A strike on Iranian military assets, July 8 (Central Command)

U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

Published Jul 8, 2026 5:17 PM by The Maritime Executive

The United States and Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, reached a settlement agreement to conclude more than a decade of litigation related to the upgrades to the Don Young Port of Alaska expansion project. The municipality sued over failed efforts led by the Maritime Administration for the port’s modernization. Under the terms of the settlement, the United States will pay Anchorage $180 million to conclude the litigation for the alleged fault in the incomplete port expansion project. While the amount is...

Delfin LNG Clears Legal Hurdle as Court Dismisses Environmental Claims

Published Jul 8, 2026 4:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit yesterday denied a petition for review in a legal challenge to the Maritime Administration’s issuance of a deepwater port license to Delfin LNG. The environmental groups had challenged the approval, which was granted in March 2025 for the deepwater port facility to be located approximately 40 miles off the Louisiana coast for the export of LNG to the global market. In denying the petition, the court held that three environmental groups...

Maersk and Seaspan Launch Vessel Upgrade Program to Improve Efficiency

Published Jul 8, 2026 4:29 PM by The Maritime Executive

Seaspan, the large vessel owner that leases vessels to the container industry, is launching a vessel upgrade program with Maersk. The companies report commitments for at least $75 million, with additional efforts in planning, to upgrade 18 vessels operating under long-term charters to Maersk. The program is designed to increase the efficiency of the time-chartered vessels. They report it is focused on unlocking measurable gains in fuel efficiency, cargo capacity, operational flexibility, and emissions reduction. One project they are highlighting...

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

Published Jul 8, 2026 4:17 PM by Tydal Technologies

Collecting environmental data is often seen as a box to be checked, a mandatory chore. However, some waterfront organizations are beginning to shift their thinking. Of course, environmental data is necessary for compliance. But that very same data contains hidden operational insights that waterfront executives depend upon. It's about much more than energy efficiency or environmental impact; it's about operational efficiency and business impact too. The question has become: how can waterfront operations alleviate this burden while still gaining the...

Shipping

U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

Overnight Wednesday, the U.S. and Iran continued exchanging fire in a pattern that has grown familiar since the start of the ceasefire agreement last month. U.S. Central Command claims that it hit 90 targets in Iran overnight Wednesday, in addition to the 80 targets hit on Tuesday. The newly-added targets included air defense sites, missile and drone storage sites, naval forces, and logistics infrastructure. For the first time, two in-service bridges were on the list, U.S. officials confirmed. According to...

Tugs & Salvage

Beyond Claims in the Strait of Hormuz

The recent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has offered a reminder that maritime risk is rarely confined to what happens on the water. Since conflict involving Iran escalated earlier this year, much attention has focused on vessel movements, war risk premiums, sanctions exposure and the potential impact on global trade. Yet behind every routing decision, delayed transit and operational contingency plan are people tasked with making difficult judgements in an environment defined by uncertainty. That human dimension is often...

Government

A U.S. Air Force cargo plane delivers Marines and a battery of coastal defense missiles to Itbayat in the northern Batanes (USAF, 2026)

Chinese Scholars Claim That the Batanes Aren't Part of Philippines

As Japan and the Philippines prepare to formally settle the small overlap between their respective exclusive economic zones, China's government has sounded a strong note of protest due to the hotly-contested location - just east of Taiwan, which is claimed by China. Now, a group of Chinese scholars are taking aim at territories that could affect the boundary: the Batanes, the Philippine island chain that straddles the Strait of Luzon. Japan and the Philippines are close allies, and a settled...

Corporate News

Damen Shipyards Group & Damen Shiprepair

Damen New AIDAmar Cruise Ship Drydocks in Exceptional Passenger Experience

[By: Damen Shiprepair] Damen Shiprepair has completed an exceptional project for AIDA Cruises’ vessel AIDAmar. The 253-metre cruise ship docked at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek location for her annual bottom survey while carrying around 2,000 passengers on board – an unusual and carefully coordinated event that turned a routine technical inspection into a memorable drydock experience cruise. The vessel departed the German Port of Warnemünde on 3 July for a five-night voyage, with a rare 24-hour port call in Rotterdam...

