US Navy officials welcomed the 78th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens from HII Ingalls Shipbuilding into their fleet capabilities, increasing fleet capabilities. At the same time, Japan approved its record $58 billion defense budget on December 26, which will fund JMSDF vessel constructions, Aegis upgrades, and unmanned systems for coastal defense to combat regional tensions.
HD Hyundai recently secured three significant contracts from HMM: an order for eight LNG dual-fuel containerships worth $1.46 billion; two advanced frigates from the Philippine Navy; and plans for a $2 billion shipyard in Tamil Nadu in India - each deal reinforcing HD Hyundai's leadership position in commercial and naval shipbuilding amid global expansion efforts.
In December 2025, the Trump administration ordered construction on five major offshore wind projects to cease due to national security concerns related to radar interference. These included Vineyard Wind, Revolution Wind, Sunrise Wind Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind; their developers are challenging this order in court.
Over the last month, Damen Shipyards Group celebrated the keel-laying of Herman Seniors MPV 4916 Smokey at Albwardy Damen in Dubai as well as having its LST100 design selected by US Navy for its Landing Ship Medium program. Meanwhile, Dutch authorities arrested two individuals at Damen premises for possible Russia sanctions violations; with which Damen is fully cooperating.
On December 31st 2025, Panamanian administration of the Panama Canal commemorated 26 years with a ceremony and sustained growth celebrations, showing national pride. Transits had increased 19.3% year-to-year to 13,404; these transits rebounded from drought impacts as December operations maintained steady vessel allocations despite water challenges.
Wartsila completed key strategic moves in late December 2025, including selling its Automation, Navigation and Control Systems business to Solix Group and Gas Solutions to Mutares SE & Co KGaA. Furthermore, Wartsila established supply chain partnerships, engine orders for Brazilian tugboats as well as an analysis of industry trends to demonstrate their commitment to portfolio optimization and maritime innovation.
In December 2025, the Philippines initiated their inaugural dedicated offshore wind auction of 3.3 GW capacity at Pambujan and Sta. Clara ports. South Korea awarded Vestas with 390MW contract while US projects such as Empire Wind were issued stop-work orders or Vineyard Wind faced policy uncertainty; these events highlighted divergent regional trajectories for marine energy development.[58 words]
Imabari Shipbuilding marked December 2025 by delivering the advanced 13,900-TEU containership ONE SERENITY and receiving regulatory clearance to increase their Japan Marine United stake from 51% to 60% as well as signing MoUs with CO2 carriers and industry revitalization partners - steps which aligned perfectly with Japans consolidation roadmap amid global competition.
In late December 2025, the US Marine Corps unveiled six new drone piloting courses available to all Marines as well as certifications and regional training hubs. Concurrently, multinational exercises like CARAT Malaysia and interdiction drills in the Caribbean highlighted maritime readiness with forward deployed units certified on first person-view drones.
Geopolitical tensions dominated global maritime trade during the final months of 2025, with US tariffs driving cargo contraction and port charge retaliations from China. A Busan truce offered some relief while Red Sea trials conducted by Maersk and CMA CGM hinted at normalization; container rates continued to surge amid delays highlighting persistent disruptions.
CMA CGM announced they have successfully resumed full-capacity operations through the Suez Canal following successful trial transits in December 2025. CMA CGM's megaship CMA CGM Jacques Saade used this route on December 23, marking it as being used by one of its largest container vessels since 2016. CMA CGM plans a dedicated India-US service via Suez starting January 2026.
COVE announced its groundbreaking at-sea testing system for towed array technologies in December 2025 with partners DRDC, Ultra Maritime and ACOA using nearly $10 million in federal funding. Their COVE Connect December edition showcased COVE's achievements over 2025 in terms of defence innovation, international collaborations and national partnerships further strengthening COVE's role as Canada's marine technology leader.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines celebrated December 2025 with strategic announcements such as AiP for subsea cable vessels, low-carbon ammonia transportation deal with JERA and carbon removal partnership as well as their India manning arm's 30th anniversary celebrations and Jotaro Tamura's anticipated takeover as CEO during Blue Action 2035 Phase 2. A leadership transition date of April 2026 is planned under this initiative.
DHL Global Forwarding and CMA CGM announced their joint initiative to purchase 8,990 tons of UCOME biofuel, thus offsetting 25,000 tons of CO2e emissions. This achievement coincided with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) postponing adoption of its Net Zero Framework by one year, reflecting industry progress despite regulatory setbacks.
OceanWorks International recently completed a major survey and overhaul on behalf of ECA Group for the French Navy's HARDSUIT ADS vessel, underscoring OceanWorks Internationals expertise in subsea equipment maintenance as deepwater projects and energy infrastructure demand remain strong for 2026.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and COSCO Shipping signed an unprecedented RMB 50 billion deal to construct 87 new ships on December 8, 2025 - representing one of the largest domestic shipbuilding contracts ever in Chinese history and cementing their shipbuilding dominance amid plans for advanced cruise and nuclear-powered ships to rival Marintec China's offerings.
Pharos Offshore Group announced the purchase of a 620hp UTV620 jet trencher on October 27, 2025 to enhance their subsea cable and pipeline burial services ahead of an active 2026 season. In addition, Jake Tompkins was appointed Chairman to mark an important leadership milestone in their growth strategy and further solidify Pharos' position within offshore wind, telecoms, oil & gas and other sectors.
NYK Line advanced its sustainability agenda through several partnerships in December 2025, such as investing in LNG carrier investments with Ocean Yield, entering Heads of Agreement with JERA for low-carbon ammonia transport and renewing their decarbonization MoU with BHP. They also initiated a U.S. methanol supply study as well as earning CDP A List recognition once more demonstrating their leadership in maritime decarbonization.
Kongsberg announced in December 2025 its plan for demerger in order to spin off Kongsberg Maritime for listing in Q2 2026 and secured contracts for submarine combat and navigation systems for Germany and Norway, coastal defence for Denmark, propellers for Canadian destroyers, LARS for offshore vessels as well as propellers for LARS vessels - reflecting their strategic focus on defence growth amid global security needs.[62 words]
December 2025 witnessed significant activity in the offshore supply vessel market, such as DOF Group's $150M ROV support vessel contract with Petrobras, OceanPact's $90M AHTS charter for tanker offloading, and Russia delivering their multifunctional Kerch Strait vessel for Northern Sea Route support - these deals demonstrate robust demand across Brazil and Arctic regions.