Maritime Law & Regulations News

A new analysis from WinGD and Envision Energy suggests something the maritime industry has been debating for years ... and likely will be debating for many years to come: the changing economics of zero-emission fuels.For shipowners, the significance is straightforward. The conversation is shifting from if green fuels can compete to when — and in some cases, that answer may already be “now.”On a pure fuel-cost basis, green ammonia still carries a premium, as today, it can run close to three times the cost of very low sulphur fuel oil.

Major US maritime organizations have issued statements voicing their concern over the Trump Administration’s decision to issue a sweeping 60-day waiver of the Jones Act.Under the Jones Act, goods shipped between U.S. ports must be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and mostly U.S.-owned. A coalition of U.S. maritime labor organizations, including the American Maritime Officers; American Radio Association; International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots…

Stolt-Nielsen Limited and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha announced that, through Stolt-Nielsen’s subsidiary Stolt-Nielsen Gas Ltd., Stolt-Nielsen has entered into a share purchase agreement to sell 50% of Avenir LNG Limited to NYK Line. Avenir LNG was founded in 2017 and has grown into a leading player in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering sector, operating a global fleet of LNG bunker vessels.With this partnership, Stolt-Nielsen and NYK Line will expand their future small-scale LNG and LNG bunkering opportunities through the joint venture…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration is talking to seven countries about helping to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling on them to help protect ships in the vital waterway that Tehran has mostly blocked to oil tanker traffic.With the conflict creating turmoil across the Middle East and shaking up global energy markets in its third week, Trump insisted that nations relying heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to protect the strait."I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory…

A Turkish-owned ship that had been waiting near Iran was allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after authorities received permission from Tehran, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.In comments to Turkish media on Thursday that were released on Friday, Uraloglu said Ankara had declared the highest-level security warning for the strait and continued contacts with Iranian officials regarding the situation of the remaining 14 Turkish-owned vessels there."Fifteen ships (with Turkish owners) were there…

Yesterday, a new ISO standard was published to help port authorities, shipowners and operators navigate rules on how ships should be cleaned in an environmentally sound way. Hull cleaning is gaining traction among shipowners, while countries are increasingly introducing regulations—but many ports still lack practical guidance on how to manage it. “Biofouling on ships’ hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reducing a vessel’s efficiency and leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions…

Yesterday, a new ISO standard was published to help port authorities, shipowners and operators navigate rules on how ships should be cleaned in an environmentally sound way. Hull cleaning is gaining traction among shipowners, while countries are increasingly introducing regulations—but many ports still lack practical guidance on how to manage it. “Biofouling on ships’ hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reducing a vessel’s efficiency and leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions,” says Irene Øvstebø Tvedten, Senior Adviser at Bellona. Tvedten is the project manager for the Clean Hull Initiative (CHI) and has led the work on the new ISO-standard known as ISO 6319…

Thordon Bearings Inc. has partnered with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) to launch the Thordon Bearings Graduate Scholarship, an annual award that will support exceptional postgraduate students developing solutions to reduce the marine industry’s environmental footprint.Made possible through a significant contribution from Thordon founder George A. “Sandy” Thomson, the scholarship is intended to inspire the design of greener, cleaner, and more efficient vessels.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has taken swift action to protect seafarer welfare, detaining Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Bright and banning it from Australian ports for six months after nonpayment of crew wages.This week, AMSA received a complaint that seafarers onboard the vessel Ocean Bright had not been paid for two months, prompting investigation when the vessel docked in Newcastle. The investigation found that eight crew members were owed US$46,334 in unpaid wages.AMSA also detected several other issues during the inspection and identified 18 deficiencies…

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a statement saying it is closely monitoring the impact the current conflict in the Middle East is having on shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz.Under its statutory authority, the Commission ensures that rates, charges, and rules that common carriers have implemented as a result of the threats to commercial shipping in the Strait and neighboring waters do not violate the Shipping Act.Commission regulations at 46 CFR…

On March 9, Chief Mate Ali Albokhari’s 30-year sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in Turkey.Albokhari was arrested in 2023 while working on the Panama-flagged Phoenician M after drugs were found in the vessel’s cargo holds. No evidence was found that linked any of the crew to the drugs, and all other crew members have long since been released from prison.The news comes as geopolitical threats are increasing for seafarers.NGO Human Rights at Sea joined the wider industry in calling for the protection of seafarers as war activities escalate in the Middle East.

