The early peak season has caught carriers by surprise. Tonnage providers are reaping the benefits

Houthi attacks of shipping have inverted the supply and demand imbalance that was expected this year. Diversions and increased teu per mile demand have soaked up capacity

While tensions in the Middle East remain unresolved, carriers are pushing for a new round of freight rate increases

‘The capesize market is structurally tight — not only are newbuilding deliveries slowing down to multi-year lows in 2024-26 but there are no VLOCs delivering until late 2026,’ said Braemar analyst Alexandra Alatari

Red Sea crisis means demand for chartered boxships shows no sign of easing, but the sector faces uncertainty from the remaining large newbuilding orderbook

Latest retrofit aims to reduce consumption by 25% — equivalent to a reduction of 8,800 tonnes of CO2 a year

A stellar financial performance last year was clouded by a significantly weak fourth quarter, as demand waned and average freight rates fell across the board

Lines’ level of profitability is not driven by a volume growth, as apart from Zim, all other carriers that report global volumes either recorded sharp on-year declines, or in the case of Hapag-Lloyd, a marginal 0.4% increase. The  ebit figures are more so a reflection of the current freight rate environment

Sea-Intelligence’s Alan Murphy highlights a shift in North American traffic, systemic changes in transpacific vessel sizes and the prospect of an equipment capacity crunch

A return to normality for the global supply chain will bring huge relief to container shipping, but the next headache will be repatriating empty boxes particularly on the transpacific trade

Freight rates are expected to remain at record highs, as congestion problems that plagued 2021 continue. Schedule reliability will also likely repeat last year’s dismal performance, making ‘resilience and robustness’ essential to supply chain planning

The latest global schedule reliability data shows carriers arriving ‘on-time’ with around one in three vessels, as the seasonal decline in volumes had little impact on port punctuality

Ursa Shipbrokers’ Simon Ward says the future looks bright for smaller bulkers against a backdrop of global conflict, growth in the developing world and scarce tonnage, with efficient newbuildings too costly to justify

Eight capesizes are earning an average of $24,400 per day for the next two years

‘The ability to stay nimble to react to changes in shipping markets is more important than ever,’ says Norden chief executive

‘The capesize market is structurally tight — not only are newbuilding deliveries slowing down to multi-year lows in 2024-26 but there are no VLOCs delivering until late 2026,’ said Braemar analyst Alexandra Alatari

Following a counter-seasonally strong Q1, capesize rates and futures are in retreat. Nevertheless, shares of listed dry bulk owners are holding on to much of their 2024 gains, at least so far

Last month there were 33 capesize sales concluded compared with just nine in February 2023, according to Veson dry cargo analyst

Ursa Shipbrokers’ Simon Ward says the future looks bright for smaller bulkers against a backdrop of global conflict, growth in the developing world and scarce tonnage, with efficient newbuildings too costly to justify

‘The ability to stay nimble to react to changes in shipping markets is more important than ever,’ says Norden chief executive

Fiscal and monetary stimulus by governments could boost the markets, as could a better steel sector, easing of financial conditions in China, and better-than-expected US economic growth, while a low orderbook will help reduce supply-side pressure

Capesize lift should come in a few months as China’s industrial output ramps up following its zero-Covid policy, says shipping analyst Alexandra Alatari

Hopes of a post-Chinese New Year boost fail to materialise with capesizes bearing the brunt of the losses, while sub-capesize segments in limbo trading in the $7,000 per day range mainly due to conflicting signals

Handysizes have shown greater resilience to freight rate falls over recent weeks on strong trading volumes which has seen utilisation at one of the highest among bulk carrier segments, says Braemar ACM

Rhetoric on the Panama Canal has taken a major positive turn. Authorised draught is up, reservation slots have increased and rain is adding to Gatun Lake water levels. But if you look at the actual transit statistics, this supply chain bottleneck is a still a long way from being solved

Within February the Nasdaq-listed owner has agreed a sale-and-leaseback transaction for another of its existing vessels

Chinese shipmanager also has an orderbook of another 13 newbuildings

Monjasa said its fleet now consists of 13 tankers following the purchase of four secondhand vessels this year

Dry bulker trading patterns have altered this year as coal imports into India declined, while those into China spiked

Capesize lift should come in a few months as China’s industrial output ramps up following its zero-Covid policy, says shipping analyst Alexandra Alatari

Greek owners identified as leading buyers with one-third of capesize purchases this year, as well as ranking first alongside Chinese owners for supramax buys

Capesize lift should come in a few months as China’s industrial output ramps up following its zero-Covid policy, says shipping analyst Alexandra Alatari

Hopes of a post-Chinese New Year boost fail to materialise with capesizes bearing the brunt of the losses, while sub-capesize segments in limbo trading in the $7,000 per day range mainly due to conflicting signals

