Philippine News

January 9 ------ In recent reports, the Singapore and Malacca Straits have been flagged as areas of significant concern regarding maritime security. Of a total of 41 incidents recorded in these waters, 38 occurred in the Singapore Straits and three in the Malacca Straits. The majority of reported incidents consist of opportunistic armed robberies against ships, with a total of 59 cases noted across Asia. The nature of these crimes tends to be low severity, primarily targeting

January 9 ------ 2025 was a challenging year for the maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts. Reports at the beginning of the year highlighted that despite an acceleration in the industry’s engagement in low-carbon clean technologies, international shipping emissions were said to have largely returned to 2008 levels. Positive signals came early in January with the introduction of FuelEU Maritime (FEUM), which represents one of the most comprehensive pieces of regional emi

January 9 ------ The British Ports Association (BPA) has welcomed the launch of the latest three-yearly compliance exercise for the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code (PMSC), covering the 2026–28 period. Open until the end of March 2026, the exercise is led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and covers the whole of the UK. It invites ports, harbors and marine facilities of all size and ownership structure, to demonstrate their alignment with the Code via a new, step-b

January 9 ------ A court in Hong Kong sentenced the master of a Chinese-registered oil tanker to 14 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the safety of others at sea. The judge said the captain’s actions were “obviously too slow,” and it resulted in a collision with the fishing boat off Hong Kong that killed one person, while six others were rescued from the sea. The oil tanker was transiting into Hong Kong waters around 0400 on November 17, 2024.

January 8 ------ The massive port complex in China’s central region is reporting a new record, claiming to be the first port worldwide to have handled a record 1.4 billion tons of cargo ranging from containers to dry bulk. Officials highlight that the port is expected to have maintained its position for the 17th consecutive year as the busiest overall port complex in terms of annual cargo throughput. The Ningbo-Zhoushan port, they highlight, has grown rapidly, moving up four

January 8 ------ Finnish Customs released the cargo aboard the vessel Fitburg that it had been holding during an investigation into possible violations of European Union sanctions, but they have also officially seized the vessel as the investigation into the cable damage continues. The customs authority reports that while the cargo is considered to be subject to the EU sanctions, they are releasing it under a technicality after consulting with the EU and the Finnish Deputy Pr

January 8 ------ Singapore-based shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Japan’s MTI Ltd. have established a joint venture (JV) company in Vietnam with the aim of promoting digital transformation of operations and business models in the shipping industry by using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Established in December 2025, QUAVEO Company Limited is located in Ho Chi Minh City, has a capital of $1.6 million, and is being led by CEO Ichiro Igari, Managing Exe

January 8 ------ In addition to the boarding and seizure of the fugitive tanker Bella 1, U.S. forces captured the stateless, sanctioned tanker Sophia (aka Varada Blessing, IMO 9289477) in the Atlantic. The Sophia was in laden condition with about 1.8 million barrels of heavy Venezuelan crude aboard, according to TankerTrackers.com. The consultancy said that she is one of 15 tankers that got under way and attempted to penetrate the U.S. "blockade" of Venezuelan oil exports in

January 7 ------ The deployment of Emirati forces in locations to the north and south of the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) in the Gulf of Aden, and in similar positions dominating sea routes through the southern Red Sea, is currently in the middle of a significant upheaval. The process is ongoing, and it remains to be seen what Emirati footprint remains in the area once the withdrawal is announced as complete. This development comes after two advances in which all

January 7 ------ A new project supported by the Japanese government is designed to provide the foundation for the future hydrogen supply chain. Four years after Japan demonstrated the world’s first liquified hydrogen carrier, the new project seeks to construct the next vessel on a commercial scale. The Green Innovation Fund Project is supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The project has a budget of approximately $2 billion

