1. Scale of blank sailings dwarfs covid era as US-China trade dries up. With trade between the world’s two largest economies effectively coming to a halt thanks to US president Donald Trump’s tariff war with China, containerlines are blanking sailings on a greater scale than was witnessed at the onset of the covid pandemic five years ago. The global trade outlook – as witnessed by planned blank sailings on the transpacific in the weeks ahead – is dire.
https://splash247.com/scale-of-blank-sailings-dwarfs-covid-era-as-us-china-trade-dries-up/
2. Beijing vents fury at US port fees. Shipping spent the weekend digesting the news from the US where watered down plans to charge China-linked ships extra for American port calls have created considerable outrage in Beijing and Hong Kong, while causing consternation for members of the Ocean Alliance, one of the big groupings in container shipping.
https://splash247.com/beijing-vents-fury-at-us-port-fees/
3. Russian line founded with focus on West Africa. The former chairman of FESCO has formed a shipping line to provide links between West Africa and Russia.Andrei Severilov, who founded JSC A7 Holding last year, has just debuted A7 African Cargo Lines with a first link set to be established between Novorossiysk and Nigeria’s port of Lagos using two chartered-in 700 teu boxships. Further plans include making calls in Senegal.
https://splash247.com/russian-line-founded-with-focus-on-west-africa/
4. Tar balls wash up on Canadian shoreline near grounded MSC boxship. Tar balls have emerged on beaches near to where the MSC Baltic III remains grounded on Canada’s eastern seaboard, with the boxship remaining firmly lodged in place more than two months after it ran into difficulties.
The Canadian Coast Guard has said there is still no sign of any persistent pollution coming from the wrecked ship
https://splash247.com/tar-balls-wash-up-on-canadian-shoreline-near-grounded-msc-boxship/
5. Australian Opposition Pledges To Reinstate Live Sheep Exports. Australia’s opposition, the Liberal-National Coalition, pledged to repeal a ban on live sheep exports to overseas markets if it takes power in the upcoming federal election. The current Labor party government has pledged to end exports of live sheep in 2028, a move that will impact farmers in Western Australia — a key state in the election set for May 3. Laws for the future ban of live sheep exports were passed last year with the government to provide a A$107 million ($68.2 million) transition package to help impacted businesses.
https://gcaptain.com/australian-opposition-pledges-to-reinstate-live-sheep-exports/
6. US, Philippines Open ‘Super Bowl’ Of Drills Amid China Tensions. The US and the Philippines will start their flagship annual military drills Monday, touted as a “rehearsal” for the defense of the nation amid ongoing tensions with China. Billed as the “Super Bowl” of exercises in the region, this year’s drills will also show that the Trump administration is intent on keeping Washington’s military support for its long-time ally as it faces growing pressure from Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
https://gcaptain.com/us-philippines-open-super-bowl-of-drills-amid-china-tensions/
7. Caribbean Group Says US Exemptions On Chinese Ships ‘Acceptable’. The Caribbean Private Sector Organization said it welcomed a decision to exempt certain Chinese ships traveling to its ports from millions of dollars in fees proposed by the Trump administration. The group said Saturday that its lobbying efforts paid off with an “acceptable” decision April 17 by the US Trade Representative to grant exemptions on three categories of Chinese-made cargo ships that load and unload goods at ports in the Caribbean.
https://gcaptain.com/caribbean-group-says-us-exemptions-on-chinese-ships-acceptable/
8. China’s Soybean Imports From US Jump In March, But Brazil Set To Dominate Market. China’s soybean imports from the United States rose 12% in March from the same period last year, as shipments secured in late 2024 by buyers concerned about the potential for a trade spat between the U.S. and China arrived in port.However, Brazil is expected to dominate the market in the coming months as its harvest season begins.
https://gcaptain.com/chinas-soybean-imports-from-us-jump-in-march-but-brazil-set-to-dominate-market/
9. Jamaica welcomes progress on greenhouse gas reduction. The agreement on a framework to achieve the International Maritime Organisation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for the international shipping industry was a historic achievement for Jamaica and member States of the Caribbean Community commonly known a CARICOM.
https://www.shipmanagementinternational.com/news/jamaica-welcomes-progress-on-greenhouse-gas-reduction
10. Agreement reached on new global minimum wage for seafarers. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has concluded the latest round of minimum wage negotiations for able seafarers at a meeting of the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), held in Geneva on 14 and 15 April 2025.
https://www.shipmanagementinternational.com/news/agreement-reached-on-new-global-minimum-wage-for-seafarers