Beijing/Geneva/Washington– Li Chenggang, China’s lead trade negotiator with the U.S., has been at the center of global attention after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described him as “unhinged” for breaking diplomatic norms ahead of a major summit last October. While the remark painted Li as a rebellious junior official, insiders say he is far from loose cannon.
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Two China-flagged supertankers bound for Venezuela to pick up crude oil as part of longstanding oil-for-debt arrangements have abruptly turned back and are now sailing back toward Asia, according to the latest LSEG shipping data, highlighting fresh uncertainty in global energy flows amid tight U.S. sanctions and political turmoil.
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Taiwan’s exports recorded a strong performance in December, reaching the second-highest monthly level on record as overseas shipments surged 43.4% year-on-year to USD 62.48 billion. Although the growth rate eased from a revised 56.0% increase in November, it still reflected solid external demand, even as it came in below market expectations of a 46% rise.
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UK ministers believe existing legislation gives the government legal authority to stop, board and detain oil tankers linked to so-called “shadow fleets” operating in and around UK waters, according to information understood by BBC News. These fleets are associated with countries such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela and are accused of using ships without valid national flags to evade international oil sanctions.
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The global shipbuilding market experienced a notable slowdown in 2025, with new ship orders declining sharply amid economic uncertainty and geopolitical pressures. Despite these challenges, China’s shipbuilding industry retained its position as the world’s largest by order volume, even as its market share recorded its first decline in five years.
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Global shipping enters a new regulatory phase as multiple International Maritime Organization (IMO) amendments come into force. A wide-ranging package of amendments to major International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions and codes officially entered into force on 1 January 2026, introducing new requirements aimed at enhancing seafarer welfare, ship safety, environmental protection, and navigational risk management.
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Islamabad— The Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has unveiled plans of developing a huge seafood processing and export zone at the Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KoHFA), a move that will enhance the blue economy and value-added seafood exports in Pakistan.
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As the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), known as the Ocean Decade, moves into its second half, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) has officially opened Call for Decade Actions No. 10/2025, inviting global initiatives that strengthen the science-policy-society nexus for sustainable ocean management and community well-being.
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KARACHI: Pakistan has made another stride in enhancing its maritime industry with the project of a 1,100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container ship being built on behalf of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) officially inaugurated on Tuesday. The effort is to increase the national shipping capacity and eliminate dependence on foreign shipping lines.
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London | January 2026 — The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has described the major priorities of the organization in 2026, which includes implementation, regulatory development, and sustainability of the entire global maritime industry.
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Colombo Dockyard PLC has also made a significant history in the shipbuilding of Sri Lanka with the successful launching of its tenth and last vessel in its 5,000 DWT Eco Bulk Carrier series, the Misje Kandy, commissioned by Norwegian-based Misje EcoBulk AS. The opening strengthens the growing reputation of Colombo Dockyard as a competitively-focused shipbuilder with environmentally-friendly vessels that can be distributed to its international customers.
Read MoreThe newly launched Arc7 ice-class LNG carrier, Alexey Kosygin, has officially set sail from Russia’s Far East, marking the start of its first Arctic mission along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The vessel, operated by state-owned Sovcomflot, will support Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 (ALNG2) project, signaling continued Arctic energy activity despite international sanctions.
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Read MoreThe government is also set to carry out a trial voyage along the Arctic shipping lanes between the port city of Busan, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands around September, the acting oceans minister said.
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Mangrove forests are one of the most useful and endangered ecosystems within the marine ecosystem. Mangroves are used as natural infrastructure to shield coastlines, support fisheries and enhance climate resilience; once dismissed as being non-productive swamps, they are now globally appreciated as such. In the case of Pakistan, where the country has a long coastline and millions of people, which rely on ocean resources, mangroves protection is no longer a choice but a necessity to maritime sustainability.
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