Author: Ruth M
Lagos, Nigeria — A United States trade delegation visiting Nigeria has lauded APM Terminals Apapa for its world-class operational standards, talent development programs, and alignment with international best practices. The commendation came during a 10-day trade mission to Nigeria and Kenya, aimed at strengthening economic cooperation in transport, infrastructure, climate sustainability, and technology. The delegation, led by California’s Secretary of Transportation, Toks Omishakin, included representatives from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the Bay Area Council, and the University of California, Davis. At the conclusion of a tour of Nigeria’s busiest container terminal, Omishakin expressed admiration for the scale and…
Seattle, USA — In a stark incident highlighting the litany of safety hazards at sea, the captain of the MSC container ship MSC Jubilee IX was arrested this week after being found more than six times over the legal alcohol limit for commercial mariners. The ship, a 333-meter Liberian-flagged vessel, had departed from Busan, South Korea, with a stop in Vancouver and was arriving at the Port of Seattle. A Puget Sound pilot reporting for duty observed signs of intoxication in the captain as the vessel approached Docking Terminal 5. The vessel was successfully guided and moored under the direction…
The decision by Alaska Marine Lines (AML) to suspend the transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids on its barge services has sparked debate about whether it is a measured act of caution or an overreaction driven by fear. What is clear is that the issue goes far beyond one company’s choice. It cuts to the heart of the maritime industry’s readiness—or lack thereof—for the realities of transporting new technology in an environment where a single mistake can escalate into catastrophe. When AML announced that it would no longer carry EVs to Central and Western Alaska and Hawaii, with…
The recent propulsion failure of the bulk carrier Basic Victory off the coast of Newcastle is more than a technical hiccup—it is a stark reminder of how fragile maritime safety can be, even in highly regulated waters like Australia’s. When a ship of that size drifts to within just three miles of the shoreline, the margin between safety and disaster is uncomfortably thin. If the crew had not managed to restart the engines in time, Australia could have been facing a potential environmental emergency, port disruption, and reputational damage. This near-miss underscores a broader truth: global shipping remains vulnerable to…
Kochi, India – August 22, 2025 — Salvage teams have entered a decisive phase in the recovery of fuel from the wreck of the MSC Elsa 3, even as legal disputes over liability and environmental damage intensify in Indian courts. According to India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), saturation diving operations began on August 20 to pump out the remaining 450 metric tonnes of fuel from the sunken containership. The vessel went down on May 25 about 14 nautical miles off the Kerala coast, carrying 650 containers and a mix of diesel and very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). Salvage…
Boosting Maritime Connectivity Saudi Arabia is further enhancing its shipping ties with China through two major initiatives: a new container service connecting Jeddah with key Chinese ports and a joint venture to build a dry port in the Eastern Province. In July 2025, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) launched a Blue Ocean Shipping-operated container service linking Jeddah with Qingdao, Ningbo, and Guangzhou’s Nansha. Designed for 2,300-TEU vessels, this service is part of Mawani’s broader strategy to boost port performance and export flows as the kingdom builds toward becoming a global logistics hub bridging three continents. Jeddah remains the largest hub…
Washington & London Step Up Pressure On August 21, 2025, both the United States and the United Kingdom independently announced sanctions targeting individuals, companies, and networks facilitating Iran’s oil trade—highlighting a coordinated effort to choke off revenue streams used by Tehran to fund destabilizing activities across the region. U.S. Sanctions: Focusing on Facilitators and Shipping Networks The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a total of 13 entities and 8 vessels operating across Hong Kong, China, the UAE, and the Marshall Islands. Among those sanctioned is Malaysian-Greek national Antonios Margaritis and his logistics network, accused of orchestrating shipments of Iranian…
The U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18) suffered a fire outbreak on Wednesday while operating off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The incident prompted a swift multinational emergency response involving U.S. sailors, the Japan Coast Guard, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Authorities confirmed that no injuries or oil spills were reported, and that firefighting efforts successfully contained the blaze, though work was still ongoing to fully extinguish it at the latest update. Timeline of the Incident At approximately 5:00 p.m. local time, smoke was reported aboard the San Antonio-class vessel while it was operating near the White…
A new report from the Global Maritime Forum’s Getting to Zero Coalition announces that both methanol and ammonia have advanced from theory to practical use as zero-emission shipping fuels, marking a critical step forward in maritime decarbonization. Based on interviews with approximately 40 influential industry organisations, the report titled From Pilots to Practice: Methanol and Ammonia as Shipping Fuels states that methanol is now ready for low-carbon operation, while ammonia has reached a piloting stage—a significant leap in maturity since the report’s first edition in 2020. Methanol: From Concept to Early Scale The report reveals that over 60 methanol-capable vessels…
Hurricane Erin is threatening Atlantic shipping routes with extraordinary 16-meter waves, posing a grave maritime hazard as the storm moves between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda. Hurricane Erin is currently located roughly 690 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph. The storm’s expansive structure—with hurricane-force winds reaching up to 80 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds stretching 205 miles—has generated powerful swells across vast stretches of the Atlantic. Forecasters warn that significant wave heights within 330 nautical miles of the storm’s southern semicircle could reach 16 meters (about 53 feet). Even…