The US delegation has reportedly withdrawn from negotiations at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 83rd session.

President Donald Trump is set to impose sweeping tariffs on all Chinese imports, raising duties to an unprecedented 104% starting 9 April. 

On April 8, 2025, Grimaldi Group announced a $1.5 billion agreement with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for the construction of nine ro-pax vessels. 

In this week’s “Shipping Number of the Week” from BIMCO, Chief Shipping Analyst Niels Rasmussen, looks at Russian oil exports during the first quarter of the year which are down but yet largely unaffected by recent fresh rounds of sanctions.

IMO opened a critical round of negotiations on 7 April during MEPC 83, aimed at finalizing new binding regulations to steer international shipping towards net-zero emissions. 

bound4blue has completed the installation of four 26-meter high eSAILs on the MV Atlantic Orchard, a juice carrier chartered by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and owned by Wisby Tankers AB, Sweden. 

The UK MAIB’s latest Safety Digest details a fire on an oil tanker caused by a failed fuel connection, which led to a serious blaze in the engine room but was quickly contained thanks to swift action from the crew.

HII and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 7 April to explore opportunities to collaborate on accelerating ship production in support of defense and commercial shipbuilding projects.

Transport and Environment (T&E) has issued a briefing into the growing concerns surrounding the use of Palm Oil Mill Effluents (POME) in EU biofuels, highlighting potential fraud and discrepancies in reported volumes amidst the shift towards waste-based alternatives.

The USCG has issued an investigation report into an incident where a crew member aboard the offshore supply vessel Red Stag was fatally electrocuted.