Maritime Vessels Directory

Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals - or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag - will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on October 14, China's transport ministry said.The fees are a counter-measure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry said on Friday.Also starting on October 14, ships built in China - or operated or owned by Chinese entities - will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States. Fees could top $1 million for a ship carrying more than 10,000 containers, and could rise annually through 2028, according to analyst estimates.

Singapore-based offshore contractor Seatrium has received a termination of the $475 million contract for the construction of a Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) that was set for deployment at Equinor's Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the United States.The contract - secured by Sembcorp Marine Rigs & Floaters in 2022, which is now known as Seatrium Energy (International) - was for the construction of a WTIV for Maersk Offshore Wind through its affiliate.Seatrium received the contract termination notice on October 9, 2025, according to the company, as the WTIV project was already 98.9% completed.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb sealed an agreement on Thursday for the U.S. Coast Guard to acquire up to 11 icebreaker ships to bolster U.S. national security in the Arctic.Trump and Stubb have established friendly ties since Trump regained power in January, and the two met in March at the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and played a round of golf.The two leaders approved a memorandum of understanding on icebreaker cooperation that is intended to lay the foundation for commercial agreements between the U.S. Coast Guard and Finnish companies.

Second of Two Large Car Ferries Ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Second ferries in Japan to use a buttock-flow stern hull and ducktail design, providing energy savings of 5%  Delivery scheduled for June 2026, planned to go into service between Otaru and MaizuruMitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, held a christening and launch ceremony on October 9 for the second of two large car ferries ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT).

The Arctic is no longer a remote expanse beyond the edges of global commerce — it is now a contested arena where strategic competition, energy development, and maritime innovation converge. As climate change accelerates sea ice retreat, previously impassable waters are opening to navigation for longer periods each year. This change unlocks shorter trade routes, exposes massive untapped hydrocarbon and minerals reserves, and creates demand for ships able to operate in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.In this evolving environment, icebreakers are more than just engineering feats — they are geopolitical tools.