South America News

NYK Group has reached an agreement with the Norwegian shipping company Westfal- Larsen Group to fully acquire Saga Welco.Saga Welco, a Norwegian shipping operator specializing in transporting cargo via open-hatch vessels, is currently jointly owned by NHE and the Westfal-Larsen Group, with each party holding a 50% stake. The transaction is expected to be finalized within 2026, subject to regulatory approvals in various jurisdictions.Saga Welco operates a fleet of 48 open-hatch vessels and offers worldwide semi-liner services originating principally from the east coast of South America.

SAAM closed 2025 with record financial performance, underscoring the continued strength of its harbor towage business across the Americas while positioning the company for further international expansion. For a company that has spent the past several years reshaping its business model and sharpening its strategic focus, the results signal both operational momentum and growing scale in the global tug market.The Chile-based maritime services provider reported net income of $80.4 million for 2025, while EBITDA reached $216.9 million, representing a 15% increase compared to the previous year.

The NGO Robin des Bois is concerned about the thousands of seafarers currently stuck in the Middle East and about the approximately 70,000 animals on livestock carriers in the region.The livestock has been exported from South America, the European Union, and the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, and Jordan.“Under normal circumstances, the conditions of confinement on board are deplorable. In times of war, global pandemics, epizootics…

After a softer 2025, floater backlog is strengthening for 2026 and beyond, driven by early contracting, strong South American demand, and a growing pipeline of 2027+ programs.By the close of 2025, total floating rig backlog days had fallen 25% compared with 2024. This was in large part due to few contract awards coming out of Brazil, the world’s biggest user of floating rigs. As of the end of January 2026 however, the number of rig days already booked for this year is up 4% from…

Oslo-listed dry bulk operator Western Bulk reported a marked earnings recovery in the second half of 2025, capitalizing on a broad-based rebound in freight markets and tighter effective vessel supply.According to the company’s Second Half Year Report 2025, Western Bulk generated a net profit after tax of USD 7.4 million in 2H 2025, compared with a net loss of USD 5.2 million in the same period a year earlier. For the full year, the group posted a net profit of USD 5.4 million…

A U.S. warship and a Navy supply vessel collided during refueling Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Southern Command told Reuters in an emailed statement on Thursday.The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided during a replenishment at sea, said the statement from the Southern Command, whose areas of responsibility include Central and South America and the Caribbean.

"During the first six weeks of 2026, global bulk grain shipments have jumped 15% y/y, supported by a 30% y/y surge in soya bean shipments and a 17% increase in wheat shipments. Record harvests in the Southern Hemisphere are boosting exports while North America has continued to ship its high export surplus. The trade agreement between the US and China further boosted volumes, contributing to a 26% y/y increase in US soya bean shipments and a resumption of sorghum shipments,“ says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager, BIMCO.Weather conditions in the Southern Hemisphere have been favourable. Brazil’s ongoing soya bean harvest is expected to rise 5% y/y, reaching a record high of 180m tonnes, equivalent to 42% of the world’s production, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure called a draft law proposing to allow offshore oil and gas exploration in its overseas territories "anachronistic" during a debate in the country's Senate on Thursday.In a world first, France banned new oil and gas exploration and production licenses in 2017, hoping other nations would follow suit. But energy security fears following the loss of Russian gas, along with worries over increased reliance on U.S. liquefied natural gas have led senators to reconsider developing domestic resources."The government is not favourable to this proposal ...

Last Chance: Early Bird Registration Ends January 15 for Port of the Future Conference 2026Secure your spot at Houston's premier maritime event before rates increaseHOUSTON, TX – The clock is ticking for port executives, maritime professionals, and industry leaders to secure early bird registration for the 2026 Port of the Future Conference. The discounted rate ends January 15, 2026, offering significant savings for what promises to be the maritime industry's most comprehensive gathering of the year.Taking place March 24-25…

The U.S. seized an empty Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.After capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an attack on Caracas on Saturday, the U.S. is continuing to blockade vessels under sanctions off the South American country, a member of the OPEC oil group. The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.

