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Monday, November 3, 2025

Ports News

02 Nov 2025

Ukraine Drone Strike Hits Russian Oil Terminal

Source: social media

A Ukrainian drone attack struck one of Russia's main Black Sea oil ports on Sunday, causing a fire and damaging at least one ship, as Kyiv tries to undermine Russia's war effort by targeting its energy infrastructure.Ukraine has for several months been striking Russian oil refineries, depots and pipelines in a bid to undermine the Russian economy.Footage on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram news channels appeared to show a terminal and one tanker ablaze at night. Reuters was not…

30 Oct 2025

Port Houston Surpasses Three Million TEUs

Source: Port Houston

Port Houston crossed the three million TEU mark in September, reaching 3,270,595 TEUs year-to-date, the fastest pace in Port Houston’s history. Total container volumes are up 5% year-to-date compared to last year.“Three million TEUs and counting; this is the earliest we’ve ever reached that mark,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston.For the month of September, Port Houston handled 337,659 TEUs, a 2% increase from the same month in 2024. Loaded exports continued to rise, up 13% for the month and 7% year-to-date, driven by Houston’s strong resin and manufactured goods.

30 Oct 2025

Unifeeder, Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited to Advance Sustainable Coastal Shipping in India

(L-R) Ganesh Raj, Global COO - Marine Services, DP World, H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DP World, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and S. T. Selvam, Director (Projects), Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited. © Unifeeder/DP World

Unifeeder, a DP World company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL), a Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to collaborate on developing and scaling commercially sustainable coastal and shortsea shipping services across India.The MoU established a framework for joint action to design and finance coastal shipping corridors that support India’s ambitions to decongest roads, lower logistics costs, and decarbonize transportation.

30 Oct 2025

Dry Bulk Vessel Market Softens as Coal Shipments Decline

"We estimate that the dry bulk supply/demand balance will strengthen slightly in 2025 and gradually weaken in 2026 and 2027. Cargo demand growth is slowing, as coal shipments decline and iron ore shipments stagnate,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Coal shipments are forecast to decline 4.9% between 2025 and 2027. Demand is falling as electricity generation from renewable sources continues to expand, particularly in China, Europe and India. Furthermore…

29 Oct 2025

NYK and Port of Duqm Collaborate on Development

Source: NYK

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and the Port of Duqm Company, which oversees port management and terminal operations in Oman, signed a memorandum of understanding at Duqm Economic Forum 2025 to collaborate in the development and connectivity of the port of Duqm.NYK has positioned the Middle East as one of its key strategic regions. On April 1, 2022, NYK established its Middle East region head in Dubai to deepen its regional strategy and enable more agile business development across the area.Oman…

28 Oct 2025

Alfa Laval UK Expands Dry-Dock Services to Cut Vessel Downtime

(Credit: Alfa Laval)

Marine technology company Alfa Laval UK has enhanced its dry-docking support services for shipowners, introducing pre-docking audits and customized spare parts packages designed to reduce turnaround times and extend fleet uptime.The initiative is part of the company’s strategy to turn dry-docking, typically seen as a cost burden, into a performance opportunity through better planning and tailored maintenance support.A key feature of the new service is condition auditing carried out up to six months before dry-docking.“By auditing systems months before docking…

27 Oct 2025

Panama Canal Begins Industry Engagement for the Development of Port Terminals

© Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal launched a consultation process with representatives of the maritime industry to identify potential partners interested in developing port terminals on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the waterway.Following a process similar to that followed for the introduction of the gas pipeline project, the Panama Canal convened a group of representatives from companies with proven experience in container port operations and container shipping lines.According to institutional rules and regulations…

27 Oct 2025

Siemens Gamesa Halts Port of Esbjerg Offshore Wind Nacelle Plant Plans

(Credit: Siemens Gamesa)

Siemens Gamesa has confirmed it has scrapped plans to build an offshore wind turbine nacelle factory at Denmark’s Esbjerg Port.The offshore wind turbine manufacturer confirmed it will not proceed with the development of the nacelle plant at the port of Esbjerg at this time, given the current market opportunities.“Siemens Gamesa has maintained a longstanding presence at the Port of Esbjerg, which is a strategically important location for our offshore wind operations, also in the future.“Like in any other place, we continue to evaluate potential investment opportunities; however, given the curre

24 Oct 2025

Tanco Boosts Jeffersonville Port Capacity with $750K Fertilizer Expansion

(Credit: Ports of Indiana)

Tanco Terminals is expanding its liquid barge facility at the Ports of Indiana–Jeffersonville to meet rising demand for blended fertilizers across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.The $750,000 expansion includes two new 45,000-gallon tanks designed to support regional cooperative Premier Ag, which is the customer of Tanco Terminals. The tanks will enable on-demand blending of fertilizer additives tailored to local soil conditions, a capability expected to increase throughput…

21 Oct 2025

Navigating the Limits: Columbia River Pilots Confront Big Ships, Tight Channels

Image credit Anthony Roberts

Columbia River Pilots is an association of independent pilots, a unique organization that uses a network of pilots and independent boats to manage a long stretch of river in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Capt. Jeremy Nielsen serves as President, Columbia River Pilots, and in addressing the challenges his organization faces, leading the list are the maritime megatrend that sees vessel size outpacing infrastructure along the river, from bridge clearance to dockage; as well as the maritime industry's legislated drive for decarbonization…

