Top Stories.

The shipping industry is having to navigate a “minefield” of trade and geopolitical tensions these days, in an era when protectionist policies are at the forefront. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “the U.S. Trade Representative’s newly unveiled port fees are a bold escalation in America’s economic tug-of-war with China — but ... […]

Intertwined with the complexities of market volatility, oil and freight dynamics, unprecedented geopolitical events, rising sanctioned trades, and environmental and regulatory changes, the rapidly ageing VLCC fleet stands out as one of the consequential trends set to resonate for the foreseeable future within the tanker industry. Historical and projected data highlighting the shift towards a ... […]

“Combined, Japanese shipowners currently own 12% of the global fleet’s deadweight tonnes capacity (DWT). This makes Japan the third largest shipowning country in the world and one of only three countries where shipowners control more than 10% of the global fleet’s DWT capacity,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO. The global fleet of ... […]

Prices for dry bulk carriers have been on the rise over the past week, as more deals were concluded. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that on the dry bulk market “on the Kamsarmax sector, the “Sea Pluto” – 81K/2013 New Times was sold for USD 16.5 mills and the “Seaduty” – 82K/2008 ... […]

The ongoing tariff wars and retaliations have created havoc globally, with the LNG market expecting changes in trade patterns. While the US-China trade war appears to have minimal impact on LNG shipping (at least in 2025), the repercussions will be prominent in case of an extended war, denting LNG shipping in the long run, with ... […]

The first quarter of 2025 has shown mixed signals in China’s dry bulk import profile, reflecting commodity-specific trends and the broader strategic shifts underway amid the U.S.-China trade war. The above charts reveal YoY volume comparisons for March 2025 vs. March 2024, highlighting divergent patterns in iron ore, coal, and grain flows to China. Iron ... […]

Global trade flows are shifting in response to the ongoing trade war. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal said that “the recent surge in trade tensions between the U.S. and China, marked by the U.S. imposing tariffs up to 145% on Chinese imports and China retaliating with 125% tariffs, has cast a significant shadow ... […]

Due to market uncertainty, overall sale and purchase levels for Bulkers have fallen year on year, with a decrease of c.58% and just 77 reported this year to date, compared to 182 for the same period last year. Since the US proposed fees to Chinese-built vessels entering US ports in February, sale and purchase levels ... […]

The Signal Ocean Voyages API offers a deep dive into global versus U.S. port calls for both dry bulk and tanker vessels, providing valuable insights into which vessel size segments and commodity types are most exposed to recent policy developments. In light of these shifts, a critical question emerges: Is the U.S. shipbuilding industry truly ... […]

The S&P market has slowed down over the past few days, as a result of the uncertainty created from the USTR proposal, with owners reluctant to commit to new deals. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Xclusiv said that “the USTR proposal seems to have affected S&P activity y-t-d, as weekly data reveals a decrease ... […]