While challenges linger from the 2025 offshore rig market, there are signs it will look brighter from late 2026 onwards.Main Events of 2025One of the biggest talking points of 2024 and 2025 was Saudi Aramco’s suspension of 36 jackups from April 2024, but by 3Q 2025 21 units had been re-deployed into other regions of the world. Fast forward to today, the national oil company (NOC) has confirmed it will restart work with eight of the remaining suspended rigs in early 2026. It has…

Throughout 2025 we have seen the subsea vessel market transitioning from a period of record highs towards a more cautious, but still fundamentally strong, outlook. While short-term activity and rates have softened in the latter part of the year, long-term demand - driven by deepwater projects and global energy infrastructure- remains robust. The market is watching closely how the influx of newbuilds and ongoing corporate consolidation will shape competition and vessel availability…

The White House has ordered U.S. military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, a U.S. official told Reuters, indicating Washington is currently more interested in using economic rather than military means to pressure Caracas."While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking (for)," the official said on Wednesday…

“Between January and November 2025, cement shipments, including clinker, have jumped 13% y/y, driven by a 39% y/y increase in shipments to Africa’s Atlantic coast. The region is experiencing high economic growth, fast urbanisation and rapid development in infrastructure, supporting construction activity and boosting the demand for cement,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Cement and clinker import dependency is high across most countries in the region as most countries have insufficient domestic production capacity.

International shipbroker IFCHOR-Galbraiths (IG) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brazilian dry bulk shipbroker Aries Shipping. Founded in 2005, Aries Shipping is a Rio de Janeiro based firm led by Marcela Rosman and Bruna Moraes.This move follows IG’s launch of a Houston desk dedicated to the US Jones Act tanker market and forms part of a broader strategy to expand its global footprint by establishing very experienced local teams in high-growth regions. South America is a growing market for commodities trading…

Thordon Bearings, a leader in high-performance polymer bearing systems, has steadily carved out a niche in the global marine industry with its eco-friendly water-lubricated bearings. Unlike traditional oil or grease-based bearings, Thordon’s systems operate entirely on water, eliminating the risk of harmful pollution in marine environments. Over the years, the company has expanded its reach, offering substantial advantages to the commercial shipping, naval, and workboat markets…

Hoyer, a global supplier of electric motors and automation solutions, and VMS Group, a marine service provider, have merged to create Hoyer VMS Group, a new company aiming to deliver a unique global offering for power and motion solutions across marine and industrial markets.Fact Box: Hoyer VMS GroupFounded: 2025 (through the merger of Hoyer and VMS Group)Headquarters: Hadsten and Frederikshavn, Denmark; Ningbo, ChinaGlobal Offices & Hubs: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland…

The 52-year-old livestock carrier Spiridon II remains in quarantine off Turkey with around 20 crew and 2,853 cows onboard.Having departed from Montevideo (Uruguay) bound for Turkey on September 19 with 2,901 heifers, some of which may be pregnant, the Spiridon II is, over 50 days later, still unable to deliver the animals to shore.Veterinary authorities are refusing to allow them to disembark due to a controversy over ear tags that guarantee, among other things, the exact origin…

“Following US-China trade negotiations, China has committed to resume imports of US soya beans. The country has agreed to purchase 12m tonnes during the rest of 2025 and 25m tonnes per year during the next three years, similar to 2024 volumes. If these commitments are met, US soya bean shipments are expected to surge in the short term before stabilizing in the medium term,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.The agreement is expected to be positive for the dry bulk market and the US and Chinese economies.

James Fisher and Sons has established a new operational base in Uruguay. A key growth region for the business, the new base expands James Fisher’s ship-to-ship (STS) services in South America to provide a strategic hub for clients requiring rapid mobilization and support across South America’s energy trade routes.The base was inaugurated with a successful offshore operation, safely transferring one million barrels of crude oil between two tankers. The operation mobilized James Fisher’s specialist equipment…

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.The deployment is part of Trump's military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft. It is likely to raise concern in the…

Yinson Production has received Main Scantling Approval (MSA) from classification society DNV for its Meridian purpose-built floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) hull design.The newly approved Meridian FPSO hull is designed to perform in challenging offshore environments.It merges low carbon innovation with high performance adaptability, engineered to meet the intensifying demands of deepwater and ultra-deepwater operations.With its strategic flexibility and outstanding processing capacity…

As the global shipping industry grapples with a plethora of regulatory, technological and sustainability shifts, few sectors embody both the challenges and opportunities as acutely as the ferry industry.Interferry leads the charge to ensure there is balance, rationalizing legislative mandate with market, technical and economic reality. Interferry is the trade association representing the worldwide ferry sector, an at the helm is Mike Corrigan, CEO, who has spent the past several…