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Sunday, December 21, 2025

Port News

10 Dec 2025

Greek Farmers Protest Disrupt Port Operations

© Wirestock - stock.adobe.com

Dozens of Greek farmers disrupted operations at the regional port of Volos on Wednesday as part of a nationwide demonstration to protest delays in farm aid payments and high production costs.Farmers have deployed thousands of tractors and trucks in dozens of blockades for days, disrupting traffic at several junctures along major motorways and intermittently blocking border crossings as they face a shortfall of more than 600 million euros ($698.58 million) in European Union aid and other payments.The delays were prompted by investigations into a corruption scandal in which some farmers…

08 Dec 2025

Morocco to Open Two Deepwater Ports in 2026, 2028

© Adobe Stock/Pawinee

Morocco will open a new deepwater Mediterranean port next year and another on the Atlantic in 2028, Equipment and Water minister Nizar Baraka said, as the North African country aims to replicate the success of Africa's largest port, Tanger Med.Nador West Med, under construction on the Mediterranean, is scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2026, Baraka told Reuters in an interview.It will offer 800 hectares for industrial activity, with plans to expand to 5000 hectares…

26 Nov 2025

Russian Oil Cargo Discharge at Indian Port Delayed Due to Insurance Scrutiny

© Adobe Stock/Kalyakan

A Western-sanctioned vessel with Russian oil destined for Indian Oil Corp has had discharge of the cargo delayed at a port in eastern India due to a hold-up in online verification of insurance cover provided by a Russian insurer, three industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.India earlier this year tightened insurance rules for ships calling at its ports, focusing on old and so-called shadow fleet vessels often used to carry Russian oil.Aframax vessel Tiger 6…

26 Nov 2025

New Global Benchmark Ranks Top Container Ports Worldwide

Leading Container Ports of the World (LCP) report cover image. © DNV

Maritime transport carries close to 90 percent of global trade by volume, and container ports alone handle more than 80 percent of non-bulk merchandise. Today, these ports are undergoing a profound transformation, driven by rising trade flows, rapid advances in technology, and mounting pressure to meet climate targets.Against this backdrop, DNV and Menon Economics have introduced the industry’s first global container port ranking. The LCP report benchmarks 160 ports against 35 indicators grouped into five pillars: enablers…

20 Nov 2025

Port Esbjerg Strengthens its Port Control with EU Support

© Port Esbjerg

With support from the Interreg North Sea Program, an EU-funded cooperation aimed at driving ideas and solutions across the North Sea, Port Esbjerg has strengthened and modernized its Port Control. Featuring a new control room, integrated IT systems, and consolidated professional competencies, Port Control can now more efficiently monitor, manage, and plan the port’s daily operations.Port Esbjerg is known for its high level of activity: cargo arrives, changes direction, and moves onward in a continuous flow.To keep the flow steady…

19 Nov 2025

Liebherr BOS Cranes Celebrates 50 Years

© Liebherr

Liebherr marks half a century of BOS crane excellence. Since 1975, BOS cranes have been trusted by operators worldwide, known for their robust design and marine adaptability. The latest generation continues this legacy, now featuring an electric variant to meet evolving offshore demands.In 1975, Liebherr delivered its first BOS crane, the B10 / 17 EX, for installation on the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Unit Princess Aweni. Since then, the BOS series has undergone continuous development…

18 Nov 2025

SC Ports Sees Dip in Imports, State Economic Development Remains Strong

Loaded export volumes at the Port of Charleston posted their highest month since June. 
(Photo/ English Hurteau)

South Carolina Ports recorded 206,859 TEUs at its marine terminals in October, a 1% year-over-year dip, as fiscal year volumes remain above plan. October marked the Port's strongest month for loaded exports since June, with an 18% year-over-year increase.The predicted slowdown mirrors national trends as containerized imports in the U.S. saw a 7.5% year-over-year decrease in October, following the front-loading of imports over the summer months.SC Ports President and CEO Micah…

31 Oct 2025

UK Border Force Staff Plan Wage Strike

© Adobe Stock/Alexey Fedorenko

A union representing British Border Force workers said on Friday that more than 120 staff who patrol Britain's waters, in "sometimes harrowing roles", plan to strike on November 14 to protest over pay and working conditions.The majority of the UK's around 10,000 Border Force staff work in airports and ports across the country and overseas.

