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Monday, June 22, 2026

Cargo News

18 Jun 2026

Iran's Strait Authority to Facilitate Passage Through Hormuz

© LogoStockimages / Adobe Stock

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Thursday that the country's Persian Gulf Strait Authority will take measures to issue fast authorizations to ships wanting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as per the memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington.Measures on mine clearance will be carried out under the Islamabad MoU, though ships are advised to stick to the path and timing allocated by the authority, the statement published by state media added.The U.S.

18 Jun 2026

Fertilizer Shipments Should Bounce Back with U.S.-Iran Deal

Source: BIMCO

"Global fertilizer shipments have fallen 11% y/y since the start of the Iran war. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has restricted fertilizer exports from the Persian Gulf, tightening the global supply and increasing prices. The ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran could lead to a rebound in shipments,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Under normal conditions, 16% of global fertilizer shipments come from the Persian Gulf and pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has significantly disrupted cargo volumes.

17 Jun 2026

Charities and Celebrities Urge End to Live Animal Exports

Source: Compassion in World Farming

More than 130 charities, experts and celebrities including Brian Cox CBE, Alan Cumming OBE, Zoë Wanamaker CBE, and Joanna Lumley DBE, are calling for a ban on live exports.Led by Compassion in World Farming, the global partners from 33 countries including Eurogroup for Animals, Four Paws, Animals International, and World Animal Protection have written to the intergovernmental body for animal health and welfare, WOAH, urging it to end the overcrowding, extreme heat, hunger, dehydration, injury, severe stress and death of animals in transport.

17 Jun 2026

NYK Vessels Chartered for Low-Carbon Ammonia Transport from Louisiana

Source: NYK

NYK Bulkship (Asia), a Singapore-based company of the NYK Group, has concluded a time-charter contract with JERA for two very large gas carriers (VLGCs).The two VLGCs are expected to transport low‑carbon ammonia produced in Louisiana to JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station in Japan. At the power station, commercial operation of large-scale ammonia substitution combustion with 20% heat value ratio is scheduled to commence around fiscal year 2029.This project is expected to mark the first shipment of low‑carbon fuel ammonia for power generation to Japan.

17 Jun 2026

Furetank VINGA Series Tanker to be Named

Image courtesy Furetank

VINGA vessel naming ceremony and 40 years of design collaborationcutFOLDER-VINGA-serien-webb.pdf [Full background and tech spec - MR DEC 2026cutVinga VesselA newly built tanker in Furetank's VINGA series will be named at the Port of Uddevalla on 28 August. The vessel was designed by Furetank and FKAB Marine Design, the cumulative of 40 years of vessel design collaboration."We know operations and FKAB knows shipbuilding. Our collaboration has been a winning equation over the years — one plus one has equalled three.

16 Jun 2026

Container Imports Soar at Port of Los Angeles

© Brad Nixon / Adobe Stock

Imports to the busiest U.S. container port in Los Angeles hit the second-highest level in history during May, as retailers rushed in products like plastic school supplies before cargo ship owners start recouping higher fuel costs from the Iran war on July 1.The Iran war has snarled shipping in the Middle East and reduced the availability of crude oil and its derivatives used to make plastic and other goods. Marine fuel costs have soared and some retailers and manufacturers are…

15 Jun 2026

Sallaum Lines Orders Two 8,600-CEU Dual-Fuel PCTCs

Image courtesy Sallaum Lines

Sallaum Lines has placed an order for two next-generation 8,600-CEU Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (XSI), with options for two additional vessels, marking the largest shipbuilding investment in the company’s history and accelerating its fleet modernization strategy.The newbuilds, each with a capacity of 8,600 car equivalent units (CEU), will significantly expand the company’s finished vehicle logistics capabilities while supporting its long-term decarbonization goals.

