International Maritime Organization's MEPC adjourned extraordinary session without adopting Net-Zero Framework (NZF) for shipping GHG reduction, action postponed to October 2026 due to U.S. opposition and trade penalties threats; leaving industry players facing regulatory uncertainty from regional measures like EU ETS remaining.
Container carriers remain "firm" on transpacific rate stability; January capacity up 13% to US West Coast. Maersk completes its first Suez Canal transit in two years, indicating a cautious resumption of traffic through the Red Sea corridor. Asia-Europe bookings soar as inland networks face railcar shortages and driver constraints moving toward 2026.
Ukraine’s overland shipping route to the Black Sea has hit yet another significant milestone since.162 million tonnes total shipped across 55 countries since August (including 98 million tonnes of grain exported to 55 nations - reported on December 16).at the same time insurance costs for maritime shipping skyrocketed as the growing risk landscape began to shift, as risk premiums for shipping Russian oil out of the region extended until July 2025.
PyroScience GmbH, a leading provider of optical pH, oxygen and temperature sensors is taking a holiday break from 22nd December 2025 to 2nd January 2026. PyroScience continues to develop sensor solutions for marine and laboratory environments - recently with microfluidics products as well as insertable miniprobes - making this time away an opportunity to advance sensor development even further.
Teledyne CARIS announced a multi-year strategic collaboration with the UK Hydrographic Office to accelerate innovation in hydrographic data processing and nautical charting through the application of cloud technology. Moreover, at Ocean Business 2025 Teledyne CARIS will demo next-generation marine mapping solutions underlining its leadership in international maritime geospatial sector.
German marine technology company Sea & Sun Technology GmbH is following suit with UVC light treatments aimed at preventing biofilms and jointly developing seawater density sensors. Sea & Sun Technology signals its commitment as a member of the sustainable maritime community even as the industry adapts to developing alternative environmentally friendly antifouling systems.
Deep Trekker continues to build its international footprint following the announcement of an exclusive Middle East distribution agreement with Unique Group and a ribbon cutting for a full-service facility in Tampa, FL. Then, regional offices covering all three sectors continue to be announced, with defense, offshore, and infrastructure work attracting increasing attention globally.
Blueprint Subsea and SUEX Srl have formed a joint venture and transferred ownership to AION Group as the New Year began. The joint venture hopes to speed up growth by simplifying defence sector sales while also increasing joint R&D collaboration while still ensuring operational independence for both firms. Some views were expressed somewhat heretically by James Barratt the Managing Director for both firms, calling it a milestone of innovation.
CMB.TECH (formerly Euronav) declared an interim dividend of $0.05 on December 17, 2025, to be paid in mid-January 2026, signalling confidence in its financial situation following the takeover. Euronav also accelerated its fleet renewal activities through the sale of older VLCCs, and the acquisition of eco-VLCCs and two Suezmax tankers from Ocean Yield that are compliant with the decarbonization strategy.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace announced key maritime defence deals in November-December 2025, including a NOK 3.5 billion combat system contract upgrade for German and Norwegian 212CD submarines and Denmark valued in excess of EUR 100 million, plus upgrades for German 212A submarines' navigation systems. All three deals bolster NATO allies capabilities for anti-submarine warfare in coastal approaches.
Recent developments in subsea cable infrastructure reflect strategic initiatives and integrity: El Salvador’s regulator selects Liberty Networks for its first 1,800km cable from El Salvador to Panama by 2028; Sumitomo Electric secures UK Sea Link HVDC project while Tekmar secures $9M UK wind cable protection deal, enhancing global digital and energy resilience.
In late November and early December 2025, the Trump administration announced plans to delay approvals of New England Wind projects off the coast of Massachusetts, creating a further cloud of uncertainty around the US offshore wind sector. New York retaliated by fast-tracking $300 million in port funding and Revolution Wind off Connecticut is back to work after a federal halt. However, in the U.S. this sector is now very much moving forward, though it faces potential delays for its most critical projects.
A drug-smuggling semi-submersible the size of a school bus was caught in the North Atlantic in late November 2025. Another similar self-propelled semi-submersible was intercepted 1,000 nautical miles off Lisbon by Portuguese forces in a European Union-funded operation. Both operations highlighted the nadir near the end of 2025 for narco-submarines operating internationally.
US offshore drilling policy took an unexpectedly radical turn in November 2025 when President Trump began implementing his expansive leasing agenda. Regulators unveiled their draft 2026-2031 offshore program and confirmed multiple Gulf lease sales under One Big Beautiful Bill Act; moreover they also proposed opening Pacific federal waters to oil and gas exploration for the first time since 1974.
On 10 December 2025, the Trump administration held its first Gulf of America offshore oil and gas lease sale, with more than $300 million in bids under newly lowered royalty rates, following up its 20 November announced plan to hold 34 lease sales over 1.27 billion acres from 2018 to 2031, which received pushback from states and legal challenge.
Western Bulk has returned to bulker ownership with its acquisition of Kamsarmax CSSC Shi Jia Zhuang, now Western Egda, amidst mixed signals from the dry bulk market. In a sign of Capesize convergence, rates increased, while smaller sectors softened. ABP had advanced Humber infrastructure, and the Baltic Dry Index stood at 2121 on 17 December stalemate indicating divergence in the sector.
In the past week investigators detailed how improper wire label application led to blackout and allision at Dali Island, while authorities in Los Angeles continued recovery operations after hazardous cargo fire on board ONE Henry Hudson. These high-profile container ship incidents demonstrate persistent vulnerabilities in electrical systems, port safety and infrastructure resilience.
Between December 15 and 17 the EU blacklisted additional operators and businesspeople of Rosneft and Lukoil linked to Russia’s ‘shadow tanker’ fleet, also plans to reinterpret maritime law to ease boarding suspect vessels, protecting subsea infrastructure while targeting these tankers.
Between 13-15 December 2025, the European Union subjected further shadow fleet operators transporting Russian oils to sanctions while Ukraine blacklisted most tankers involved in the sanctions evasion network. The measures raised legal and insurance risk exposure for opaque tanker operators, and underscored the lengths that authorities will go to in pursuit of shadow fleet operators.
In Panama, between January and October 2025, the growth in vessel transits across the Panama Canal rose by 5.6% helping Panama’s monthly economic activity index and solidifying its role as a trade engine despite issues in construction and parts of trades impacted by container freight cancellations and land cargo cancellations. Growth in container throughput in national port systems as well as enhanced air connectivity put the logistics hub strategy on a firm footing ahead of problems in industries suffering the most from trade tensions and the construction cycle.