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Sunday, August 16, 2026

Ports News

16 Aug 2026

Yemen's Mocha Port Halts Operations After Houthi Attacks

© Robert / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Mocha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port's director said on Saturday.The attacks killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses, the director told a news conference.Mocha is a Red Sea port near the Bab el-Mandab strait, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for international shipping.The port is controlled by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government.

14 Aug 2026

Drone Attack Sparks Fire at Ust-Luga Port

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Firefighters were battling flames on Friday at Russia's Baltic Sea port Ust-Luga, a major energy exports hub, after a fire sparked by a drone attack, regional governor Aleksander Drozdenko said on messaging app Telegram.More than fifty drones were downed in the Leningrad region, he added, as the region around Ust-Luga, a centre for exports of oil and oil products, kept up efforts to repel the attack.The scale of damage was not immediately clear in the attack, which continues Ukraine's tactics of hitting Russian oil processing and export facilities and grain shipping routes, in an effort to den

13 Aug 2026

Port of Los Angeles Increases Clean Ship Incentives

Photo courtesy of Port of Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has approved an addendum to further accelerate clean air technologies and incentives as part of the Port of Los Angeles’ 2025 clean air Cooperative Agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) and neighboring Port of Long Beach.Under the updated agreement, the Port of Los Angeles – along with the Port of Long Beach – will enhance incentives for the cleanest ocean-going vessels, establish new incentives to increase the use of zero-emission trucks…

13 Aug 2026

Despite $600m Middle East Hit, Hapag-Lloyd Q2 Results are Strong

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Hapag-Lloyd reported a recovery in second-quarter 2026 earnings as stronger container volumes and spot rates helped counter roughly $600 million in additional costs stemming from the Middle East conflict.The German container shipping group posted Q2 EBITDA of $829 million, slightly above $820 million a year earlier, while EBIT slipped to $176 million from $189 million. Group profit fell sharply to $83 million from $306 million. Revenue increased to $5.84 billion from $5.27 billion.The improvement from a weak first quarter was driven by strong Asian exports and improved U.S. demand.

13 Aug 2026

Strong Vessel Demand, Rates Lift Maersk Outlook

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Danish shipping group Maersk on Thursday raised its full-year earnings guidance for a second time this year and smashed profit forecasts as global container demand proved resilient in the face of the Middle East conflict.Surging freight rates, fuelled by gridlocked ports and strong Chinese export growth, delivered a windfall that dwarfed the additional costs caused by Middle East disruption, defying fears that the conflict would tip the global economy into recession and dent container demand.Maersk's second-quarter profit before interest…

13 Aug 2026

Greensea IQ Launches Autonomous Hull and Infrastructure Inspection Robot

Source: Greensea IQ

Greensea IQ has introduced Bayonet Sweep, an autonomous underwater robot designed to search and inspect ship hulls and underwater structures.Bayonet Sweep provides navies, security teams, and port and harbor authorities with a rapid and effective way to inspect ship hulls without placing divers in the water.Where routine hull inspection focuses on maintenance, Bayonet Sweep is specifically built for force protection. It provides a complete data workflow for security, threat assessment…

12 Aug 2026

Cruise Ship First to Bunker LNG at Civitavecchia

Source: Axpo

Axpo and Vitol have completed the first LNG bunkering operation at the Port of Civitavecchia in Italy, refueling the flagship vessel of an international cruise line.Green Pearl, a 7,500 m³ Italian bunkering vessel operated by Axpo, conducted the ship-to-ship refueling operation at Civitavecchia’s berth 18. Operated by Axpo, Green Pearl was brought into service in 2026 and is dedicated to ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering operations in Italian ports.The operation means that Italy’s premier cruise port…

12 Aug 2026

Bryan Jones Named HDR Marine Terminals Leader

Source: HDR

Ports engineer Bryan Jones has been named HDR’s marine terminals leader.Based in Savannah, Georgia, Jones guides the firm’s growing marine terminals practice worldwide, working with port authorities and terminal operators to address evolving operational demands, infrastructure needs and industry trends.He supports clients in planning and delivering investments that improve efficiency and long-term performance while developing strategies to address changing trade patterns, growing cargo volumes…

12 Aug 2026

Ukraine Attacks Naval Base, Grain Terminals at Novorossiysk

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A major Ukrainian attack on Russia's Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk hit warships at a naval base and forced two major grain terminals to halt operations on Wednesday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials as well as grain industry sources.The Ukrainian attacks killed at least two people, including an 8-year-old child, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.Describing the attack as having "strategic significance", Ukraine's SBU security service said Kyiv's forces hit the Novorossiysk naval base with drones and missiles.

12 Aug 2026

China Insights: Iron Ore Mining Cools, Steel Making Softens

Image courtesy BIMCO

"In the first half of 2026, Chinese iron ore mining fell by 7% y/y due to a 6% y/y increase in iron ore net imports and weaker steel production. The country is increasingly sourcing its iron ore from abroad because it is often of higher grade and competitively priced. Iron ore net imports now account for 57% of China’s iron ore supply compared to 50% in the first half of 2022,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.While China’s iron ore supply slightly increased in the first half of 2026, demand from steel mills weakened.

