Atlantic MR Balance to Tighten as Eastbound Flows Dominate
Atlantic MR Balance to Tighten as Eastbound Flows Dominate
in
International Shipping News
24/04/2026
M
R ballasters in the Atlantic Basin have remained broadly rangebound, even in the post-war environment. This reflects largely offsetting vessel flows: while MRs in the Atlantic Basin have been fixing cargoes for voyages into the Pacific Basin, this has been counterbalanced by a steady flow of vessels ballasting back from the Pacific to the Atlantic. As a result, overall availability has not recorded extreme values.
French business confidence confirms weakness in domestic demand
French business confidence confirms weakness in domestic demand
in
World Economy News
24/04/2026
Deteriorating growth outlook
As expected, business confidence in France deteriorated sharply in April, down three points over the month. The decline is particularly pronounced in retail trade, where the indicator fell by six points, as well as in services. In both sectors, the overall outlook has darkened significantly: expected demand is declining, and order intentions have contracted sharply.
By contrast, business confidence remained stable in construction and improved slightly in industry.
How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis is Reshaping the Bulker Market
How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis is Reshaping the Bulker Market
in
Dry Bulk Market
,
International Shipping News
24/04/2026
T
he Bulker market entered 2026 with momentum, supported by firm asset values and solid secondhand activity. That momentum has since been tempered by the escalating crisis at the Strait of Hormuz, which has progressively weighed on ordering confidence, freight markets, and transaction volumes as the conflict has deepened.
At the time of writing, 192 Bulkers totalling 11.7 mil DWT are among the 1,005 vessels stranded in the region, including Iranian-owned tonnage. While Capesize vessels have seen some rate support from broader fleet tightening, smaller segments face more direct exposure to disrupted Gulf commodity flows, and the market as a whole is now in a period of cautious reassessment.
Newbuilding orders slow sharply after a strong start to 2026
Bulker newbuilding activity has slowed markedly in 2026.
China weathered Trump’s tariffs – but the Iran war is taking a toll
China weathered Trump’s tariffs – but the Iran war is taking a toll
in
World Economy News
24/04/2026
It’s a sombre gathering in the backstreets of one of China’s biggest manufacturing hubs, where workers are smoking under a tree in front of storefronts advertising temporary factory jobs.
“No-one understands what our life is like,” says one man who is unwilling to be named.
“We work and work and have no life. Please help us,” another adds – a rare, risky plea to a foreign journalist.
They seem desperate, struggling to earn enough to send money home, as they cope with the massive shifts in Chinese manufacturing, from cheap, mass-produced goods to automated advanced tech.
And that was even before the US-Israel war with Iran shook the global economy.
China’s economy was already battling slower growth and unemployment when Donald Trump’s tariffs hit last year. Still, it proved resilient, boosting exports and reporting GDP growth of around 5%.
Iran’s Swarm Tactics Show Why Hormuz Is Far From Safe
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. Military ships by crossing the ships’ bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the Persian Gulf, April 15, 2020. Navy Photo
Iran’s Swarm Tactics Show Why Hormuz Is Far From Safe
Reuters
Total Views: 1
April 23, 2026
By Jonathan Saul
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) – Iran’s use of a swarm of small, fast boats to
seize two container ships
near the Strait of Hormuz could undermine suggestions U.S.
Shipping Caught in the Crossfire
Shipping Caught in the Crossfire
in
Hellenic Shipping News
24/04/2026
T
he events of the past week, surrounding the situation in Hormuz, have shown a clear disconnect between what’s been said and the harsh reality. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “even though Iran and the US formally agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, the reality on the water tells a different story. Iranian forces have reasserted tight control over transit, while the ongoing US naval blockade continues to intercept and deter vessels, with ships being turned back or even seized during passage attempts.
US-Iran Tensions Build Over Hormuz in Absence of Peace Talks
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
US-Iran Tensions Build Over Hormuz in Absence of Peace Talks
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 23, 2026
(Bloomberg) — US and Iran tensions grew over the
Strait of Hormuz
with both sides maintaining their blockades of the critical waterway, creating an uneasy standoff with no sign of peace talks on the horizon.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the US Navy to shoot any boat putting mines in the strait, while the military said it intercepted two oil supertankers that tried to evade its effort to prevent passage to and from Iran’s ports. US forces boarded a “sanctioned stateless vessel” transporting oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean overnight, the Pentagon said.Play Video
Tehran attacked at least three vessels on Wednesday, helping to ensure the key transit point for oil and gas flows remains effect
Panama Canal Traffic Climbs as Officials Downplay Congestion Fears
Photo: Panama Canal Authority
Panama Canal Traffic Climbs as Officials Downplay Congestion Fears
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 23, 2026
The
Panama Canal
is pushing back against renewed concerns over congestion, telling the maritime industry it is handling rising traffic volumes efficiently even as geopolitical disruption and stronger demand drive up competition for transit slots.
In a market update hosted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Panama Canal Authority officials said the waterway saw higher transits and tonnage during the first half of fiscal year 2026 while continuing to operate without queues, underscoring what officials described as a return to stable and predictable operations.
During the October 2025–March 2026 period, the canal handled 6,288 transits, up 224 from the same period a year earlier, while cargo volumes climbed roughly 5% to 254 million PC/UMS tons. Performance strengthened in recent months, with daily averages reaching 34 vessels in January and 37 in Marc
Trump Moves to Extend Jones Act Waiver 90 Days as Maritime Industry Says Fuel Relief Never Came
Stock Photo: SOMKIET POOMSIRIPAIBOON / Shutterstock
Trump Moves to Extend Jones Act Waiver 90 Days as Maritime Industry Says Fuel Relief Never Came
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 23, 2026
The Trump administration is preparing to extend
its controversial Jones Act waiver
for up to 90 days, a move that would deepen an already contentious policy experiment launched during the Strait of Hormuz crisis and intensify a growing clash between emergency energy measures and the administration’s own maritime revival agenda.
Reuters, citing sources familiar with the decision, reported the White House could act as early as Friday to extend the waiver, which first took effect March 17. The exemption temporarily opened domestic coastwise trade to foreign-flagged vessels carrying fuel and other critical commodities in an effort to blunt energy disruptions tied to the Iran conflict.
But what began as a short-term emergency measure increasingly appears to be evolving into something broader.
A formal A
Trump Says Shipbuilding Clashes Led to Navy Secretary Phelan’s Firing
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing behind him, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
Trump Says Shipbuilding Clashes Led to Navy Secretary Phelan’s Firing
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 1
April 23, 2026
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired following conflicts with senior Pentagon leadership over shipbuilding, offering the clearest explanation yet for the abrupt ouster that stunned Washington and raised questions about the future of the administration’s maritime agenda.
Phelan’s
departure
, first announced Wednesday without explanation by the Department of War, had initially been portrayed as a surprise leadership shakeup. But Trump’s comments now recast it as a power struggle over naval procurement, industrial reform, and the pace of the administration’s push to expand the fleet.
“He’s a hard charger, and he had some c