Hapag-Lloyd Says it Can Cope With U.S.-China Tariffs
Container shipping liner Hapag-Lloyd HLAG.DE will be able to cope with the advent of U.S. tariffs on Chinese products, its chief executive told reporters on Tuesday.
LNG carrier SCF La Perouse in 2020. (Source: Sovcomflot)
After more than six months at sea sanctioned LNG carrier La Perouse has entered the Omani port of Duqm. It is the first time that a Russian LNG carrier, part of the so-called ‘shadow-fleet’, has entered a foreign port. Around a dozen other shadow fleet LNG carriers remain scattered idling in waters of the Arctic, the Mediterranean and the Pacific.
The port call could signal the beginning of a shift in attitude by foreign ports toward sanctioned Russia LNG carriers. During the past twelve months the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Energy resources had in quick succession sanctioned hundreds of vessels and vessel owners. Much of the effort to restrict Russia’s LNG capabilities was driven by Assistant Secretary Geoffrey Pyatt. He has since resigned from the U.S. State Department.
With parts of the U.S. government bureaucracy in turmoil, vessel operators may be seeing an opening to test the current effectiveness of the international sanctions regime. The Port of Duqm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another shadow fleet LNG carrier in Russia’s Far East also recently set sail again. East Asia (formerly Asya Energy) began steaming east last week and passed through Japan’s Tsugaru Strait with its destination unknown.
During the summer and fall of 2024 La Perouse had been on standby in the Russian part of the Barents Sea with several other LNG carriers, possibly awaiting cargo from Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project. Those efforts did not materialize as the U.S. began sanctioning all LNG carriers calling at the project. The vessel did not ultimately load product.
With the beginning of winter La Perouse departed from the Barents Sea heading for the southern hemisphere rounding South Africa and arriving off the coast of Oman two weeks ago. It is unclear what the purpose of the vessel’s visit to Duqm is. Satellite images confirm the ship’s arrival in port on February 4.
The UK and EU included La Perouse (previously called SCF La Perouse) in their September and December 2024 round of sanctions. Originally owned by Russian operator Sovcomflot, management had been transferred to a Dubai-based company, Matias Ship Management LLC, in September 2024. Matias Ship Management also controls three other LNG carriers part of Russia’s shadow fleet: Velikiy Novgorod, Pskov, and Christophe de Margerie.
In a statement to gCaptain Sovcomflot rejected the notion that La Perouse as well as the other LNG carriers under its ownership are part of the shadow fleet. The U.S. government sanctioned Sovcomflot for its role in shadow fleet operations in February 2024.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,002 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,002 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up