Author: Ruth M
Liepaja, Latvia — January 26, 2026 Stena Line has completed the acquisition of terminal operator Terrabalt in the Latvian port of Liepaja, formally taking over RoRo, bulk and general cargo operations at the facility. The transaction has received all required approvals from competition authorities and relevant government institutions, with Stena Line now officially registered as the owner. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Stena Line’s long-term strategy to strengthen trade resilience and logistics capacity in the Baltic Sea region. Liepaja, Latvia’s third-largest port, plays a strategic role in regional and international supply chains and serves as an important gateway…
Maersk Poland has been recognised as the Logistics Operator of the Year 2025 in the prestigious annual industry programme organised by Eurologistics Media Group in cooperation with Data Group Consulting, underscoring the company’s leadership in sustainable logistics solutions. The award was announced during the annual Logistics, Transport and Production Gala held in Warsaw, one of the most prominent events on Poland’s transport and logistics calendar. The distinction is based on the long-running Logistics Operator of the Year customer satisfaction study, an independent industry benchmark that has been conducted since 2002. Over more than two decades, the programme has built a…
For years, electric trucking was spoken about as a distant solution — promising, but constrained by high costs, limited range, and underdeveloped charging infrastructure. That narrative has now fundamentally changed. By 2024–2026, electric heavy-duty trucks have crossed a critical threshold: they are no longer experimental. They are commercially viable, operationally proven, and widely deployed. Claims that electric trucks can now match diesel on cost and service, while covering up to 95% of daily trucking routes in Europe, reflect a real shift driven by rapid technology maturity, regulatory pressure, and evolving customer expectations. The deployment of electric truck fleets across more…
Paris / Marseille — French container shipping major CMA CGM has announced a decision to reroute several of its container services away from the Suez Canal, opting instead for the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, citing ongoing global uncertainty and heightened geopolitical risks. The move affects a number of key east–west services linking Asia with Europe and the Mediterranean, including major Asia–Europe trade lanes that traditionally rely on the Suez Canal as the shortest maritime route. CMA CGM said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure and will remain under continuous review. Renewed Caution on the…
Shanghai / Beijing: China is progressing with plans to develop what could become the world’s first nuclear-powered commercial container ship, a move that may significantly alter the future of deep-sea shipping and low-carbon maritime transport. The project is being led by Jiangnan Shipyard Group, a state-owned shipbuilder under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The proposed vessel is designed as an ultra-large container ship with a capacity of up to 25,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), placing it among the largest container vessels ever conceptualised. Nuclear Propulsion Enters Commercial Shipping If realised, the ship would be the first civilian container vessel…
Libya has signed a landmark $2.7 billion international partnership to expand and modernize the Misurata Free Zone (MFZ) port terminal, marking a major step toward positioning the port as a regional logistics and transshipment hub. The deal was signed on 18 January 2026 between the Misurata Free Zone Authority and a consortium led by Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) — the port-operating arm of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — and Doha-based Maha Capital Partners (MCP), with additional Swiss and European stakeholders involved. Port Infrastructure Upgrades The agreement outlines a comprehensive development plan for the Misurata Free Zone, focusing on modernizing port…
The recent transit of two U.S. Navy vessels — the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears — through the Taiwan Strait has once again brought the delicate balance of power in the Indo-Pacific into sharp focus. According to Chinese authorities, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) closely tracked the ships and kept its forces on high alert, underscoring Beijing’s continued sensitivity to foreign naval operations near Taiwan. On the surface, these transits are routine exercises in freedom of navigation, conducted in international waters beyond any country’s territorial seas. From Washington’s perspective, such operations reaffirm the U.S. commitment to…
Despite mounting political pressure to reduce energy ties with Russia, European Union member states have continued to import large volumes of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) throughout 2025, sustaining the operations of the specialized ice-class tanker fleet that serves Russia’s key Arctic export hub at Yamal LNG. New industry data shows that European ports took delivery of at least 207 LNG cargoes from Russia’s Yamal LNG project during 2025, only slightly down from the 217 shipments recorded in 2024. Europe’s LNG Market Still Anchored to Yamal The Yamal LNG complex, operated by Russian energy company Novatek on the Arctic’s Yamal…
Thailand-based container shipping line Regional Container Lines (RCL) has unveiled plans to expand its footprint into East Africa, positioning the Port of Mombasa as a strategic regional hub for its operations. The development was announced by RCL Regional Vice President Capt. Derek Png during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Capt. William Ruto, in Mombasa. The engagement underscored growing interest by Asian carriers in East Africa’s maritime and logistics sector, driven by rising trade volumes and the port’s expanding role as a gateway to the hinterland. With more than four decades of experience…
Berlin, January 2026 — Germany has taken an unprecedented enforcement step by denying entry to a Russian-linked oil tanker, commonly referred to as a “zombie tanker,” into its territorial waters, signalling a tougher stance on vessels suspected of sanctions evasion and documentation fraud. The tanker, identified as Tavian, was intercepted in the Baltic Sea near the German state of Schleswig-Holstein after authorities raised concerns over the vessel’s identity, flag registration, and compliance with international maritime regulations. Following verification checks, German federal authorities refused the vessel permission to enter territorial waters, citing legal and security grounds. Suspicion of Shadow Fleet Operations…