09 Aug 2026

BHP Port Unions Strike at Port Hedland

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More workers joined a strike at BHP's Port Hedland operations in Western Australia on Sunday, a union spokesperson said, in the first major industrial action at the ‌iron-ore export hub in a quarter-century.On the second of the planned two days of stoppage, some 100 workers downed tools at the world's biggest export hub for iron ore at 5:30 a.m. (2130 GMT), taking the total involved to around 150, the spokesperson said.Sunday's 24-hour stoppage by the three unions of the Combined BHP Ports Unions…

07 Aug 2026

Corn Belt Ports Co-Hosts National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting

© Corn Belt Ports

This year's annual meeting for the National Waterways Conference will be held in Moline, Illinois, co-hosted by Corn Belt Ports. This marks the first non-coastal state to host since Memphis, Tennessee in 2019.Attendees will be able to connect with water and waterways leaders, federal partners, and industry stakeholders for three days of policy discussion, networking, and on-the-water learning along the Upper Mississippi River system.Moline sits in the heart of the Quad Cities…

04 Aug 2026

Strong Cargo Demand Offsets Rising Costs for ONE

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Ocean Network Express (ONE) reported a profitable first quarter for fiscal 2026, overcoming higher fuel costs and geopolitical disruptions through strong cargo demand, disciplined capacity management and rising freight rates, while continuing to invest in fleet modernization under its long-term ONE2030 strategy.For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the Singapore-based container carrier generated revenue of $4.54 billion, EBITDA of $707 million and EBIT of $76 million, resulting in a net profit of $31 million.

31 Jul 2026

France Selects Five Ports for $300M Floating Wind Investment

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France has selected five ports to receive nearly $300 million (€260 million) in funding under the France 2030 investment program to support infrastructure upgrades for the country's floating offshore wind industry.The projects, located at the ports of Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, Port-la-Nouvelle and Marseille-Fos, were chosen under a 2024 call for projects aimed at adapting French port infrastructure for the manufacture, assembly and integration of floating offshore…

30 Jul 2026

Hybrid Mobile Harbor Crane Commissioned for Port of Gulfport

© SSA Marine

SSA Marine and the Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport (Port of Gulfport) announced the commissioning of a new Liebherr LHM 550 hybrid mobile harbor crane at the Port, along with $1.6 million in state grant funding that will enable the electrification of the crane.The crane has a lift capacity of 124 metric tons and will be SSA Marine’s second LHM 550 in operation at the Port of Gulfport. The crane runs on a hybrid drive system, and the Port and SSA Marine are working…

26 Jul 2026

Vessel Sinks Week After Being Struck by Russian Fire

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An international general cargo vessel sank off the coast of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa on Sunday, a week after Ukrainian officials said it had been struck by Russian forces.Ukraine's ports authority said the Golden Leo, sailing under a Guinea-Bissau flag, had sunk near the port.

22 Jul 2026

BY THE NUMBERS: Copper is Cargo Theft King

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For decades, cargo criminals followed a familiar playbook: steal consumer electronics, cigarettes, pharmaceuticals or luxury goods. These products were easy to fence and commanded healthy profits. But according to the latest BSI Consulting and TT Club 2025 Cargo Theft Report, the economics of cargo theft are changing rapidly—and nowhere is that more evident than copper. The report reads less like a crime summary and more like a lesson in commodity markets. Criminal organizations are no longer simply stealing what is valuable today…

22 Jul 2026

SeaTac Marine Leverage MARAD Grant for New Equipment

Image courtesy SeaTac Marine Services

SeaTac Marine Services, a small business marine transportation company in Seattle, WA, took delivery of a Taylor 700XL Forklift in May 2025. With help from the US Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Grant program, SeaTac Marine Services was able to purchase this American-made machine, built by Taylor Forklifts in Louisville, Mississippi, it is fully "Build America, Buy America Act" compliant. Established in 2007, the US Marine Highway Program provides federal funding for projects and water-based freight improvements.

21 Jul 2026

Houthis Threaten Targeted Attacks on Shipping Companies Visiting Saudi Ports

© Adobe Stock/Aninka

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia told shipping companies not to load or discharge cargo at Saudi Arabian ports or they may be targeted, according to an email the group sent to companies.The Houthis on Monday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf."Vessels are banned from loading or discharging cargo at or from any Saudi ports…

17 Jul 2026

Saronic Picks Texas for New $3B Shipyard

(Credit: Saronic)

Saronic has selected Brownsville, Texas, as the site for Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard the company plans to build to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity.The company said it plans to invest more than $3 billion in the facility, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and operations scheduled to start in 2028.Initially spanning 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, the site could eventually expand to nearly 4,400 acres. The shipyard will be capable of building vessels up to 850 feet long…

16 Jul 2026

Port of Antwerp-Bruges Sees Decline in Goods in H1 2026

© Port of Antwerp-Bruges

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts, and operational disruptions, context handled 133.9 million tons of maritime goods in the first half of 2026, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. While RoRo grew (+5.9%) and bulk remained virtually stable (-1.3%), the decrease was primarily situated in the general cargo segment, with container handling being the main factor. At the same time, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges maintained its market share in container handling and continued to invest in additional capacity…

15 Jul 2026

Ukraine to Protect Ports, Exports After Recent Russian Attacks

© Adobe Stock/Jonathan Wilson

Ukraine will do everything possible to protect its seaports and guarantee grain exports at no less than last season's level,its deputy economy minister, Taras Vysotskiy, told Reuters on Wednesday.Russia has sharply stepped up attacks in recent weeks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports' infrastructure and on cargo vessels entering Odesa ports to export grain and other agricultural goods.Brokers say shipowners are refusing to enter Ukrainian ports because of sharply increased war risks…

15 Jul 2026

Grain Shipments Strong, but Weakness on the Horizon

Image courtesy BIMCO

“Global grain shipments have increased 13% y/y so far this year, supported by strong wheat, maize and soya bean exports from the Americas and Europe. Improved harvests across most major exporters have boosted their export surpluses, driving higher shipments to Asia, the Middle East and North Africa,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Grain shipments to China have jumped 15% y/y, supported by stronger soya bean, sorghum and barley imports. An improvement in trade relations between the US and China has led to a 137% increase in US grain shipments to the country…