14 Jun 2026

Petition Against Animal Transport to War Zones Submitted to EU Commission

Source: Animal Welfare Foundation

While bombs are falling in the Middle East, EU Member States continue to export live animals to the region, with the European Commission (EC) refusing to be held accountable, says the Eurogroup for Animals, the French animal welfare organization Welfarm and the German NGO Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF).The organizations have submitted a joint petition to the EC calling for an immediate halt to these transports. Almost 50,000 signatories are calling on the EU to instruct its Member…

11 Jun 2026

US Sanctions Cuban State Oil Company

© ismel leal / Adobe Stock

The United States issued sanctions against Cuban state oil company Union Cuba Petroleo (CUPET), the Treasury Department website showed on Thursday, adding more obstacles for the island's government to import much-needed fuel.Washington has imposed sanctions on an array of Cuban entities and people, including the island nation's president, as it seeks to intensify pressure on Cuba's communist leaders.The sanctions follow the U.S. declaration of a national emergency this year that would impose tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the island…

11 Jun 2026

Spiridon II Livestock Transport Organizer Due in Court

Video still from onboard Spiridon II (Animal Welfare Foundation / Tierschutzbund Zurich)

The Austrian livestock dealer allegedly responsible for the weeks of livestock suffering and death on the Spiridon II is to appear before the Krems Regional Court in Austria on Friday as part of a civil lawsuit. The importers of the animals accuse him of fraud.The cattle from Uruguay—half of which were pregnant heifers—were originally destined for Turkey. Upon arrival, however, they were not allowed to be unloaded from Spiridon II because, according to the authorities, nearly 500 of them were not listed on the import list.

10 Jun 2026

China Oil Imports Collapse; Down 29%

Copyright AU USAnakul/AdobeStock

China's trade in major commodities in May underscored that price moves are the primary driver of changes in flows in the world's biggest buyer of natural resources.The headline-grabbing number from customs data was the collapse in crude oil imports to an eight-year low of just 7.79 million barrels per day (bpd). The fallout from the war in Iran was blamed for the 29% slump in crude imports. In the months prior to the start of the conflict on February 28, levels of around 11 million bpd were common.The war resulted in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz…

10 Jun 2026

Western Africa Import of Clean Petroleum Crashes 44% YOY

Image courtesy BIMCO

"During April to May, Western Africa’s clean petroleum product (CPP) imports fell 44% year on year, from 1,144 thousand barrels per day (kbpd) to 642 kbpd,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The drop in import volumes cut tonne miles by 47% year on year, lowering the region’s share of global CPP tonne miles from 5.3% to 3.6%. LR1 and LR2 product tankers recorded the largest declines, down 88% and 78% respectively, and together accounted for 55% of the total tonne miles loss.MR product tanker tonne miles fell only 4% year on year during April to May…

09 Jun 2026

The Heavy Lift Group: Navigating a New Reality in Project Cargo Logistics

Image courtesy THLG

Escalating geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts are having a profound impact on international trade, subjecting supply chains to intense operational volatility, rigid compliance demands, and significant financial pressures. Out of necessity, logistics providers are taking a more selective, risk-averse approach when preparing and executing their business plans.For The Heavy Lift Group (THLG), a global alliance of specialized heavy transport companies, caution and pragmatism…

02 Jun 2026

Lakes U.S. Limestone Trade Down in May

Source: Lake Carriers' Association

Shipments of limestone from U.S. quarries on the Great Lakes decreased 8.1 percent from May of last year to 2.7 million tons. May’s loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 5.4 percent.Year-to-date, the Lakes U.S. limestone trade totals 3.9 million tons, a decrease of 14.9 percent compared to 2025 and 15.7 percent below the 5-year average.

