Don’t Miss Your Daily Briefing for the Maritime Industry
Join the leading maritime news network
— trusted by our 107,461 members
Odfjell's chemical tanker Bow Olympus sails into Houston and the record books after completing the first near carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage using sails and biofuel, saving five tons of fuel every day and improving GHG intensity by 85%. Photo courtesy Odfjell
Hello Club Members! Here is your weekly Dispatch with all the maritime news you need to know to end your week.
Ship Photo of The Week
Odfjell’s chemical tanker Bow Olympus sails into Houston and the record books after completing the first near carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage using sails and biofuel, saving five tons of fuel every day and improving GHG intensity by 85%. Photo courtesy Odfjell
Top Stories
Tariffs Tank Container Shipping
The U.S.-China tariff slugfest is wreaking havoc on container shipping, with ocean freight volumes from China to the U.S. plunging over 60% in just three weeks since the tariffs took effect. Flexport’s Ryan Petersen and shipping expert John McCown both warn that the fallout could rival COVID-era chaos. The trouble started when Trump’s new tariffs—145% on Chinese goods—kicked in on April 9, triggering a wave of blanked sailings and canceled bookings.
Hapag-Lloyd says 30% of China-to-U.S. shipments have vanished. The worst is still to come: West Coast ports are bracing for impact in May, East and Gulf Coasts by June. The National Retail Federation (NRF) has also slashed its forecast, now expecting May imports down 20.5% year-over-year and June down 26.6%. Underscoring the severity of the situation, both Flexport and FreightWaves are now warning of empty store shelves by late summer—and possibly soaring shipping rates if tariffs ease and a “bullwhip effect” hits.
Meanwhile, carriers are scrambling to stabilize rates as spot prices sag. Diplomatically, China and the U.S. are trading mixed signals: Trump says talks are on, but Beijing quickly refuted that any discussions were taking place and blamed the U.S. for “creating confusion.”
For now, the industry watches closely. Freightwaves’ Craig Fuller summed up the mood among shippers and retailers: “Still time to avoid a crisis, but the clock is running out.”
Big Plans, No Ships (Yet)
South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean wants to make history — by building the first-ever U.S.-made LNG tanker. The announcement sails in just as the U.S. Trade Representative proposes new fees on Chinese-built vessels and rules requiring the phase-in of U.S.-built LNG ships.
There’s just one small snag: the U.S. hasn’t built an LNG tanker in… ever. And trade groups warn it could take decades. Still, Hanwha, fresh off its Philly Shipyard purchase, has signaled it’s ready to give it a shot, even as U.S. LNG exporters beg for an exemption to the USTR’s plan. Though nothing is set in stone, building LNG carriers in the United States would mark a major milestone for the shipbuilding industry the Trump Administration is trying to reinvigorate, with South Korea’s help.
U.S. Puts Cork in Iran’s LPG Cash Flow
The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Iranian LPG kingpin Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and his global network for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars in oil and gas abroad. Central to the crackdown: the gas carrier TINOS I, which tried—and failed—to load U.S. LPG near Houston last year for a delivery to China.
The web of companies, stretching across Iran, the UAE, and the UK, allegedly funneled proceeds into Iran’s nuclear weapons and proxy groups like the Houthis. Nine more Iran-based firms were blacklisted, including one with a monopoly on domestic gas deliveries. The move marks the latest Trump administration action against Iran’s shadow fleet and illicit energy exports that help fund the regime’s destabilizing activities.
Samsung Scores Big in Shipping Spat
Samsung has just won $3.68 million in a landmark shipping case against carrier ZIM, after a bruising battle over detention and demurrage charges. The FMC’s Chief Judge Erin Wirth ruled ZIM unfairly billed Samsung for delays during the COVID-era supply chain chaos — even when congestion or carrier holds were to blame.
The dispute involved nearly 10,000 charges across 3,000 containers and highlighted sloppy billing and unreasonable cargo holds. As Judge Wirth put it, sorting out the mess was like “the dreaded group project.”
The ruling marks a major precedent in the FMC’s ongoing crackdown on unfair shipping practices — and a warning shot to carriers everywhere.
Trump Dives Into Deep-Sea Mining
President Trump has signed a new executive order to kickstart deep-sea mining, aiming to tap critical minerals like nickel and copper buried in U.S. and international waters to counter China’s dominance in the minerals market. The order fast-tracks permits for seabed mining under a decades-old law and directs the U.S. to speed up access to underwater deposits, including in areas beyond national borders — a move likely to raise eyebrows abroad.
Currently, there is no commercial deep-sea mining in U.S. waters, and the industry remains in an exploratory phase as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) continues hammering out regulations for mining in international waters, leaving the legal framework a work in progress. Not that it matters, since the U.S. hasn’t ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
EU Cracks Down on Shadow Ships’ Insurance
The European Commission is tightening maritime safety rules, now requiring all ships in EU waters — even those just passing through — to show proof of insurance. The move targets the rise of the “shadow fleet” hauling sanctioned oil and raising accident risks.
The new mandate amends the Vessel Monitoring Directive and boosts EU oversight of uninsured or shady vessels. The crackdown follows last year’s joint initiative by European nations to check Russian tanker insurance in key waterways like the Danish Straits and English Channel — hotspots for shadow fleet traffic dodging G7 price caps.
The EU hopes the new rules will boost safety — and shine a brighter light on murky shipping practices. How the new rules will be enforced — and whether they’ll deter shadow fleet activity — remains to be seen.
Golden Ocean Boards the CMB.TECH Train
Golden Ocean and CMB.TECH (former Euronav) are joining forces to create a $11 billion shipping giant with more than 250 vessels. Under the Bermuda-based deal, Golden Ocean shareholders will swap their stock for CMB.TECH shares, and Golden Ocean will vanish from the Nasdaq and Oslo exchanges.
The move supercharges CMB.TECH’s fleet diversification, adding Golden Ocean’s bulk carriers to a roster already packed with tankers, boxships, chemical tankers, and offshore wind vessels. It’s the latest play by CMB.TECH CEO Alexander Saverys to bulk up — literally — and steer the company into a greener, broader future.
The merger follows CMB.TECH’s March purchase of a 40% stake in Golden Ocean from shipping legend John Fredriksen. Closing is expected later this year, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Email [email protected] with any questions, comments, tips, or concerns. Don’t forget to check out the Club Discord and gCaptain.com for the latest maritime news.
2025 Unofficial Networks LLC
Tags:
Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Two container ships linked to China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping Corp. are trying again to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg News, just days after aborting a previous attempt.
By Eric Martin and Scott Squires Mar 29, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The Trump administration is planning to let a Russian oil tanker dock in Cuba, alleviating an energy crisis triggered when the...
By Bloomberg News Mar 29, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Russia’s Ust-Luga port sustained fresh damage from a Ukrainian drone attack, as Kyiv steps up strikes on Russian oil export infrastructure. The Leningrad region...
17 hours ago
Total Views: 1007
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 107,461 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 107,461 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Join The Club
