Maritime Directory

"On 1 September 2026, the global shipyard order book reached an estimated 203.2m Compensated Gross Tonnage (CGT), up 13% from 180.0m CGT a year earlier,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.This is slightly below the all-time high of 210.4m CGT reached in May but remains above the previous record of 195.4m CGT from 2008.Much of the growth has been captured by Chinese shipyards, who secured 74% of the CGT contracted during the past year. This has further strengthened China’s position as the world’s largest shipbuilding nation. Chinese shipyards now hold 64% of the global order book while South Korean shipyards hold 19% and Japanese 6%.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and OMERS have agreed to sell their combined 63.9% stake in Associated British Ports (ABP) to a fund managed by IFM Investors, in a deal expected to close in the first half of 2027.Under the agreement announced on October 21, CPP Investments will sell its entire 33.9% holding, while OMERS will dispose of its 30% stake in the UK ports operator.IFM Investors is a global asset manager, founded and owned by Australian pension funds and the UK pension fund, Nest, with capabilities in infrastructure equity and debt, private equity, private credit, real estate and listed equities.

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) has called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to explain its oversight of Jones Act waivers following reports that foreign-flagged vessels transported more than $40 million in petroleum products between U.S. ports without required disclosures.In an October 16 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Carbajal, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, questioned whether foreign vessel operators benefiting from the waivers are complying with U.S. tax, immigration, labor and maritime regulations.

German defense contractor Rheinmetall and Swiss shipping company MSC have won an auction to acquire Romania's Mangalia shipyard for approximately $155 million (€138 million), with plans to develop the facility for both commercial and military shipbuilding.The acquisition, expected to be completed within a few weeks, will be jointly funded by the two companies, Rheinmetall said.The shipyard, located south of Constanța, will be developed into a dual-use facility serving domestic and international markets, with separate sectors and security zones to accommodate civilian and military shipbuilding activities.

Ports should begin preparing for advanced nuclear technologies, including nuclear-powered ships, floating power plants and small modular reactors (SMRs), according to a joint report from Lloyd's Register (LR) and the British Ports Association (BPA).The report, Advanced Nuclear Technology Use Within Port Environments, examines how nuclear technology could support growing port energy requirements while creating opportunities in shipbuilding, vessel maintenance, industrial power generation and alternative fuel production.