NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENDEAVOUR

When tensions rise in the Middle East, it can be helpful to look at what is not happening as much as what is.In the crude oil market, this means focusing on the fact that so far not a single barrel of crude oil supply has been lost. It is in the interests of all involved parties that this remains the case.Crude oil prices rose again in early trade in Asia on Monday, with global benchmark Brent futures LCOc1 gaining 2.1% to trade at $75.76 a barrel.This built upon the 7% leap on June 13, which saw Brent rise to the highest in nearly five months as Israel launched a series of drone and air strikes that killed several top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists and damaged nuclear facilities.

Ships warned to avoid Red Sea, log Hormuz voyages after Israel hits IranMerchant shipping is continuing to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite Israel's attacks on Iran on Friday, the multinational, U.S.-led Combined Maritime Force said, although some shipowners were looking to avoid the region.Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Any closure of the Strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices.

Davie, a leader in icebreaker and specialized vessel construction, announced plans to acquire shipbuilding assets in Galveston and Port Arthur from Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation — marking a major step toward revitalizing large-scale shipbuilding of icebreakers in the United States. The move underscores growing momentum behind domestic production of ice-capable vessels and aligns with U.S. maritime security and industrial revitalization goals.The deal, expected to close in summer 2025, is subject to standard financial, regulatory, and land lease approvals, including negotiations with the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees.

Tugboat and towboat owners across the nation eye fuel efficiency and emission reduction technologies and techniques in advance of increasingly stringent regulations.he first half of 2025 has seen a great deal of attention on emissions from vessels, with an eye towards their continued reductions in the coming years. Mid-April saw the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s much anticipated Maritime Environment Protection Committee’s MEPC 83 meeting participants lay out plans for reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years, which will be voted on later this year (at the October MEPC 84 meeting). If approved, the new rules would come into effect in 2027.

Domestic U.S. shipping interests are closely monitoring a United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) proposal for import and export trades involving Chinese vessels.  There is an ongoing Section 301 investigation prompted by domestic industry concerns about China’s industrial ambitions in sectors that are critical to U.S. economic and national security.  The outsized role of China in international ocean shipping is greater than many would expect.  China’s global tonnage of the shipbuilding market share grew from less than 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023.