The New Chokepoint Map: 9 Flashpoints Every Shipowner Watches Before Fixing a Voyage
Moving in to 2026 the “chokepoint map” is no longer a theory exercise. Before every long-haul fixture, owners and chartering desks are weighing very real trade-offs between Red Sea transits, Cape detours, war-risk premiums,...
The 2026 Green Premium: Who Pays and Who Gets Paid For Cleaner Ships – And Why
By 2026 the green premium in shipping has turned into a real cost line that someone has to absorb. On one side, large cargo and passenger ships trading with Europe are pulled into the...
15 Real AI Use Cases Ship Operators Will Pay For In 2026
AI in shipping has quietly moved from slides and pilots to real line items in OPEX and capex: owners are now paying for specific tools that shave fuel, tighten EU ETS exposure, reduce off-hire,...
Dry Bulk After Geneva: How 2026 Trade Flows Could Shift for Coal, Iron Ore and Agri
Geneva Dry made one thing clear. Dry bulk is drifting into a transition phase where the three core pillars of demand will not move in lockstep. Coal looks set to give back volumes in...
8 Vessel Upgrades With the Fastest Payback in 2026
Shipping margins tighten fast when fuel and carbon costs move. If you’re ranking 2026 upgrades by “how quickly does this pay itself back,” start with changes that cut drag and restore propeller efficiency. The...
The New Maritime Insurance Stack: War-Risk, Cyber and Parametric Weather. What you need to know in Under 5 Minutes
Modern voyage risk is a stack, not a single policy. Detours, cyber events, and severe weather hit cashflow in different ways, so smart operators layer war-risk, cyber, and parametric covers to keep routes, systems,...
Red Sea Risk Isn’t Over: Why War-Risk Premiums Are Spiking Again
War-risk pricing in the Red Sea has flared again after renewed Houthi strikes on merchant shipping in late September and early October. Insurers in London and regional markets have pushed additional premiums back toward...
8 Ports Racing to Shore Power in 2026 & Beyond
Shore power is moving from pilot to plan. By 2030, EU rules push container and passenger berths to provide plug-in power, and the ports that lock funding, grid capacity, and terminal buy-in now will...
10 Contract Clauses That Save You in Volatile Markets
When markets swing, contracts become your line of defense. In volatile times, losing a few percentage points of margin across many voyages can erode the business. Some shipowners don’t just negotiate hire, they bake...
Contracting in a Rate Slide: Surcharges You Can (and Can’t) Defend
When spot softens and capacity creeps back, every add-on gets questioned. Owners and NVOs still face real compliance and security costs, but only some surcharges are provably linked to external triggers. The art is...
War Risk Surcharge Heatmap
War risk pricing is moving in bursts this year. After fresh attacks and electronic interference warnings, additional premiums on key lanes have surged, softened, and surged again, turning a seven-day cover into a six-figure...
10 FuelEU Maritime Pitfalls Owners are Hitting (and How to Avoid Them)
FuelEU Maritime is reshaping day-to-day decisions on fuel, paperwork, and port operations. Small gaps, like scope tags, OPS records, or factor versions can snowball at verification, while well-documented choices can unlock real headroom against...
Container Spot Rates in Freefall: What It Could Mean for Q4 Contracts
Container spot rates fell sharply into early October, hitting their lowest level since January 2024. Drewry’s WCI slid another 5% on October 2 to $1,669/FEU, with Far East–US lanes and Asia–Europe both under pressure;...
Whatsapp and Maritime: Why the knot?
If you’re new to the maritime world, you notice WhatsApp popping up everywhere. Brokers swap positions in green bubbles, operations managers settle timing in a few lines, and decision makers ping quick voice notes...
The Crackdown on the “shadow fleet” is getting real: Top 8 Developments in 2025
Shadow-fleet loopholes are closing fast. Through 2025, registries, sanctions authorities, and port states moved from watchlists to real-world checks. Panama yanked flags, OFAC widened exposure in the Red Sea and on Iran networks, the...
Kansarmax vs Panamax – who wins in 2026?
The workhorses of mid-size dry bulk, Panamax and Kamsarmax, sit at the crossroads of grains, coal and bauxite. Specs look similar on paper, but tiny constraints (beam, draft, LOA) determine where they can load,...
Trending Up ⬆️ Cargo Radar: 8 Bulk Commodities Driving Ton Miles Right Now
Bulk demand is shifting fast this week, and the winners will be the owners who spot where cargo is tightening before the fixtures print. This report distills the eight cargoes pulling the most ton-miles...
12 Daily Signals Driving VLCC Profit Today
VLCC rates are jumping and minutes matter. This report gives shipowners and operators a fast morning read that turns volatility into clear actions. Start with the TD3C print, then scan the 12 daily signals...
12 Ports Where New U.S. Fees Could Hit Owners Hard
The clock is ticking for shipowners trading into the United States. Beginning October 14, 2025, Washington will impose steep new port fees on vessels that are either Chinese-owned/operated or built in Chinese shipyards. The...
U.S. Sanctions vs. IMO Net‑Zero Framework: Top Strategies for Shipowners
Shipowners are navigating a rare double storm: U.S. threats of port levies and tariffs tied to the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, and tightening global climate regulations such as EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime. The financial...