Author: Erick Parel

Caravel Group buys into Pacific Basin

Energy News Beat Dry CargoGreater China Hong Kong conglomerate Caravel Group has raided the local stock market to acquire a significant stake in fellow dry bulk giant Pacific Basin Shipping. Caravel Maritime Ventures, part of the Banga family’s Caravel Group, has picked up 388.5m shares, corresponding to a 7.53% stake in the Martin Fruergaard-led handysize […]

Norway charges four in fraudulent insurance case

Energy News Beat EuropeOperations Greenpeace Norwegian authorities are warning global shipping about another fake maritime insurer. RO Marine has been uncovered by NRK, Norway’s state broadcaster, to have been issuing forged insurance documents to help vessels within the shadow fleet sail around the world. The company’s website claims it insures more than 250 vessels and […]

Buyers wait to see fallout from Washington’s shipbuilding probe

Energy News Beat It is evident many buyers and sellers may be waiting to hear the results of United States Trade Representative hearing this week pertaining to China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors and this will also have a knock-on effect on owners and operators of Chinese-built tonnage. “This could in effect create a two […]

Analyst Abstract

Energy News Beat Tankers Donald Trump’s so-called maximum pressure on Iran’s oil business is squeezing the number of compliant VLCCs, pushing utilisation for supertankers into the sweet spot 90% territory. In his first two months back in power, Trump has issued four rounds of sanctions against Iran, including many tankers, a Chinese refinery in China […]

The container law of unintended consequences

Energy News Beat The transpacific Trump bump was always going to end and so it has come to pass. With Chinese exporters in the cross-hairs, a box loading in Shanghai today no longer can arrive in the US before April 2, the date Trump has designated ‘Liberation Day’ when he will impose as yet unspecified […]

March rush for dry bulk

Energy News Beat US president Donald Trump has announced that April 2 will be Liberation Day when he imposes trade tariffs on countries which have tariffs or barriers on US goods. He has said some nations or blocs might be excused but with only 10 days to go, no details are as yet available. Dry […]

The tanker hokey-cokey

Energy News Beat Tariffs on, tariffs off, tariffs on, tariffs off… the world’s traders are dancing the commodity hokey-cokey to the hurdy-gurdy daily churn of US trade and foreign policy. The one conclusion that everyone can agree on is that life is going to become more expensive in the coming few years as the cost […]

March 2025 Review

Energy News Beat Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison reached a blockbuster mega deal with BlackRock and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) to sell 80% of its giant ports division for $22.8bn in a record-breaking ports transaction that covers 43 ports comprising 199 berths in 23 countries. The deal has been viewed very poorly in Beijing. CMB.TECH, the […]

How shipping learnt to fall back in love with LNG

Energy News Beat It seems like Maersk has gone from “All the Way to Zero” to “All the Way to Lowest Fuel Costs”. It’s zero slogan has been emblazoned on methanol dual-fuelled ships coming out of South Korea for the past couple of years, but the Danish carrier now looks to have bowed to economics, […]

Hong Kong flag comes under pressure from Trump

Energy News Beat Maritime executives in Hong Kong are putting a brave face on the exodus of ships from its shipping register as shipowners take fright over the growing rift between China and the Donald Trump-led US. Another 12 ships left the Hong Kong flag last month, the register now down by more than 200 […]