Panamaxes should benefit from higher soyabean exports out of Brazil, while demand for smaller-sized bulk carriers will be hurt by much lower sorghum volumes from the US

Handysizes to panamaxes have shed value through the month, with average daily spot rates ending the year in a $11,000-$14,000 range, as activity dwindles ahead of the holidays and amid an uncertain economic outlook

The London-based exchange held a working group to discuss the possible changes to a larger sized vessel in response to feedback. Potential changes to routes and weightings were also on the agenda

Deal includes purchase options enabling Dynagas to buy back the ships when the charters mature

According to Gibson analyst Matt Coates, the rate environment is likely to remain challenging for the remainder of 2024, and stay below 2023 and 2022 levels 

Important South Korean banks have resumed support for mid-sized shipyards for the first time in 11 years, having suffered heavy losses during the previous industry downturn

With Zvezda demanding repayment of $800m in advance payments and interest arrears, SHI says it will file an application with the Singapore Arbitration Court

Türkiye’s Balut shipyard and Chinese shipyard operator Penglai Jutal Engineering Heavy Industries Co among those targeted

Poten & Partners London forum explains how a pause on US export approvals, slowing Chinese demand, capacity growth and increased market concentration will affect the LNG market over the next decade

Freight rates for VLGCs have recovered from winter lulls, and while the potential for further upside remains limited, they should remain profitable

Rhetoric on the Panama Canal has taken a major positive turn. Authorised draught is up, reservation slots have increased and rain is adding to Gatun Lake water levels. But if you look at the actual transit statistics, this supply chain bottleneck is a still a long way from being solved

Tankers could be retrofitted to expand their lifespan, while significant hurdles exist for gas and LPG carriers to be converted

Nasdaq-listed partnership plans to part-fund the $756m purchase price using $182.5m in proceeds from recent boxship sales

The commercialisation of Automatic Identification System data in recent years and the increased access to vessel location data means sanctions skirters have to work harder to hide their activity

The tanker sector has contributed the lion’s share of newbuilding contracts so far in 2024, with 35% of orders attributed to tankers in terms of ship numbers

The joint venture project is majority owned by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, and will cost nearly $10m

Container lines dodged a bullet this year courtesy of the Red Sea crisis, but the orderbook remains extremely ominous. Eventually, the supply upside of Cape of Good Hope reroutings will be overwhelmed by the flood of new ship deliveries

Geopolitical strains have brought rail back into the range of options for shippers. But the volumes and cost mean it will only ever be a niche product

Deal includes purchase options enabling Dynagas to buy back the ships when the charters mature

Tankers: Good times roll into 2025 | LNG: Challenging freight rate environment expected to prevail | LPG: Sailing towards summer stability?

Improvement in rates applies to older feeders as well as modern units as charterers look ahead for vessels, says broker

This is the first time Venezuelan crude has been shipped to Poland in at least five years, since the US first imposed sanctions and was likely authorised by regulators under licences that allow European refiners ENI and Repsol to export cargoes produced under a joint venture with PdVSA

Singapore’s Eastern Pacific Shipping has doubled its order for LNG dual-fuel LR2 tankers at China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International. It is now the second-largest shipowner of alternative fuel ships, after CMA CGM

Change from single-sector model to a diverse shipping company was an example of a venerable company’s ability to learn lessons

Since commercial activities restarted in February, the former Niarchos-controlled facility has repaired 11 vessels

Marshall Islands-flagged Dubai Angel is carrying the first cargo from the recently expanded Trans Mountain pipeline in Vancouver, vessel-tracking data suggests. The new pipeline is expected to add 25 to 30 aframax loadings per month when fully operational

Mid-sized tanker specialist Teekay Tankers is primed to capitalise on the new TMX pipeline as emerging routes should boost demand for aframaxes. The company reported strong first-quarter earnings as it achieved near-record rates

‘Focus has shifted to the high fleet age profile and the realisation that in a few years’ time, there will be plenty of tankers turning 20 years of age,’ says Gibson analyst Svetlana Lobaciova

There was only one VLCC newbuilding for delivery this year, and it hit the water back in January — the supply side is great. Not so on the demand side. VLCC rates have already entered the summer doldrums

Greece’s navy has twice extended no-sail notices that run until July 15 for Laconia Bay, which have prevented oil traders from using its international waters for ship-to-ship transfers away from port state control scrutiny

Some members are avoiding the region until they receive clear guidance on a practicable tax regime from Nigerian authorities, writes Intertanko legal counsel Selena Challacombe

Shipowner shares have been hit this month by weaker VLCCs rates, expectations for lower interest rates, and speculation on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and eventual reopening of the Red Sea

Unclos pollution rules may give government limited wiggle room, argues local law firm Gorrissen Federspiel