shipping News

Sanctions Tighten Screws on Russia’s Sovcomflot as Ship Insurers Cut Cover

LONDON –– Western ship insurers are terminating cover for Russia’s leading shipping company Sovcomflot as multiple sanctions start to bite, companies involved say, adding to the growing challenges for the state-owned company and Moscow’s efforts to export oil and gas. …

Stuck Container Ship in Chesapeake Bay Finally Refloated

BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship the length of more than three football fields has finally been pried from the muddy bottom of the Chesapeake Bay more than a month after it ran aground. After two unsuccessful attempts to dislodge …

Another Ferry Seized on Disrupted Dover-Calais Route

LONDON –– A second P&O ferry that sails between the English town of Dover and the French city of Calais has been detained by British officials due to a “number of deficiencies,” likely exacerbating Easter holiday travel disruption. P&O Ferries, …

East Coast Ports Rushed to Attract Mega Ships. Now, One Is Stuck Outside D.C.

The $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal doubled its capacity in 2016, allowing the world’s largest cargo ships to sail more easily to America’s East Coast from Asia. Now, one of those giant vessels has been stuck near the …

The World’s Cargo Ships Are Sailing Into Worse Climate Risks: Report

Dangerous, expensive disruptions to shipping and many of the world’s roughly 3,700 ports are on the rise along with global temperatures. These events will increasingly threaten the sea routes that convey 80% of traded goods by volume, according a new …

Russia Dropped From Ship Certification Body as Sanctions Bite

LONDON –– The world’s top association of ship certifiers has withdrawn membership from the Russia Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) due to the impact of sanctions on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine, in another blow to the country’s vital …

War in Ukraine Puts Shipping’s Recovery in Jeopardy

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has the shipping industry bracing for new shocks to its labor force, which relies on experienced crew from both countries. Ukrainian and Russian seafarers make up nearly 15% of the industry’s 1.9 million seafarers and …

Marine Insurers Widen High-Risk Area as Ukraine Conflict Escalates

LONDON –– London’s marine insurance market has widened the area of waters around the Black Sea and Sea of Azov that it deems high risk as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifies and perils to merchant shipping grow. The insurance industry’s …

As Ukraine Evacuates Trapped Seafarers, Foreign Mariners Count Cost of War

LONDON/DHAKA —Bangladeshi seafarer Asiful Islam recalls the moment when a missile struck his cargo ship last week off the Ukrainian port of Olvia, killing his crew mate. “I was just 15 feet away when it hit our ship. Our third …

UN Shipping Agency Calls Special Ukraine Meeting Amid Safety Fears

LONDON —The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will convene a special meeting next week to discuss the risks to seafarers and ships in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UN’s shipping agency said on …