Shipping

gCaptain’s full coverage of the maritime shipping industry, including containerships, tankers, dry bulk, LNG, breakbulk and more.


Thursday, December 18, 2025
A OOCL containership docks at the Port of Long Beach
News

California Ports Defy Tariff Turbulence as 2025 Ends Near Records

Los Angeles and Long Beach are closing out 2025 near record cargo volumes after a tariff-driven import surge, even as frontloading fades and a weaker 2026

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 688

File photo of an oil tanker at sea
News

Western Sanctions Surge as UK Hits Russian Oil Firms

A coordinated wave of sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector escalated dramatically on Thursday, with the United Kingdom announcing 24 new measures

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 724

Stock photo shows an oil tanker at a terminal
News

Trump Administration Hits Iran’s Shadow Fleet With New Sanctions on 29 Ships

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Iran’s shadow fleet

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 808

FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Skipper, which British maritime risk management group Vanguard said was believed to have been seized on December 10, as well as another vessel, off Port Jose, Venezuela, November 18, 2025
Shipping

Trump’s Tanker Blockade Leaves Venezuela Running Out of Oil Storage

Venezuela may soon have to start closing some oil wells as it runs low on storage capacity following last week’s tanker seizure and US plans to block other

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 681

Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Container Shipping: Spot Rates Surge 12% as Carriers Regain Pricing Power

Global container shipping rates jumped 12% this week to $2,182 per 40-foot container, marking the third consecutive weekly increase as carriers successfully

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 339

An aerial view shows the oil tanker named Boracay (also called Pushpa)
Shipping

EU Sanctions List Nears 600 Ships as Crackdown on Russia’s Shadow Fleet Expands

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 41 additional vessels belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet, marking a significant escalation in efforts to

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 428

Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear in a convoy on the Northern Sea Route during an eastbound voyage in October 2023. (Source: Rosatomflot)
Shipping

China Expands Arctic Container Shipping With Record 14 Voyages in 2025

China significantly expanded its use of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2025, completing 14 container ship voyages between Asia and Europe, up from 11 such

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 1245

Russian Oil Tankers Cleave to Turkish Coast to Cut Drone Risks
Shipping

Russian Oil Tankers Cleave to Turkish Coast to Cut Drone Risks

Oil tankers hauling Russian crude across the Black Sea are taking a roundabout route along the coastlines of Georgia and Turkey — a measure that might help

December 18, 2025
Total Views: 866

Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Russian Oil Tankers. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo
News

Drone Attack Strikes Tanker at Russia’s Rostov-on-Don Port

A Ukrainian drone attack struck a tanker docked at the Russian port of Rostov-on-Don early Thursday, resulting in casualties among the ship’s crew and

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 2542

A tanker transits the Panama Canal Locks
Featured

Panama Canal Delivers Nearly $3 Billion to Treasury After Drought Recovery

Strong traffic growth and recovered water levels lifted FY 2025 revenue to $5.7 billion after 2024 drought disruptions. The Panama Canal Administration says it

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 196771

Venezuela oil tanker loading
News

Trump’s Tanker Blockade Threat Paralyzes Venezuelan Oil Exports

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA resumed loading crude and fuel cargoes on Wednesday after suspending operations at terminals on Sunday due to a

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 1139

Chevron-chartered oil tanker Ionic Anax is seen near the Bajo Grande port in Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo after loading for export, in San Francisco, Zulia State
News

‘Act of War?’ Trump’s Venezuela Tanker Blockade Sparks Legal and Political Firestorm

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, in Washington's latest move to

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 2032

an overhead view of port of los angeles docks
News

Port of Los Angeles Poised for Third-Best Cargo Year Despite Tariff Headwinds

The Port of Los Angeles is on track to post its third-busiest cargo year on record, even as November volumes fell sharply amid growing tariff-driven

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 561

AFIF Hapag-Lloyd
News

Hapag-Lloyd, NCL Win Landmark Tender for Hydrogen-Based Maritime Fuels

The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has selected two shipping lines to deploy hydrogen-derived e-fuels in what marks a significant advancement

December 17, 2025
Total Views: 678

Tuesday, December 16, 2025
A U.S. military helicopter flies near an oil tanker during a raid described by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as its seizure by the United States off the coast of Venezuela, December 10, 2025, in a still image from video
News

Trump Orders Total Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers

President Donald Trump announced a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela on Tuesday, declaring the Maduro regime a

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 3441

The Kairos tanker after suffering a fire off Turkish coast in the Black Sea
News

IMO Chief Condemns Black Sea Attacks on Civilian Ships

International Maritime Organization leader calls for protection of seafarers as Russia and Ukraine target merchant vessels in escalating conflict. The head of

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 1041

An aerial view shows the oil tanker named Boracay (also called Pushpa)
Featured

Sweden Confirms Armed Guards Aboard Russian Shadow Tankers

Sweden’s Navy has confirmed that armed personnel in military uniforms are aboard oil tankers belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet operating in the

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 202810

Tankers are lining up at Lake Maracaibo
News

Over 11 Million Barrels of Venezuelan Oil Stuck at Sea After U.S. Tanker Seizure

Venezuela's state-run company PDVSA is dealing with stuck oil cargoes, rising price discounts and demands from customers to change terms of spot contracts

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 1727

Aerial view of a container ship
News

Container Shipping Faces Oversupply Threat as Record Newbuild Orders Reshape Industry

The global containership industry is bracing for potential market upheaval as the orderbook has swelled to 11.61 million TEU, representing 34.8% of the current

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 7715

Fuga Bluemarine crude oil tanker lies at anchor near the terminal Kozmino in Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia
Shipping

Russia’s Oil Exports Surge, But Cargoes Are Piling Up at Sea

Russia is loading its oil onto tankers at an unprecedented pace — but those shipments are stacking up at sea, weighing on prices and

December 16, 2025
Total Views: 2854