1. Most carriers will not add surcharges or service fees to offset USTR port charges. New port charges from the US Trade Representative (USTR) for Chinese-built and China-based operators are set to take effect on 14 October, and several carriers have announced that they will not implement surcharges or service fees to offset the additional costs.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/10/09/most-carriers-will-not-add-surcharges-or-service-fees-to-offset-ustr-port-charges/
2. Regulations Must Drive Maritime Industry Action on Seafarer Mental Health says VIKAND. As World Mental Health Day (October 10) approaches, global maritime healthcare leader VIKAND is calling for the maritime industry to recognise that real change on mental health will only come through stronger compliance and regulatory requirements — not voluntary goodwill.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/10/09/regulations-must-drive-maritime-industry-action-on-seafarer-mental-health-says-vikand/
3. Stream Marine Training welcomes IMO interim training guidelines and calls for fuel-specific safety standards. Stream Marine Training (SMT), part of Stream Marine Technical, has welcomed the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) interim training guidelines on alternative fuels, recognising them as an important first step in preparing seafarers for the transition to a low-carbon future.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/10/09/stream-marine-training-welcomes-imo-interim-training-guidelines-and-calls-for-fuel-specific-safety-standards/
4. ICTSI Secures 25-Year Extension for Subic Bay Container Terminals. Philippines-based Subic Bay International Terminals Corp. (SBICT) and ICTSI Subic Inc. (ISI), both subsidiaries of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), have secured a 25-year extension of their concession agreements with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for the continued operation of New Container Terminals 1 and 2 through 2058.
https://gcaptain.com/ictsi-secures-25-year-extension-for-subic-bay-container-terminals/
5. Crew Member Dies Following Houthi Attack on Dutch Cargo Ship ‘Minervagracht’. Netherlands-based Spliethoff confirmed today that a crew member of the MV Minervagracht has died from critical injuries sustained during an attack in the Gulf of Aden last week.
“It is with great sadness that Spliethoff shares the news of the passing of one of our valued crew members,” the company stated in an official release. “We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones.”
https://gcaptain.com/crew-member-dies-following-houthi-attack-on-dutch-cargo-ship-minervagracht/
6. CBP Shifts Compliance Burden to Operators as USTR Port Fees on Chinese Ships Loom. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has provided long-awaited details related to payments for the new vessel fees targeting Chinese maritime interests that take effect October 14. The fees, mandated under the Section 301 investigation of “China’s Targeting the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance,” will apply to vessels owned, operated, or built in China, as well as all foreign-built vehicle carriers.
https://gcaptain.com/cbp-shifts-compliance-burden-to-operators-as-ustr-port-fees-on-chinese-ships-loom/
7. Carriers blank sailings at pandemic pace to prop up rates. Containerlines are scrapping sailings at a pace not seen since the height of the pandemic, as tariff turbulence and weak US demand ripple through global supply chains. Carrier operating margins have dropped below breakeven on several key routes, with carriers still prioritising market share over profitability.
https://splash247.com/carriers-blank-sailings-at-pandemic-pace-to-prop-up-rates/
8. Denmark tightens checks on shadow fleet. The Danish government yesterday announced it is tightening environmental and safety inspections of oil tankers—especially older, high-risk ships—passing through its waters or anchoring at Skagen Red, a key anchorage at the gateway between the Baltic and North Seas.
https://splash247.com/denmark-tightens-checks-on-shadow-fleet/
9. 123Carbon and ZERO44 Collaborate for Holistic Control and Management.
Customers will be able to allocate specific fuel volumes for either compliance or voluntary purposes, ensuring greater control of their carbon accounts and avoiding the risk of double-counting.
https://www.seanews.co.uk/environment/123carbon-and-zero44-collaborate-for-holistic-control-and-management
10. 123Carbon and ZERO44 Collaborate for Holistic Control and Management.
Customers will be able to allocate specific fuel volumes for either compliance or voluntary purposes, ensuring greater control of their carbon accounts and avoiding the risk of double-counting.