14 Oct 2025

IRPT, EFIP Sign Transatlantic MoU

© IRPT

Inland Rivers, Ports & Terminals, Inc. (IRPT) and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) announced on October 1 a transatlantic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on modernizing infrastructure, expanding commercial opportunities, and accelerating knowledge-sharing across the inland waterway freight network. The partnership is designed to strengthen collaboration between American and European inland ports and terminals, while expanding the commercial potential of port and terminal assets.

07 Oct 2025

Hardik Gajjar Joins HDR as Maritime Planning Lead

© HDR

Hardik Gajjar, ENV SP, has joined HDR as maritime planning lead for the firm’s growing ports and maritime practice. Based in New Jersey, Gajjar will leverage his experience in maritime and intermodal planning to support port owners and operators around the globe as they pursue more efficient operations and smart infrastructure development.“It’s an honor to join one of the best ports and maritime firms in the industry,” Gajjar said. “I’m looking forward to leveraging HDR’s outstanding cross-sector collaboration to help clients as they assess the impact of emerging trends such as automation…

26 Sep 2025

Chinese Oil Port to Set Measures to Ban Shadow Fleet

© JUN LI - stock.adobe.com

Terminal operators in a major oil port in east China's Shandong province are set to introduce measures to ban shadow fleet vessels and curb visits by other old tankers, according to an official notice seen by Reuters and a tanker tracker.The measures, to take effect from November 1, would ban vessels using fake International Maritime Organization numbers and ships of 31 years or older, which traders said would target what is known as the shadow fleet that transports oil under Western sanctions.Four terminal operators at Huangdao Port last week issued the notice…

18 Sep 2025

Port Houston Maintains Steady Growth in Q3

A vessel being worked on at Port Houston’s Barbours Cut Container Terminal. © Port Houston

Port Houston recorded sustained growth in August following a standout July. Total tonnage across Port Houston’s public terminals is up 5% year-to-date through August, reflecting steady growth across multiple cargo sectors.After a record-setting July, the Port’s container terminals saw 370,430 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, up 1% from the same month last year. Year-to-date container volumes reached just shy of 3 million TEUs, specifically 2,932,936 TEUs, which puts…

10 Sep 2025

NTSB Issues Safety Alert for Land-Based Firefighters After Multiple Deaths

A fire boat directing water onto the Grande Costa D’Avorio. (Source: NTSB)

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety alert Wednesday urging greater awareness and training for land-based firefighters who may be called to fight fires aboard vessels in local ports.The safety alert follows several NTSB investigations into deaths and injuries to firefighters. The NTSB found land-based firefighters often lack the necessary training and familiarity with vessel layouts and fire protection systems to effectively fight in-port vessel fires. They…

10 Sep 2025

US State Department Expresses Concern Over Ban of Israeli Shipments in Spanish Ports, Airspace

© Adobe Stock/Vitaly

A U.S. State Department spokesperson expressed concern on Wednesday over Spain's measures limiting access to Spanish ports and airspace to ships and planes carrying weapons for Israel."It is deeply concerning that Spain, a NATO member, has chosen to potentially limit U.S. operations and to turn its back on Israel on the same day six individuals were killed in Jerusalem. These measures embolden terrorists," the spokesperson said in an email sent to Reuters on Wednesday.The U.S.

08 Sep 2025

Israel-Bound Weapons Ships and Planes Banned in Spanish Ports, Airspace

© Adobe Stock/Vitaly

Spain on Monday banned ships and aircraft carrying weapons to Israel from calling at Spanish ports or entering its airspace due to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, measures the Israeli foreign minister denounced as antisemitic.Spain, which recognised a Palestinian state in May 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, responded to Gideon Saar's comments by summoning its ambassador in Tel Aviv back for consultations.On top of the ban on ships and aircraft delivering weapons or military-grade jet fuel to Israel…

