1. NORDEN expands MPP fleet, reinforcing growth in projects & parcelling. ORDEN announced that has signed agreements for two additional 17,500 dwt Multi-purpose newbuilding leases with purchase options, with expected deliveries in 2026 and 2027.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/16/norden-expands-mpp-fleet-reinforcing-growth-in-projects-parcelling/
2. Danish Shipping warmly welcomes new EU Regulation to enhance the safe transport of plastic pellets by sea. It is a major problem if large amounts of tiny plastic beads, known as plastic pellets, end up in the sea. It is a form of plastic pollution that can be incredibly difficult to clean up.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/16/danish-shipping-warmly-welcomes-new-eu-regulation-to-enhance-the-safe-transport-of-plastic-pellets-by-sea/
3. The new Green Loan Rider. As a reminder, Green Loans are different from Sustainability-Linked Loans in that Green Loans are intended for a specific project, and must be used for that project, whereas the SSLs are linked to achieving improved sustainability related performance levels of the Borrower, often at group level, and do not require a project-specific use of proceeds.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/16/the-new-green-loan-rider/
4. AD Ports Group moves to expand presence in Kazakhstan with plans to develop a multipurpose terminal, expand fleet in the Caspian Sea Region and explore joint trade activities. AD Ports Group, an enabler of integrated trade, transport and logistics solutions, announced the signing and exchange of a number of diverse agreements to broaden its operations in Kazakhstan.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/16/ad-ports-group-moves-to-expand-presence-in-kazakhstan-with-plans-to-develop-a-multipurpose-terminal-expand-fleet-in-the-caspian-sea-region-and-explore-joint-trade-activities/
5. ISSA strengthens sustainability commitment through Green Marine partnership and IMEF engagement. The International Shipsuppliers & Services Association (ISSA) has taken two major steps forward in its environmental and sustainability journey by becoming an Association Member of Green Marine International and actively contributing to the IMPA Maritime Environmental Footprint (IMEF) initiative.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/16/issa-strengthens-sustainability-commitment-through-green-marine-partnership-and-imef-engagement/
6. Less than one in five working in maritime today are women. Ahead of Sunday’s International Women in Maritime Day, a new, giant survey jointly conducted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) shows how shipping remains a male-dominated industry, with women making up just 19% of the total workforce sampled. At sea, that figure drops to just 1%.
https://splash247.com/less-than-one-in-five-working-in-maritime-today-are-women/
7. Shanghai spot box rates to US west coast leap 31% in just one week. Friday’s weekly publishing of spot rates from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange has given a stark picture of the frenzy building on the transpacific.
Rates from China to the US west coast leapt 31% week-on-week, while rates to the east coast jumped 22% as shippers rush to make the most of a 90-day mini-reprieve in the tariff war between the world’s top two economies.
https://splash247.com/shanghai-spot-box-rates-to-us-west-coast-leap-31-in-just-one-week/
8. DP World invests in Syria. The Syrian government and DP World have signed a memorandum of understanding worth $800m to develop Syria’s port of Tartous.
The deal to develop, manage and operate a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous includes cooperation in establishing industrial and free trade zones.
https://splash247.com/dp-world-invests-in-syria/
9. Container Ship Owners Swamped as US-China Trade Detente Revives Demand. Container ship bookings for China-to-U.S. cargo have surged since the countries declared a 90-day truce on punitive tit-for-tat tariffs last weekend, operators said, spawning traffic jams at Chinese ports and factories that could take weeks to clear.
https://gcaptain.com/container-ship-owners-swamped-as-us-china-trade-detente-revives-demand/
10. Pennsylvania Extends Port Incentive Program, Doubling Down on Asian Trade Routes. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced the extension of its Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program (PICGIP) until July 2027, continuing its efforts to boost containerized cargo movement through Pennsylvania ports.
https://gcaptain.com/pennsylvania-extends-port-incentive-program-doubling-down-on-asian-trade-routes/