1. The ALION – Commercial Court emphasises the paramountcy of the Hague Rules in relation to time bar provisions. In the recent case of The Alion (Tanga Pharmaceuticals Plastics Limited and others v Emirates Shipping Line FZE [2025] EWHC 368 (Comm)), the Commercial Court ruled against the carrier who sought to escape liability based on a contractual time bar provision which they claimed prevailed over Article III Rule 6 of the Hague Rules incorporated into the bills of lading.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/the-alion-commercial-court-emphasises-the-paramountcy-of-the-hague-rules-in-relation-to-time-bar-provisions/
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/the-alion-commercial-court-emphasises-the-paramountcy-of-the-hague-rules-in-relation-to-time-bar-provisions/
2. ICS and CMI launch updated campaign Promoting Maritime Treaty Ratification. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Comité Maritime International (CMI) launch an updated campaign ‘Promoting Maritime Treaty Ratification’, highlighting the international maritime Conventions which ICS and CMI believe are significantly important for governments to ratify as a matter of urgency.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/ics-and-cmi-launch-updated-campaign-promoting-maritime-treaty-ratification/
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/ics-and-cmi-launch-updated-campaign-promoting-maritime-treaty-ratification/
3. Americas Aframax demand could take a hit amid non-renewal of Venezuelan sanctions waiver. The US Department of the Treasury recently announced that Chevron’s sanctions waiver was not renewed, meaning the company will no longer be able to market Venezuelan crude for export. While it was initially believed that Chevron would have six months to wind down its operations, the latest announcement suggests that the company must complete the process by April 3, 2025. This decision – if upheld – could leave an impact on the Aframax Atlantic market.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/americas-aframax-demand-could-take-a-hit-amid-non-renewal-of-venezuelan-sanctions-waiver/
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/americas-aframax-demand-could-take-a-hit-amid-non-renewal-of-venezuelan-sanctions-waiver/
4. Indian refiners turn to Latin America, Africa to replace Russian oil in Feb, data shows. India’s crude oil imports from Latin America and Africa rose marginally in February as refiners turned to alternative sources, fearing a loss of Russian oil supplies caused by tighter U.S. sanctions, data from trade sources shows.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/indian-refiners-turn-to-latin-america-africa-to-replace-russian-oil-in-feb-data-shows/
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/03/19/indian-refiners-turn-to-latin-america-africa-to-replace-russian-oil-in-feb-data-shows/
5. Red Sea transits off limits for most as Israel pounds Gaza. The majority of the global merchant fleet is expected to keep away from the Red Sea for the foreseeable future as the security situation in the region worsens.
The Israeli military has carried out extensive strikes overnight along the Gaza Strip after talks to extend the ceasefire failed to reach an agreement. It was the largest wave of strikes to hit Gaza since the ceasefire began on 19 January.
https://splash247.com/red-sea-transits-off-limits-for-most-as-israel-pounds-gaza/
https://splash247.com/red-sea-transits-off-limits-for-most-as-israel-pounds-gaza/
6. Box charter to freight rate ratio hits record high of 289%. Containership utilisation has slipped below 90% on many of the sector’s biggest tradelanes, while the gap between box freight rates and charter rates has hit an all-time high.Data from Linerlytica shows boxship utilisation on three of the four main tradelanes has fallen below 90%. Splash estimates suggest that at today’s freight rates, liners can remain profitable with utilisation at 80%. However, rates have been falling all year long, with a huge volume of newbuilds entering service.
https://splash247.com/box-charter-to-freight-rate-ratio-hits-record-high-of-289/
https://splash247.com/box-charter-to-freight-rate-ratio-hits-record-high-of-289/
7. The next big maritime tech breakthroughs. For Mikael Skov, who heads up Hafnia, the world’s largest product tanker owner, artificial intelligence emissions reduction and autonomous vessels are likely going to be the biggest tech breakthroughs in general in the industry due to their direct impact on both operational costs and environmental sustainability.
https://splash247.com/the-next-big-maritime-tech-breakthroughs/
https://splash247.com/the-next-big-maritime-tech-breakthroughs/
8. Pirates board tanker off São Tomé and Príncipe. Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Bitu River was boarded by three armed pirates late last night off São Tomé and Príncipe. Shots were reportedly fired, and the status of crew in the citadel is currently unknown.The vessel had an estimated freeboard of 5.1 m when the boarding took place, according to Ambrey, a maritime security specialist.
https://splash247.com/pirates-board-tanker-off-sao-tome-and-principe/
https://splash247.com/pirates-board-tanker-off-sao-tome-and-principe/
9. China Halts US LNG Imports as Trade War Reroutes Deliveries. China hasn’t imported liquefied natural gas from the US for 40 days, the longest gap in almost two years, as traders are forced to divert shipments elsewhere to avoid Beijing’s tariffs on the super-chilled fuel.
https://gcaptain.com/china-halts-us-lng-imports-as-trade-war-reroutes-deliveries/
https://gcaptain.com/china-halts-us-lng-imports-as-trade-war-reroutes-deliveries/
10. Russian Oil Cargo Transferred From Sanctioned Tankers Discharged Into China, Data Shows. A ship carrying Russian crude transferred from three smaller tankers that are under U.S. sanctions unloaded last week at a Chinese port, shiptracking data shows, ending an unusual month-long voyage highlighting the efforts of producers and traders to keep Moscow’s oil flowing despite tightened curbs.
https://gcaptain.com/russian-oil-cargo-transferred-from-sanctioned-tankers-discharged-into-china-data-shows/
https://gcaptain.com/russian-oil-cargo-transferred-from-sanctioned-tankers-discharged-into-china-data-shows/