November 17-24, 2025: A sanctions trial against the Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards. The plans for international partnerships investing in U.S. yards, and expanding operations, to revive and upgrade the American shipbuilding capability were also progressing.
On November 20, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a major overhaul of offshore energy policy, directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to scrap then-Vice President Joe Biden’s leasing plan in favor of a robust 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program to be completed by October 2026, making over 85% of estimated technically recoverable offshore resources leasing-eligible.
Between November 15 and 22 2025 both the US and EU use sanctions on Russian energy exports tripling down on energy sanctions and OFAC designating Rosneft and Lukoil whilst adding 557 vessels to its shadow fleet listings. These were carried out together and perhaps signal a shift away from the vessel by vessel sanctions strategy and moving more towards disrupting energy rather than vessels.
Following the conclusion of trade discussions between President Trump and President Xi, the United States for one year as of November 10 suspended Section 301 vessel fees on China-linked vessels. In other developments, the UK published extensive guidance regarding how Russia seeks to evade sanctions in maritime sectors focusing on common methods of circumventing sanctions.
Europe's shipping emissions in 2024 climbed 13% year-on-year to a new record high since mandatory reporting began in 2018, driven primarily by container ships taking longer routes via the Red Sea and moving cargo more frequently through disruption zones. At the IMOs 2024 Spring meeting in London, the US government successfully convinced those present to delay a vote on their landmark Net-Zero Framework Framework until October 2026, raising the risk of a derailment in the maritime decarbonization efforts.
On November 15th 2025 in Panama City Florida, the US Navy commemorated the commissioning of USS Pierre (LCS 38) - the last of the Independence-class littoral combat ships: marking the end of a class perhaps best exemplified by unexpected hiccups or hiccoughs (we still don’t know the correct spelling!) that delayed some ships and contributed to an overall rocky start to a class that eventually served with distinction. As the rest of the Navy prepared to commission Ship #1 in this new class, tensions in the maritime regions simmered as Chinese naval modernization, Russian exercises in Southeast Asia, and Venezuelan mobilization in response to US Carriers in the Caribbean showed how emboldened global powers were willing to be.
Between 25 November and 1 December 2025 the maritime domain witnessed 18 critical incidents from drug interdictions, to migrants and boat people being rescued, piracy attack vessels, explosion against tankers off Senegal and in Black Sea, and major drug seizures and boat people crises in Mediterranean and Turkish waters. Notably, explosions against tankers off Senegal and in the Black Sea, alongside crises affecting those coming through Euro waters due to crisis migration.
Classification societies have markedly increased the level of regulatory and technical updates between November and December 2025, focussing on emission reporting deadlines, lifting appliance requirements and new technology approvals. Among these, the U.S. Coast Guard have published updates to their Alternate Compliance Program, and there are also revisions to SOLAS, among other guidance around lifting equipment.
In November 2025, critical moments in shipping decarbonization included the IMO's delay of its Net-Zero Framework vote, fresh partnerships between major operators, and growing fears of regulatory fragmentation. Other players are still developing alternative fuel technologies while manoeuvring through the crowded maze of compliance.
Early November 2025 saw two more initiatives in maritime innovation. On November 5, RINA launched an Open Innovation Hub in Singapore in cooperation with the Maritime and Port Authority, to support digitalization and decarbonization activities at sea. At the same time, Lloyd's Register opened its International Maritime Future Technologies Innovation Centre, again in conjunction with COSCO Shipping Group and a number of academic partners, to incubate zero-carbon, intelligent ship systems.
Atlantic LNG spot charter rates jumped sharply from mid to late November as winter fundamentals continued to tighten, crossing above $110,000 per day. A further hike was seen as a result of growing US LNG exports, increasing floating storage costs, seasonal demand growth and shipowners moving Pacific vessels to take advantage of tightening spreads between basins.
Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. Navy seized several Russian-flagged ships delivering diluent to Venezuela - signs of increased maritime tensions in mid-November 2025.
Pacific Carriers of Singapore officially named their multipurpose vessel on November 20, while Stena Line chose Belfast Harbour as the venue for their first ship naming ceremony in 20 years for Stena Futura. Both deliveries constitute investments in new technology in cargo vessels.
LNG charter rates crossed $100,000/day for the first time since early 2024 in mid-November on the back of increased supply, greater need for floating storage capacity and seasonal winter demand. Container ship charter rates continued to fall across most sizes of vessel at this time.
Iranian forces commandeered the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Talara on November 14, 2025, as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. They diverted it into Iranian waters, marking the first Iranian interception in several months, contributing to heightened tensions there amid ongoing geopolitical discord between Iran and Western powers.