22 Jul 2025

FSB Security Approval Mandatory for Foreign Vessels Entering Russian Ports

© Вера Тихонова - stock.adobe.com

Foreign vessels will require the approval of Russia's FSB security service to access the country's ports, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin.The decree said that permission from port authorities for foreign ships to enter would need to be agreed with the FSB, which is the main successor organisation to the Soviet-era KGB. The new measures came into force immediately after the decree was published on Monday.Previously, entry rules were set by the transport ministry and special procedures were in place at ports adjacent to naval bases…

23 Jul 2025

HDR Announces New Global Maritime Director

© HDR

Blair Garcia, a longtime leader in the maritime industry, has joined HDR as the global maritime director. He will build on the firm’s strong foundation of maritime and coastal engineers, scientists and experts, while adding new services and geographies to drive HDR’s continued growth in this global market.Garcia has spent three decades in the ports and maritime industry, helping port and intermodal rail clients on six continents and at most of the deep-water ports in the U.S.

29 Jul 2025

CK Hutchison Port Sale Could Be Win For Beijing, But US Resistance Remains

© Timon - stock.adobe.com

The proposed inclusion of Chinese shipping giant COSCO in Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison's contentious global ports sale is a potential win for Beijing in a strategic sector, but the deal is far from final and could face resistance from Washington, sources and analysts say.Since the deal was announced on March 4 to sell 43 of CK Hutchison's ports in 23 countries, including two along the Panama Canal, to a consortium led by U.S. firm BlackRock, and Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte's family-run shipping company MSC, it has sparked a firestorm of criticism from China.While the U.S.

31 Jul 2025

Two CK Hutchison-Operated Ports Near Panama Could See State Partnerships Take Over

© Timon - stock.adobe.com

Public-private partnerships could take over two key ports near the Panama Canal if courts invalidate a contract with Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's to operate them, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said on Thursday.CK Hutchison holds a 90% stake in the local Panama Ports Company, which had a 25-year concession to operate the Balboa and Cristobal ports, located at both ends of the canal, renewed in 2021.The contract has been at the center of a dispute since U.S. President Donald Trump this year threatened to take over the waterway due to China's influence over Panama's maritime industry.

27 Aug 2025

Port Houston Records Double-Digit Gains in Standout July

© Port Houston

July was a standout month for Port Houston’s public terminals, with double-digit growth in key sectors that pushed year-to-date totals to new heights. Container volumes for July were up are markable 21% compared to July 2024, reaching 392,829 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This is one of the Port’s strongest single-month performances on record. Throughout this year Port Houston has continued to demonstrate strong capacity for growth in containerized cargo and has seen its largest volumes ever.

29 Aug 2025

Turkey Bars Israeli Ships From Its Ports

© Adobe Stock/muratart

Turkey has decided to bar Israeli vessels from using its ports, forbid Turkish ships from using Israeli ports and impose restrictions on planes entering Turkish airspace, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.He provided few details in comments to parliament which appeared to summarise steps that Turkey has already taken against Israel over the war in Gaza or has started to implement.Turkey has fiercely criticised Israel's offensive in Gaza and accuses it of committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave, a charge that Israel denies.

29 Jul 2025

CMA CGM Interested In Taking Over Some of CK Hutchison's Ports Terminals

© CMA CGM

French shipping giant CMA CGM said on Tuesday it is interested in taking over some of CK Hutchison's ports after the Hong Kong conglomerate's exclusive talks ended with a consortium led by BlackRock this week.CK Hutchison agreed in March to sell the majority of its $22.8 billion global ports business to the consortium also including Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte's family-run shipping company MSC, but the exclusive talks expired on Sunday.Gaining a stake in CK Hutchison's…

20 Aug 2025

Seabound Secures $1.48m Grant to Develop Carbon and Emissions Capture at Port of Southampton

© Seabound

Seabound has been awarded USD$1.48 million (£1.1 million) through Round 6 of the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6). The funding will support a first-of-a-kind project between Seabound, STAX Engineering, and Associated British Ports (ABP) to integrate Seabound’s carbon capture technology with the STAX emission capture and control system at the Port of Southampton. The companies previously announced their plan to deploy these barges in collaboration with ABP at the inaugural Maritime UK Solent Coastal Powerhouse Summit.ABP…