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By Gregor Stevens, Nautical Director, International Chamber of Shipping The maritime landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade. With the global fleet expanding from approximately 1.7 billion deadweight tonnage in 2014 to roughly 2.4 billion today, a remarkable 40 per cent increase, helicopter-ship operations have similarly escalated in both frequency and complexity. This growth, […]

In the first quarter of 2025, Port of Antwerp-Bruges reports it handled 67.7 million tonnes of cargo, a drop of 4.0% compared to the same period last year. But container throughput increased while bulk cargo declined. The port continues to navigate global challenges such as shifting market dynamics, geopolitical tensions and the ongoing pressure on

The International Monetary Fund today announced sharply-lowered world growth forecasts for this year and 2026 and warned the outlook could deteriorate further in an escalating trade war sparked by President Trump’s century-high tariffs impacting all countries. The global economy is predicted to grow 2.8% this year, down from a previous forecast of 3.3%, and by

According to a new report from Sea-Intelligence, container shipping lines have dramatically increased blank sailings on Transpacific routes as a result of the escalating trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Under the latest developments, the U.S. boosted tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, while China retaliated with 125% tariffs on U.S. imports and restrictions

China’s biggest container carrier, Cosco Shipping Lines, today struck out at the revised plan by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to charge steep fees to Chinese-built vessels docking at American ports. “We firmly oppose the accusations and the subsequent measures,” Cosco Shipping Lines said in a statement. “Such measures not only distort fair competition

The volume of world merchandise trade is expected to decline by 0.2% in 2025 under current conditions, nearly three percentage points lower than what would have been expected under a “low tariff” baseline scenario, according to the WTO Secretariat’s latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report released on 16 April.  This is premised on the

Following two days of negotiations during its 2025 session at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), reached a bipartite agreement to update the current ILO minimum monthly basic wage for an able seafarer from US$673 to US$690 as of 1 January 2026,

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed a rise in global piracy and armed robbery incidents in the first quarter of 2025 – driven by a spike of incidents in the Singapore Straits.  A total of 45 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded in the first three months of 2025