17 Oct 2025

Chinese Sanctions on Hanwha Put $150B South Korea-US Shipbuilding Plan at Risk

© ID_Anuphon / Adobe Stock

China's sanctions on U.S.-linked units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean threaten to impact ambitious plans for shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington by disrupting supplies of Chinese equipment and materials, officials in Seoul said on Friday.Beijing announced the sanctions on Tuesday as the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees on each other's vessels, in the latest exchange in a protracted trade war ahead of a planned meeting of the two countries' leaders.South…

16 Oct 2025

igus Wins Award for Mobile Shore Power Outlet System

© igus

igus, a leading global manufacturer of motion plastics, was presented with the “Maritime Innovator of the Year” award for its igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO) family of products. The honor was bestowed on October 7 during the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) conference held in Quebec. The igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO) is designed to overcome the infrastructure limitations and evolving operational challenges facing modern ports. As shipping alliances shift and vessel sizes increase…

14 Oct 2025

Fueling the Future of Ports: Cost Savings and Resilience as Propane’s Proven Edge

Ports across the U.S. are learning a critical lesson: depending solely on government grants or an increasingly unstable electric grid is no longer enough to keep operations running smoothly. There’s a smarter, more cost-effective solution already proving its worth on the ground - propane.The exclusive webinar ‘Power & Performance at the Port: How Propane Moves Maritime Operations Forward’ - to be held October 16, 2025, at 11.00 AM ET - will bring together energy and maritime specialists…

14 Oct 2025

China Sanctions Five US-Linked Units of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean

© ID_Anuphon / Adobe Stock

China announced sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, sending the company's shares sharply lower.The move, announced by the Chinese commerce ministry, comes on the day that China and the U.S. implement additional port fees targeting each others' vessels, although China has exempted ships it built.Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions…

14 Oct 2025

Maritime Fees Spiral Deepens as US, China Trade Blows

© Wolfgang Jargstorff / Adobe Stock

The U.S. and China on Tuesday began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to triple digits.But after the weekend…

10 Oct 2025

Propane’s Economic Edge for Ports During Trade Uncertainty

Image courtesy PERC

Click HERE to sign up for the October 16, 2025 webinar Power & Performance at the Port: See How Propane Moves Maritime Operations ForwardTrade has been a rollercoaster recently. Between the unpredictability of tariffs and uncertain economic outlooks, ports have faced big swings in trade volume as well as pressure to do more with less. Operational efficiency and cost control are critical, which is why propane continues to emerge as a cost-effective, dependable energy solution that…

10 Oct 2025

China Counters With Additional Port Fees for US Ships

© be free - stock.adobe.com

Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals, or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag, will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on Tuesday, China's transport ministry said.The fees are a countermeasure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry said on Friday.Also starting on October 14, ships built in China - or operated or owned by Chinese entities - will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States.

10 Oct 2025

China Strikes Back: Additional Port Fees for US Ships from Mid-October

© Pippin / Adobe Stock

Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals - or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag - will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on October 14, China's transport ministry said.The fees are a counter-measure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry said on Friday.Also starting on October 14, ships built in China - or operated or owned by Chinese entities - will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States.

09 Oct 2025

ADNOC L&S, TA’ZIZ Ink Deal to Build UAE’s First Dedicated Chemicals Port

(Credit: ADNOC L&S)

ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) and TA’ZIZ have signed a 50-year strategic agreement to establish United Arab Emirate’s first dedicated chemicals port at the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone in Al Ruwais, supporting the country’s industrialization and chemicals expansion goals.Under the agreement, ADNOC L&S will build, own and operate the $300 million port, while TA’ZIZ will use the facility to export chemicals and derivatives efficiently. Scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026…

08 Oct 2025

GCMD and IAPH Forge Decarbonization Coalition Across Global Ports

Source: GCMD

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) have signed a two-year partnership agreement aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime sector.IAPH has a global port network comprising more than 200 port authorities and operators in over 85 countries. Together, GCMD and IAPH aim to strengthen the industry’s readiness for shipping’s fuel transition by tackling challenges and seizing opportunities in advancing alternative fuels bunkering…

08 Oct 2025

Sustainable Fuel Chicken and Egg Redux. Maybe Some Ports Can Fix It.

Copyright Anatolii/AdobeStock

In a recent sustainable fuel panel discussion, I once again found my self sucked into the sustainable fuel chicken and egg conundrum.I have discussed it before; shipowners will not buy ships that use a fuel for which no viable supply chain exists and fuel suppliers will not develop supply chains for which no buyers exist.In general, it is very difficult to break a chicken and egg conundrum, except through a direct directive or through, often very large, subsidies.Often direct directives leave the problem solution to the market.

08 Oct 2025

Uncertainty Mounts as U.S. Port Fees on Chinese-Built Ships Near Deadline

© Angelika Bentin / Adobe Stock

The U.S. is one week away from imposing port fees on certain vessels with links to China, a move expected to cost the top 10 carriers $3.2 billion next year as President Donald Trump seeks to address China's growing dominance on the high seas."While some observers believe the October 14 deadline may be extended - or even scrapped - as part of broader negotiations, the uncertainty has already unsettled carriers, adding another layer of geopolitical risk to fleet deployment strategies…

07 Oct 2025

Determining Trump's China-Linked Port Fees is Shipowners’ Responsibility

© Lichtwolke99 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. is one week away from imposing port fees on certain vessels with links to China, a move expected to cost the top 10 carriers $3.2 billion next year as President Donald Trump seeks to address China's growing dominance on the high seas."While some observers believe the October 14 deadline may be extended — or even scrapped — as part of broader negotiations, the uncertainty has already unsettled carriers, adding another layer of geopolitical risk to fleet deployment strategies…