PSA celebrates a milestone – 100 million teu 
PSA International set a new record in 2024 by handling 100.2 million teu globally, marking its first year surpassing the 100 million teu milestone. This achievement includes 40.9 million teu from PSA's Singapore terminal (+5.5%) and 59.2 million teu from its terminals outside... more
Guayaquil sets new standard in banana exports
Contecon Guayaquil has launched Ecuador's first on-dock cold storage facility, the Guayaquil Banana Gateway, enhancing the country's banana export efficiency. Developed in partnership with Cool Carriers, the facility ensures seamless cold chain preservation from cargo reception... more
Bulgarian shipowners join EU decarbonisation efforts
On 1 January the Bulgarian Shipowners Association (BSA) joined the European Community Shipowners’ Association (Ecsa) as its 22nd member. This addition broadens Ecsa’s geographical representation and enhances its collective expertise in Brussels. BSA chair Plamen Dimitrov... more
Enhanced routes with Southern Africa hubs
MSC has announced updates to its network in Southern Africa, enhancing connectivity between Europe and the region. The revised NWC service to South Africa now includes a direct call at Walvis Bay (Namibia), enabling cargo movement from North Europe to Namibia and South... more
Major order for hybrid straddle carriers
Kalmar has secured a significant order from Medcenter Container Terminal (MCT) for 20 eco-efficient hybrid straddle carriers, to be delivered by Q1/2026. The agreement continues a long-standing partnership with MCT, which handles 4 million teu annually at the port of Gioia Tauro... more
Naval piracy on the rise in Asia
In its annual report the ReCaap information sharing centre (ISC) has confirmed a rise of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia in 2024. Incidents rose by 6% compared to the previous year. Eleven of the 107 incidents in 2024 remained attempts. In 2023 only one attempt... more
Bi-weekly service to Port Gentil
Marguisa Shipping Lines has strengthened its ‘Marguisa Feeder Service’ (MFS) to São Tomé and Príncipe by integrating the vessel ‘Msm Don’ into the route, boosting operational capacities and service reliability. Additionally, Port Gentil (Gabon) has been added as another port of... more
Stricter safety measures for charcoal shipments
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced stricter regulations to transport charcoal on merchant ships, effective voluntarily from January 2025 and mandatorily from January 2026. The German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) supports immediate adoption, citing... more
‘OOCL Sunflower’ joins trans-Pacific route
OOCL recently named its third 16,828 teu containership, the ‘OOCL Sunflower’, at the Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering Co Ltd (Dacks). The vessel is part of a series of ten ships designed to improve environmental performance and operational efficiency. It will operate on the... more
Rising seafarer arrests spark international concern
InterManager, a shipping trade association, is urging the industry to contribute data to a new campaign highlighting the growing issue of the criminalisation of seafarers. The association is concerned about harsh treatment and detention, and is compiling statistics to share... more