Cruise Ships

Four Seasons Confirms Order for Third Yacht Cruise Ship

The joint owner/operator of Four Seasons Yacht, the new luxury cruise line, has placed an order for a third ship to be built by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard in Italy. The company’s first yacht cruise ship was delivered in February, and the second continues under construction, due in 2028. After years of studying the cruise industry as an extension to its luxury hotels, and an aborted previous attempt to launch the cruise line, Four Seasons partnered with Marc-Henry Cruise...

Ports

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

Shipping

U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

Tugs & Salvage

Beyond Claims in the Strait of Hormuz

Government

Chinese Scholars Claim That the Batanes Aren't Part of Philippines

Corporate News

Damen New AIDAmar Cruise Ship Drydocks in Exceptional Passenger Experience

Cruise Ships

Four Seasons Confirms Order for Third Yacht Cruise Ship

Ports

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

Offshore

Refinery at Ganjiaxiang, Nanjing (Vmenkov / CC BY SA 3.0)

China Begins to Return to the World Oil Market

China's withdrawal from the global oil market was one of the biggest surprises of the Strait of Hormuz shutdown. Shortly after Iran closed the strait in early March, China quietly banned exports of refined petroleum products and drastically cut its purchasing of foreign oil, taking the world's largest buyer off the market overnight - thereby offsetting the drop in Gulf supply and keeping a lid on crude prices. It has now lifted its prohibition on fuel exports, opening the door...

Shipbuilding

The numbers exclude warship orders at the same yards (PLA Navy file image)

Chinese Shipyards Double Their New Order Volume in First Half of 2026

In the first half, China's shipyards took on twice as many new orders as they did during the same period in 2025, according to the latest numbers from Clarksons. Out of a total of 1,481 vessels ordered worldwide during the period, China took in 1,131 orders totaling 31 million compensated gross tonnes - about 72 percent of total market share, roughly equivalent to its dominant position in the industry in 2025. China has secured the majority of global shipbuilding orders...

Environment

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

Business

U.S. Imports Expected to Set New Record Ahead of Tariffs and Cost Increases

Import levels into the United States are running at record levels as U.S. retailers and manufacturers rush to get goods into the ports ahead of expected tariffs and cost increases. Volumes at U.S. ports are at levels last seen in May 2022, when the economy was rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. Volumes topped 2.4 million TEU in June, according to data from Descartes Systems Group, a supply chain technology provider. It reports a better than eight percent increase versus a...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

Delfin LNG Clears Legal Hurdle as Court Dismisses Environmental Claims

Maersk and Seaspan Launch Vessel Upgrade Program to Improve Efficiency

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

Beyond Claims in the Strait of Hormuz

Chinese Scholars Claim That the Batanes Aren't Part of Philippines

Damen New AIDAmar Cruise Ship Drydocks in Exceptional Passenger Experience

Four Seasons Confirms Order for Third Yacht Cruise Ship

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

New Reality of Tanker Ops: Why Onboard Blending and Cargo Control Matter

New Digital Platform Connects Shipowners Directly With Seafarers

U.S. and Iran Continue to Exchange Strikes in Dispute Over Hormuz

Beyond Claims in the Strait of Hormuz

Chinese Scholars Claim That the Batanes Aren't Part of Philippines

Damen New AIDAmar Cruise Ship Drydocks in Exceptional Passenger Experience

Four Seasons Confirms Order for Third Yacht Cruise Ship

US to Pay Anchorage $180M to Settle Long-Running Port of Alaska Litigation

China Begins to Return to the World Oil Market

Chinese Shipyards Double Their New Order Volume in First Half of 2026

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

U.S. Imports Expected to Set New Record Ahead of Tariffs and Cost Increases

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events