ministers Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi signed a memorandum “reaffirming the Australian and Japanese governments’ shared commitment to the successful delivery” of the warships, Marles said in a statement.
The
deal struck in August
anchors Japan’s push away from its postwar pacifism to forge security ties beyond its alliance with the U.S.
Fresh Attacks Shatter ‘Open Hormuz’ Narrative as Iran Pushes New Maritime Regime
A UKMTO map showing the approximate location of an attack on a containership, which reported being hit by an unknown projectile causing damage to some of the containers. The incident was reported 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman. Image courtesy UKTMO
Fresh Attacks Shatter ‘Open Hormuz’ Narrative as Iran Pushes New Maritime Regime
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 1
April 18, 2026
The
fragile narrative
that the Strait of Hormuz is “open” unraveled again Saturday after multiple new incidents were reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, marking the first confirmed attacks on commercial shipping since April 7.
Within a span of hours on April 18, three separate incidents were reported off Oman—two classified as attacks and one as suspicious activity—underscoring the continued volatility across one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
A containership was struck by an unknown projectile roughly 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, damaging cargo but causing no fire or
Drewry: World Container Index Down 3%
Drewry: World Container Index Down 3%
in
International Shipping News
18/04/2026
For many years, World Container Index (WCI) has been the go-to, independent, global reference for index-linked contracts. If your organisation is considering index-linked contracts or requires regional visibility/coverage beyond the eight trade lanes provided below, contact our ocean freight cost benchmarking team.
Source: Drewry World Container Index, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors
Six-week rally ends as Drewry WCI slips 3%.
Our detailed assessment for Thursday, 16 April 2026
The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) recently snapped a six-week rally—a surge initially triggered by higher bunker fuel prices following the late-February conflict in the Middle East. After trending downwards throughout January and early February, the index spiked in response to these geopolitical oil supply disruptions.
Strait of Hormuz reopens as U.S.-Iran peace talks progress
Strait of Hormuz reopens as U.S.-Iran peace talks progress
in
International Shipping News
18/04/2026
Iran announced Friday it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the duration of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The waterway for global energy supplies, which has been shut since the U.S. and Israel started bombing Iran at the end of February, is now “completely open” for commercial shipping, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump responded on X, saying “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”
Trump added that “the Strait of Hormuz is completely open and ready for business and full passage, but the naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.
Paving the way for safe hydrogen shipping
Paving the way for safe hydrogen shipping
in
International Shipping News
18/04/2026
As the maritime sector explores hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel, LR’s Fuel for Thought: Hydrogen report and Guidance Notes for Onboard Hydrogen Generation give the insight and practical pathways needed to turn early ambition into safe, scalable action.
Hydrogen has long been seen as a promising fuel for maritime decarbonisation. In fuel cells, it offers zero tank-to-wake emissions, making it a promising candidate for the sector’s long-term energy transition. But turning this potential into reality is not straightforward.
Ukraine Strikes Two Russian Refineries, Baltic Sea Port
A satellite near-infrared image shows smoke rising from oil storage tanks at Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, which was struck multiple times in Ukrainian attacks, in Ust-Luga, Russia March 29, 2026. Vantor/Handout via REUTERS
Ukraine Strikes Two Russian Refineries, Baltic Sea Port
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 18, 2026
April 18 (Reuters) – Ukrainian drones struck a handful of Russia’s oil facilities overnight, including two oil refineries in the Samara region and a Baltic Sea port that exports petroleum products, Russian local governors and a Ukrainian army official said on Saturday.
Kyiv’s troops have in recent weeks stepped up
attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries
– key sources of revenue for Moscow’s war budget – sometimes targeting sites thousands of kilometers from Ukraine’s borders.
In the Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg and borders Finland, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire had been extinguished at the Vysotsk port, which houses a terminal oper
Iran’s Navy Tells Ships Strait of Hormuz Shut Again, Two Vessels Report Gunfire
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
Iran’s Navy Tells Ships Strait of Hormuz Shut Again, Two Vessels Report Gunfire
Reuters
Total Views: 1
April 18, 2026
ATHENS, April 18 (Reuters) – Merchant vessels attempting to cross the
Strait of Hormuz
on Saturday received radio messages from Iran’s navy telling them they were not allowed to pass, while two ships reported being hit by gunfire, shipping sources said.
Several commercial vessels tried to transit the strait after
receiving a notice
to mariners a day earlier saying passage would be allowed but restricted to lanes Iran deemed safe.
Read Also:
Shipping Industry Pushes Back on ‘Open’ Hormuz Narrative as Risks Persist
On Saturday, at least two ships reported that Iranian boats fired shots, shipping and maritime security sources told Reuters. The incidents were reported in waters between th
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