January 7 ------ It became a compound series of problems as a bulker grounded as it was preparing to arrive at a port in Taiwan, and then the tug sent to rescue the grounded vessel also experienced problems requiring its own rescue. Bad weather forced Taiwan’s Air Service Corps into action after a crewmember was injured aboard the tug and required hospitalization. The bulker CSE Prosperity Express (28,350 dwt) was arriving at Taiwan’s Hualien port on the eastern shore of the

January 7 ------ Belgian shipping company Exmar has tucked a new milestone under its belt by finishing its largest ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of ammonia to date. While revealing that the Exmar Ship Management crew completed its largest STS transfer of ammonia, the shipowner explained that Kortrijk, the firm’s midsize gas carrier with a capacity of 38,500 cubic meters (cbm), safely discharged full cargo of ammonia, in collaboration with Trammo at the port of Sohar, Oman. The

January 6 ------ Hawaii’s hotly contested and closely followed “Green Fee,” a new tax on hotels, short-stay rentals, and cruises, suffered a setback just hours before it was due to go into effect. It is the first tax of its kind imposed on tourists to contribute to the state’s costs of addressing environmental issues. Two judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court granted on New Year’s Eve (December 31) a last-minute request for an injunction in a suit brought by the cruise industr

January 6 ------ Palau's government has ended a longtime commercial arrangement with its flag registry operator, according to the Island Times. The change follows several U.S. Treasury sanctions actions affecting the Palau-flagged fleet, and brings the register a chance for a fresh start. In a statement, Palau's Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Industries confirmed that the Palau flag registry continues to provide all shipping registry services as before, but under new m

January 6 ------ Nigerian authorities have arrested 22 crewmembers from a bulker after finding a small shipment of cocaine aboard the vessel. In November, the bulker Aruna Hulya got under way from Santos, Brazil - a notorious cocaine-trafficking hub - and got under way on a transatlantic crossing to Lagos, arriving December 26. The vessel moored at the GDNL terminal complex in Lagos. Upon boarding, Nigerian authorities found about 32 kilos of cocaine inside the number-three h

January 6 ------ A freighter has gone aground on the northern shores of the Sea of Marmara, reportedly due to strong winds in the area. On December 30, White Line arrived just off the coast of the port of Marmara and when to anchor. At about 1430 hours local time on Saturday, the vessel drifted from her anchorage and grounded just off a sandy beach, a tourist area known locally as Santos Plaji. Local outlet Sozcu reports that the ship was hit by a strong windstorm. No injurie

January 5 ------ Egypt is hoping to enhance the navigational safety of the busy Suez Canal after securing a $22 million grant to finance the construction of a dual-fuel diving support vessel (DSV). As more shipping lines make a return to the waterway owing to the gradual return of stability in the Red Sea region, the country said it has secured the grant from the Japanese government for the vessel, which will join the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) fleet. The grant was provided t

January 5 ------ Finland has unleashed a gamut of inspections and is searching for multiple violations aboard the cargo ship Fitburg, which was detained on Wednesday, December 31, over a suspicion of damaging undersea cables. The authorities are saying it is still in the early stages of the investigation, but they have arrested and detained crewmembers and are reporting the vessel’s cargo is suspected of violating European Union sanctions. The Finnish Border Guard quickly id

January 5 ------ While the Port of Galveston made headlines with the opening of its fourth cruise terminal in 2025, next year we’ll celebrate another port milestone – completion of major improvements at the West Port Cargo Complex. Located on Galveston Harbor, one of the nation’s busiest cargo waterways, the port moves more than 3 million tons of general and breakbulk cargos, including roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and giant wind turbine pieces a year. Hundreds of cargo ships call

January 5 ------ An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that a towing vessel operating on the Columbia River in Washington State veered from the channel and hit a U.S. Coast Guard dock after the captain in charge of the vessel fell asleep. They note that the individual, the night before self-medicated with ivermectin, a prescription medication normally used to treat parasitic infections, and was later diagnosed with an acute COVID-19 coronavirus in