Senators Urge Trump to ‘Stand Strong’ on China Shipbuilding Ahead of Xi Summit
Committee member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) questions U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on U.S.
U.S. Navy Unveils $65.8 Billion Shipbuilding Push to Launch Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’
The Honorable Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy, speaks to Sailors during an all hands call in the hangar bay of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), while underway in the Mediterranean Sea, May 4, 2026. Navy Unveils $65.8 Billion Shipbuilding Push to Launch Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’
Mike Schuler
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May 11, 2026
The Department of the Navy has released its
Fiscal Year 2027 Shipbuilding Plan
, laying out a sweeping 30-year strategy to expand the fleet, overhaul naval acquisition, and revive the U.S.
Port of Los Angeles Chief Says Shipping Won’t Normalize Without Lasting Hormuz Stability
Cargo containers piled up at a marine terminal at the Port of Los Angeles in March 2022. Photo courtesy Port of Los Angeles
Port of Los Angeles Chief Says Shipping Won’t Normalize Without Lasting Hormuz Stability
Lori Ann LaRocco
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May 11, 2026
By Lori Ann LaRocco – The Port of Los Angeles reported strong results in April, but the port’s head warns that high energy prices are hitting the trucking community hard.
April was the best month of 2026 and the strongest since last August. The nation’s largest port handled 891,000 container units, up more than 5.5 percent from a year ago and 18 percent from the previous month.
“This ranks as our second-best April on record,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the
Port of Los Angeles.
Trump’s Economic Fury Targets Iranian Oil Network as U.S. Expands Pressure Campaign
Guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) enforces the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports against M/T Stream after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port, April 26, 2026. Central Command Photo
Trump’s Economic Fury Targets Iranian Oil Network as U.S.
How a handful of chokepoints came to dominate the world economy
How a handful of chokepoints came to dominate the world economy
in
International Shipping News
12/05/2026
T
he closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February once again demonstrated how volatile global trade flows are—and not just for oil.
The strait, which narrows to just 21 miles wide as it passes between Iran and Oman, normally carries a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade, making it one of the most critical logistical factors to global energy supply.
But as the key maritime trade route from the Gulf region to the rest of the world, it also holds sway over large swathes of the rest of the economy. About one third of the world’s fertilizer passes through the strait, and about the same share of global helium production. Then there’s critical amounts of sulphur, aluminum, methanol—the list goes on, with the effects rippling through industries from food to construction to consumer electronics.
But how did shipping come to be so vital for the global economy? And why is maritime transp
Tanker Market Volatility Could Ramp Up After UAE’s OPEC Exit
Tanker Market Volatility Could Ramp Up After UAE’s OPEC Exit
in
Hellenic Shipping News
12/05/2026
T
he tanker market’s volatility could increase in the long-term, after UAE’s decision to exit OPEC. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “in a move that challenges the coherence of one of the most well known cartels in the global economy, the UAE has announced its decision to withdraw from OPEC, ending nearly six decades of membership and removing a key producer from the bloc. Rather than an isolated policy shift, the development underscores a growing misalignment between members that have historically underpinned OPEC’s cohesion, most notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Rebalancing the liquids markets amid SOH disruption
Rebalancing the liquids markets amid SOH disruption
in
International Shipping News
12/05/2026
In this Market Pulse, we analyse how the market is rebalancing after the removal of around 20 Mbd of flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The adjustment is being driven by supply cuts, refinery run reductions, limited rerouting, demand erosion, and inventory drawdowns, but remains incomplete, leaving the system structurally tighter.
Sixty days into the disruption, the Strait of Hormuz continues to operate at minimal capacity, with only limited vessel movement observed. What initially appeared as a logistical bottleneck has now evolved into a prolonged structural dislocation, significantly reducing the flow of crude and refined products from the Middle East Gulf into global markets.
As shown in Table 1, flows through the Strait have collapsed from around 20 Mbd pre-disruption to nearly 1 Mbd in April, highlighting the scale of the supply shock.
The market has responded through a multi-layered ad
Somali piracy adds new strain to global shipping and trade routes
Somali piracy adds new strain to global shipping and trade routes
in
International Shipping News
12/05/2026
It’s been a nightmare two months for global shipping, with the Strait of Hormuz largely shut to commercial traffic and the threat of fresh attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Now, a third crisis is brewing — a resurgence in Somali piracy.
Even before the latest escalations between the United States, Israel and Iran, around half the vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf were bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to earlier strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis.
Faced with the threat of attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major shipping firms opted instead for the long detour around southern Africa.
This diversion adds two to three weeks and thousands of nautical miles to the journey, taking ships right past Somalia’s coastline — the same waters where Somali pirates staged a multiyear campaign of hijackin
Photos Appear to Show Fire Aboard Iranian VLCC Disabled by U.S. Navy
Fire and thick black smoke rise from the Iranian-linked tanker Sea Star III near Bandar-e Jask in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel was reportedly disabled by a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet during blockade enforcement operations.
Photos Appear to Show Fire Aboard Iranian VLCC Disabled by U.S. Navy
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
May 11, 2026
New images circulating online appear to show damage and an active fire aboard the Iranian tanker
Sea Star III
days after the vessel was
disabled
by a U.S.
MABUX: Bunker Prices to Keep Rising Next Week
MABUX: Bunker Prices to Keep Rising Next Week
in
International Shipping News
01/05/2026
During the week, the global bunker market resumed a clear upward trajectory, driven by persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the absence of any visible de-escalation signals. Market sentiment remained firmly supported by supply-side concerns and elevated risk premiums. By the end of the week, the 380 HSFO index increased by USD 26.54, rising from USD 737.03/MT to USD 763.57/MT.