02 Jun 2026

DNV Launches V2 of Steel Load Planner

SLP V2.0 builds on the award winning Steel Load Planner, which launched in 2023, and adds AI cargo optimization. © DNV

Classification society DNV released version 2 of its Steel Load Planner (SLP V2.0) self-service application at the Posidonia trade fair this week. Steel coils are one of the staple minor-bulk cargoes, yet remain among the most demanding to plan, with wide variations in coil size, weight and behavior during stowage. At the same time, tight tonnage supply, a shortage of newbuild slots, and growing regulatory costs for emissions, mean owners and operators need to maximize the loading capacity of their existing vessels to remain competitive.Building on the original Steel Load Planner…

01 Jun 2026

Venezuela's Oil Exports Rose in May

© Faraways / Adobe Stock

Venezuela's oil exports rose slightly to 1.25 million barrels per day in May, its third consecutive month of increase, fueled by more cargoes to the U.S., India and Europe, shipping data showed on Monday.Under the U.S.-supported government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelan crude production and exports have bounced this year as Washington eased sanctions and foreign companies expanded oil and gas projects in the OPEC nation.The oil ministry has forecast a crude output of 1.37 million bpd by year-end…

26 May 2026

MISC Reports First Quarter Increase in Revenue

Source: MISC

The MISC Group revenue of RM2,891.4 million ($729 million) was 2.7% higher than the revenue for the period ended March 31, 2025.The increase was mainly due to higher revenue from the company’s Petroleum and Product Shipping segment, primarily driven by higher freight rates and earning days, and higher revenue from Marine and Heavy Engineering segment, primarily from the ongoing projects advancing into higher construction phases partially offset by lower revenue from post sail-away projects.The increase in Group’s revenue was…

25 May 2026

Oil Tumbles as US and Iran Seen Moving Closer to Deal

© Sashkin / Adobe Stock

Oil prices fell nearly 7% on Monday as optimism grew that the United States and Iran were moving closer to a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even though Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down $7.24, or almost 7%, at $96.30 a barrel at 2:29 p.m. ET (1843 GMT) and U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 futures were down $6.30, or 6.5%, at $90.88.Trading volumes were light due to the U.S. Memorial Day…

24 May 2026

Trump Says No Rush for Iran Deal, US Blockade Stays

© LogoStockimages / Adobe Stock

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war that had been raised a day earlier.The U.S. blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz would "remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Both sides must take their time and get it right," he added.There was no immediate response from Iran's government.

22 May 2026

CMA CGM Q1 Resilient, but Shipping Margins Tighten Amid Geopolitical Turbulence

Copyright Mariusz/AdobeStock

CMA CGM delivered a resilient first quarter, but the numbers underscore the increasingly complex environment facing the global container shipping and logistics giant.The Marseille-based group reported first-quarter revenue of $13.23 billion, essentially flat year-over-year, while EBITDA fell 31.6% to $2.11 billion and net income dropped sharply to $250 million, down from $1.12 billion a year earlier.For the shipping division, the picture was mixed. Volumes rose 1.5% to 5.93 million TEU, but maritime revenue declined 8.5% to $8.02 billion as average revenue per container weakened nearly 10%.

21 May 2026

Hormuz Disruption Drives Panama Canal Transits

Chart Clarksons courtesy BIMCO

"So far this year, ship transits via the Panama Canal have increased 8% y/y to a daily average of 38, driven by the tanker sector. Transits have been especially high during the past five weeks, rising 16% y/y, as US energy exports to the Pacific jumped,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.The Iran War and the subsequent reduction in Strait of Hormuz transits have disrupted exports from the Persian Gulf, tightening the global energy supply and boosting prices for energy commodities.

20 May 2026

Rio Tinto Ships Eight Billionth Tonne of Iron Ore from the Pilbara

Source: Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto has celebrated the shipment of 8 billion tonnes1 of iron ore to global markets from the Pilbara region, 60 years after the company’s first shipment set sail from Western Australia for Japan.The milestone shipment departed from Cape Lambert port aboard the Juno Horizon on May 19, bound for Nippon Steel Corporation, one of Rio Tinto’s longstanding partners.Rio Tinto’s first Pilbara iron ore shipment departed in August 1966 for Japan.Eight billion tonnes of iron ore is enough to produce the steel needed for more than 161…

20 May 2026

Third VLCC Exits Strait of Hormuz

Source: Windward

Three supertankers were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday carrying oil bound for Asian markets, after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months with 6 million barrels of Middle East crude on board, while another was entering, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed.The ships are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route that Iran has ordered ships to use.The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran which began on February 28 has severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz…