Maritime Vessels 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%.

IFM Investors Fund to Acquire Majority Stake in Associated British Ports

7 hours ago

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.

Carbajal Questions DHS Oversight of Jones Act Waivers, Foreign Vessel Ops

2 days ago

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.

Rheinmetall, MSC Take Over Romania’s Mangalia Shipyard in $155M Deal

3 days ago

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.

Houthi Attacks Drive Oil Prices to Five-Month High

15 minutes ago

Oil prices climbed about 2% to a five-month high on Thursday after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns of further disruption to energy supplies from the key exporting region.Brent futures rose $2.42, or 2.2%, to $111.24 a barrel at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.14, or 1.2%, to $98.29.That drove Brent into technically overbought territory for a third time in a week and set for its highest close since May 18.Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf near Bahrain, Reuters reported, as fighting between the world's largest crude exporter and Yemen's Houthis intensifies.

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (October 2026)