Demand for Low-Carbon Shipping Has Fallen, but Long-Term Value Persists
Demand for Low-Carbon Shipping Has Fallen, but Long-Term Value Persists
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International Shipping News
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Shipping: Emission Possible
01/05/2026
C
argo owners’ willingness to pay (WTP) a premium for low-carbon fuels is crucial to maritime sector decarbonization. But this year, the results of BCG’s annual Shipping Decarbonization Survey reveal a marked drop in WTP, from 4.5% in 2024 to 3% in 2025, a level not seen since 2022. (See Exhibit 1.) This lower WTP, combined with cost pressures and continued regulatory uncertainty, means that carriers that wish to capture low-carbon value must seek pockets of demand while focusing ever more closely on economics and customer-centricity.
Dry Bulk Carriers Repricing Hard to Explain, But Still Evident
Dry Bulk Carriers Repricing Hard to Explain, But Still Evident
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Dry Bulk Market
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Hellenic Shipping News
01/05/2026
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ry bulker prices have been on an uptrend for a number of months, despite the fact that earnings have remained mostly flat during this period. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “the period spanning late February to late April 2026 has delivered a market narrative defined by divergence, resilience, and most notably, a structural repricing of dry bulk assets that has moved well ahead of the freight rate dynamics that would traditionally justify it”.
According to Xclusiv, “Capesize absorbed the initial shock of the US-Iran military confrontation with a sharp but short-lived correction. From $24,211/day on 27 February, the Baltic C5TC fell to a period low of $19,188/day by 10 March as geopolitical uncertainty prompted owners and charterers alike to adopt a cautious posture.
UAE’s exit rattles OPEC’s grip on the oil market
UAE’s exit rattles OPEC’s grip on the oil market
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Oil & Companies News
01/05/2026
The UAE’s exit from OPEC is momentous, and undoubtedly the biggest schism in the organisation since it was founded in 1960. The UAE, a member since 1967, has risen by developing its vast resources to become OPEC’s second-largest producer by liquids capacity today. Our Macro Oils and Upstream experts, Alan Gelder, Douglas Thyne, Hazel Seftor, Alexandre Araman and Dalia Salem analyse why it’s happened and the implications for the oil market.
Political tensions have been ramping up for many years
Underlying the decision to leave OPEC are political tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE that have been steadily building in recent years.
Danish shipowners flag concern over Middle East crisis
Danish shipowners flag concern over Middle East crisis
in
International Shipping News
01/05/2026
Chief executives of major Danish shipping companies have expressed concerns over inflated costs of shipping due to the ongoing geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran that began earlier this year has caused substantial disruption to the global maritime industry, as well as energy flows through major shipping conduits like the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
The escalation into a full-scale conflict has prompted shipping companies to expect market conditions to worsen over the course of the year, according to market analysts.
In a survey conducted by Danish Shipping, majority member companies assessed that overall market conditions in the shipping industry will deteriorate over the next 12 months.
“Market conditions in the shipping industry are more challenging today than they were 12 months ago. The outlook ahead is also worrying,” Danish Shipping sai
World Container Index Keeps Trending Lower
World Container Index Keeps Trending Lower
in
International Shipping News
01/05/2026
The Drewry World Container Index (WCI) declined for the third consecutive week, easing 1% to $2,216 per 40ft container, due to softer rates on Asia–Europe, Transpacific and Transatlantic trade routes. Despite elevated fuel costs and ongoing geopolitical risks, rates remain under sustained downward pressure due to excess capacity and low demand.
Spot rates on the Asia–Europe trade route continued to soften this week, reflecting the ongoing supply–demand imbalance. Rates from Shanghai to Genoa and Rotterdam fell 1% to $3,039 and $2,127 per 40ft container, respectively.
ONE Profit Plunges 92% as Geopolitics and Overcapacity Squeeze Earnings
An Ocean Network Express (ONE) containership at the Port of Oakland. Credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com
ONE Profit Plunges 92% as Geopolitics and Overcapacity Squeeze Earnings
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 30, 2026
Singapore-based liner giant
Ocean Network Express
reported a modest but resilient profit for fiscal year 2025, navigating weak cargo demand, rising capacity, and mounting geopolitical disruption across key trade lanes.
The company posted full-year revenue of $16.6 billion and net profit of $338 million for the period ending March 2026, down 14% and 92% compared to the previous year, respectively. Fourth-quarter revenue reached $4.04 billion, with profit of $55 million, a 82% drop yoy, as rates showed a late recovery despite sluggish cargo volumes.
CEO Jeremy Nixon credited disciplined cost control and operational efficiency for keeping the carrier in the black amid what he described as a “complex and volatile global environment.”
“Despite heightened volatility
Trump Vows to Maintain Pressure on Iran Through Naval 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
Trump Vows to Maintain Pressure on Iran Through Naval Blockade
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
May 1, 2026
By Patrick Sykes and Eltaf Najafizada
May 1, 2026 (Bloomberg) –US President Donald Trump vowed to maintain a naval blockade on Iran and was briefed by commanders on further military options, according to a report, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire between the warring countries.
Trump reiterated that the blockade of Iranian ports is depriving the Islamic Republic of much-needed oil revenue, claiming the pressure would force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
“Good luck blockading a country with those borders,” Iran’s speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X, referring to his
Piracy Resurfaces Off Somalia as Hormuz Crisis Stretches Naval Security
The Iranian-flagged dhow ALWASEEMI, pictured by EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta
Piracy Resurfaces Off Somalia as Hormuz Crisis Stretches Naval Security
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
May 1, 2026
Piracy concerns are escalating rapidly off the Horn of Africa after two vessels were hijacked last week and multiple new approaches were reported across the western Indian Ocean, prompting security officials to raise the regional threat level.
In its latest assessment, the Joint Maritime Information Center said the Somali Coast and Somali Basin now face a credible piracy threat, citing confirmed boardings and a series of suspicious approaches in recent days.
“There are multiple indications of a credible piracy threat in the region,” the advisory said, urging mariners to maintain a vigilant watch and report suspicious activity to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and MSCIO.
The warning follows a sharp escalation last week when pirates seized two commercial vessels within hours of each other off
Transpacific Defies Downtrend as Container Spot Rates Climb on War-Driven Demand
Photo: By Alex Kolokythas Photography / Shutterstock
Transpacific Defies Downtrend as Container Spot Rates Climb on War-Driven Demand
The Loadstar
Total Views: 4
May 1, 2026
By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) –
Container spot freight
rates on the transpacific trade into the North America west coast managed to defy gravity and edge up this week, while most other east-west trades witnessed a third consecutive week of declines.
This week’s World Container Index (WCI) from Drewry showed its Shanghai-Los Angeles leg increasing 2% on the previous week, to end at $2,930 per 40ft, and meant it was now up 34% on the spot rate immediately prior to the outbreak of the
Iran conflict
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Other indices show similar movements – The Freightos Terminal showed a Far East-US west coast rate reading of $2,675 per 40ft, with head analyst Judah Levine noting it was 45% up on the pre-war rate.
One forwarder, at the end of the TPM event in Long Beach at the end of March, which took place as the US and Israel lau
US Military Commanders to Brief Trump On Military Options Against Iran, US Official Says
A 3D-printed miniature model depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and a map showing the Strait of Hormuz, also known as Madiq Hurmuz, are seen in this illustration taken March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
US Military Commanders to Brief Trump On Military Options Against Iran, US Official Says
Reuters
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April 30, 2026
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) – Top U.S.