CAPTAIN A.J. FOURNIER

Hapag-Lloyd is working with the Israeli government on improvements to its proposed $4.2 billion cash purchase of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, the German shipping group said on Monday.The proposed deal has faced heavy opposition in Israel, including ZIM's workers, Defence Minister Israel Katz and other government officials, who argue that it undermines national security by transferring Israel's shipping to a foreign company."We are now developing an improved proposal designed to further strengthen Israel's maritime security and independence," said Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.

Windward Offshore has taken delivery of the Windward Hamburg, completing its four-vessel series of purpose-built commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) ordered from shipbuilder Vard.The delivery brings the Windward Hamburg into the fleet alongside sister vessels Windward Athens, Windward Paris and Windward Munich, providing capacity to support offshore wind projects during construction, commissioning and long-term operations.Based on VARD's 4 19 design, the Windward Hamburg is 87.5 meters long and 19.5 meters wide and can accommodate up to 120 people. Like the Windward Munich, it is also equipped with a helideck to provide an additional personnel transfer option.

Part of a group of companies that make up Fraser Industries, Fraser Shipyard is a 138-year-old on Lake Superior, an organization which makes equal revenue from newbuild and ship repair, able to work in both steel and aluminum. Recently it signed a collaboration agreement with HD Hyundai to help migrate process and technology from one of the world’s biggest and best shipyard to the shores of Lake Superior. Patrick Kelly, CEO, Fraser Shipyard, discussed the importance of this agreement, as well as the shipyard’s plan to invest in and build the ‘Shipyard of the Future.’There is no shortage of discussion today surrounding the need to rebuild U.S. maritime and shipbuilding capacity.

Kongsberg Maritime is expanding its Elegance Pod propulsion range with the launch of five new sizes delivering up to 22MW, enabling the company to address the requirements of the world’s largest cruise vessels.The new units are being developed to support both today’s and future vessel architectures, including hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems, providing shipowners with greater flexibility as the cruise sector continues its transition towards more sustainable operations.The Elegance Pod’s compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.

Chicago wheat futures jumped on Tuesday as hopes faded for a U.S. diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted Black Sea grain shipments, analysts and traders said.Corn and soybean futures chopped up and down as traders adjusted positions ahead of Friday's U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report.The most-traded wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was 4-3/4 cents higher to $7.38-3/4 per bushelas of 11:00 a.m. CT (1600 GMT). It had jumped as high as $7.63 in earlier overnight trade.CBOT corn fell 2-3/4 cents to $5.34 a bushel, while soybeans rose 2-1/4 cents to $13.12 a bushel.