The global maritime industry has long been the arterial system of the world economy, responsible for over 90% of global trade. For centuries, the primary dangers to a vessel were physical: crushing storms, mechanical failure, or the threat of piracy. However, as we move through 2026, the industry has reached a critical juncture. The rapid digitization of the sector—driven by the need for logistical optimization and fuel efficiency—has fundamentally shifted the threat landscape.

The maritime domain has always been central to global stability and our nation’s prosperity. In today’s rapidly evolving security environment, its importance has never been more pronounced – or more vulnerable. Over ninety percent of global trade moves across the world’s oceans, making maritime transportation the backbone of international commerce, energy distribution, and economic resilience. Yet this vast ecosystem faces escalating risks including geopolitical tensions, deteriorating infrastructure…

Brazilian firms OceanPact and CBO have announced plans to combine their businesses, creating what the companies described as the country’s most comprehensive integrated fleet and services platform for the offshore sector.The transaction will be implemented through the incorporation of CBO’s holding company into OceanPact, according to a regulatory filing. Completion of the deal is subject to approval by Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE and other customary conditions, including approval by shareholders and consent from creditors.Once completed…

Supertanker costs in the Middle East have hit all-time highs, according to shipping data and industry sources on Tuesday, as the U.S.-Iran conflict intensifies with Tehran attacking ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.Shipping through the Strait between Iran and Oman, which carries around one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of liquefied natural gas, has ground to a near halt after vessels in the area were hit as Iran retaliated against U.S. and…

J.F. Lehman & Company, an alternative asset manager focused on the aerospace, defense, government, maritime, environmental and infrastructure sectors, has announced that investment affiliates, including JFL Equity Investors VI, L.P., have acquired Forged Solutions Group, Inc. (FSG).With roots dating back to 1836, FSG is a provider of high specification forgings for the aerospace, defense, and space end markets with a particular focus on flight-critical, rotating aeroengine components.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings forecast annual profit below Wall Street expectations, as demand for its higher‑priced voyages softened amid economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions.Shares of Norwegian fell about 7% in premarket trading, mirroring a broader market selloff sparked by escalating conflict between the U.S. and Israel, and Iran.

Marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels and oil shipping rates are set to surge further after the widening Iran conflict left at least three tankers damaged, a seafarer killed and 150 ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Saturday with retaliatory attacks that have sharply increased risks to commercial shipping in the past 24 hours.In the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, at least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers had dropped anchor…

Marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels and oil shipping rates are set to surge further after the widening Iran conflict left at least three tankers damaged, a seafarer killed and 150 ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Saturday with retaliatory attacks that have sharply increased risks to commercial shipping in the past 24 hours.In the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, at least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers had dropped anchor, shipping data showed on Sunday.Typically, ships carrying oil equal to about one-fifth of global demand from Saudi Arabia…

The term necropolitics was first coined with reference to concentration camps, apartheid regions, and historical slave plantations.It is the exercise of sovereignty which resides, to a large degree, in the power and the capacity to dictate who may live and who must die.Now researchers from Australia and New Zealand have extended the concept to fishing vessels where captains control medical decisions, food and water distribution and the use of violence onboard.Migrant fishers onboard remote fishing vessels can suffer “active” or “slow” deaths.

CMB Tech reported fourth-quarter core earnings above market expectations on Thursday as robust tanker and dry-bulk markets allowed the Belgian shipping group to lock in charter contracts and sell older ships at high prices.The tanker group said market conditions remain supportive into early 2026, though a potential crude supply surplus later in the year could pressure oil prices and curb transport demand if producers cut output.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation came in at $322 million for the quarter ended in December…

Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat that entered Cuban waters on Wednesday and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government said at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical attention, while the Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, Cuba's Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the matter was under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.The highly unusual incident took place as the United States has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island…

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned Maritime Mutual, the New Zealand-based marine insurer that was the subject of a Reuters special report into how it had helped in the trade of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil."(Maritime Mutual) is or has been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by carrying on business in a sector of strategic significance to the Government of Russia, namely the Russian energy sector," the British government…

The EU Council has extended the European Union’s maritime security operation to safeguard freedom of navigation in relation to the Red Sea crisis (EUNAVFOR ASPIDES) until 28 February 2027, following the strategic review of the operation.The Council agreed to provide nearly €15 million ($18 million) to cover the costs of the operation which contributes to safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waters in response to ongoing threats against merchant and commercial vessels.Operation ASPIDES provides defensive maritime security…

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said on Tuesday Panama authorities had threatened its employees with criminal prosecution if they defied orders to leave two strategic canal ports at the centre of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington.CK Hutchison said Panama's decision to cancel key port contracts and grant temporary licences to Maersk and the Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) was 'unlawful' as it considers national and international legal action against the…