UK Ship Register falls as trading fleet slips in world rankings
Official figures show a smaller UK register at the end of 2025, while the wider Red Ensign Group would have held a stronger combined position by deadweight tonnage.
Maritime reporting archive
Every published Maritime Gazette report remains available here, organised in reverse chronological order across shipping, ports, vessels, trade, policy, safety and the wider maritime industry.
Published reporting
Reporting archive
Future carrier John F. Kennedy completes builder’s sea trials at Newport News
The future USS John F. Kennedy, the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford class, has left Newport News Shipbuilding for Builder's Sea Trials, where Navy and shipyard teams jointly evaluated systems and trained pre-commissioning sailors.
Los Angeles port pairs a strong container year with a new investment agenda
The Port of Los Angeles reported 10.2 million container units in 2025 and set out plans spanning a proposed terminal, a cruise centre and zero-emission equipment.
Singapore port sets a record while preparing for another demanding year
Singapore handled a record container volume in 2025, with its maritime authority linking the result to a programme of industry collaboration for future readiness.
ABB chosen to build and maintain shore power at three Rotterdam deep‑sea container terminals
Rotterdam Shore Power has awarded ABB a contract to engineer, build and maintain shore‑power systems at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II and both Hutchison Ports ECT terminals, covering eight kilometres of quay and 35 ship connection points.
Maersk reports monitored return of container ship through Red Sea
The Singapore-flagged Maersk Sebarok completed an initial Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea passage, but the company said no wider network change followed.
Royal Caribbean outlines Legend of the Seas as family-focused LNG ship for 2026 Med and Caribbean seasons
Royal Caribbean has unveiled details of Legend of the Seas, a family-focused LNG-fuelled ship due in the Western Mediterranean in July 2026 and Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean cruises from November 2026, featuring a six-slide Category 6 waterpark and 28 dining venues.
UNCTAD: maritime trade growth to stall in 2025 as diversions and emissions bite
UNCTAD reports that longer voyages, volatile freight markets and constrained uptake of alternative fuels pushed shipping ton-miles to a record increase in 2024 while overall trade growth is forecast to stagnate in 2025.
Four allied warships leave Florida for 66th UNITAS exercise
Ships from Canada, Spain, Brazil and Argentina departed Naval Station Mayport for UNITAS 2025, a multinational maritime exercise focused on interoperability and partnerships.
UK Cruise Growth Plan places coastal communities at the centre of expansion
A Department for Transport policy paper sets out a shared ambition for sustained cruise growth, with economic opportunity linked to responsible development.
Maersk lifts guidance after Q2 as Asian exports and Gemini roll‑out boost volumes and margins
Maersk reported Q2 2025 revenue of USD 13.130bn and raised full‑year guidance after volume growth from Asian exports and benefits from its Gemini Cooperation.
Multinational Operation Nasse ends US Coast Guard participation after three months in Pacific
The United States Coast Guard finished its participation in a three-month, multinational fisheries-enforcement mission on 11 July 2025 that spanned more than 6.54 million square nautical miles and involved partners from Australia, France, New Zealand and several Pacific island states.
UK Flag Forum puts training, fuels and autonomy on the agenda
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s 2025 forum brought shipping figures and policymakers together to examine the future of the UK flag and the rules around new technology.
DNV publishes July 2025 rules package; changes to take effect 1 January 2026
The Norwegian classification society released a 119-document July 2025 rules edition for ships and offshore units that will apply from 1 January 2026, introducing new operational qualifiers and class notations for sustainability and mooring integrity.
IMO starts work on stronger ship safety management and protections against onboard violence
The Maritime Safety Committee has begun a multi-year revision of safety-management guidance, with fatigue and harassment among its priorities.
Royal Navy patrol vessels test defences against uncrewed surface craft in Baltic exercise
British P2000 patrol vessels joined US Navy personnel for a BALTOPS 2025 activity centred on responding to uncrewed surface vessels in the Baltic Sea.
UK consultation seeks to extend Polar Code to more vessels and tighten environmental safeguards
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency asked stakeholders to comment on draft regulations that would bring additional vessel types into the Polar Code and introduce measures to reduce pollution risks in polar ecosystems.
BC Ferries awards build contract for four Summit Class vessels
BC Ferries has confirmed a contract to build four Summit Class vessels aimed at replacing ageing ships on busy routes, with the first vessel due to enter service in 2029 and all four by 2031.
UK ports policy proposals put faster planning beside cleaner infrastructure
The Department for Transport published proposals to revise England’s National Policy Statement for Ports, with an emphasis on clearer planning and new energy technologies.
MAIB interim report: extreme wind and critical heel blamed in Bayesian sinking
The MAIB’s interim report into the loss of the UK‑registered sailing yacht Bayesian states extreme wind knocked the vessel over on 19 August 2024. Once the yacht heeled beyond 70 degrees the situation was assessed as irrecoverable; seven people died.
IMO backs draft framework linking cleaner ship fuels with emissions pricing
A proposed international regime would combine a fuel-intensity standard with an economic mechanism for ocean-going ships above 5,000 gross tonnage.
MEPC 83 adopts 2025 action plan on ship‑generated plastic litter and approves Atlantic emissions controls
The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee met in London from 7 to 11 April 2025 and adopted a phased action plan on ship‑generated plastic litter, including mandatory measures for plastic pellets, while approving a regional emissions‑control proposal for the North‑East Atlantic.
Port of Seattle reports shore-power progress as region eyes 2030 target
The Port of Seattle’s March 2025 shore-power update records completed installations and projected carbon savings as the region works towards a 2030 target for major cruise and container berths.
Rotterdam and Singapore deepen cooperation on a 15,000-kilometre green shipping corridor
The two ports have formalised work with 28 partners on lower-emission fuels and digital port-call systems, with a 20–30 per cent emissions ambition for 2030.
UK sets staged course towards zero-emission shipping by 2050
A new maritime decarbonisation strategy sets interim greenhouse-gas targets and points to hydrogen, electric and ammonia technologies across ships and ports.
DP World to start £1bn expansion of London Gateway in May 2025
Construction of a £1bn, four‑year expansion at London Gateway will start in May 2025 after regulatory approval, adding two 400‑metre all‑electric berths and a second rail terminal.
EU review finds no broad relocation pattern after shipping ETS expansion
The European Commission’s first implementation report says it found no general move of container transhipment or maritime services away from the EU, while identifying a possible future debate over smaller vessels.
IMO outlines work plan for global maritime digitalisation strategy
The IMO’s Facilitation Committee agreed a timetable in London for a strategy to harmonise and automate digital processes across shipping and ports, with a report due to FAL 50 in 2026 and Assembly adoption targeted for 2027.
Washington delays vessel conversions to restore fuller ferry service
The state will pause remaining hybrid-electric conversions until after the 2026 World Cup to bring more vessels back into service and accelerate new electric-ferry procurement.
CMA CGM sets out four-year $20bn US maritime and logistics programme
CMA CGM says its planned investment will span ships, ports, air cargo and research, with a stated target of 10,000 American jobs.
EU report records progress on maritime pollution but says more action is needed for 2030 goals
The European Commission’s 2025 assessment finds reductions in some pollution streams and emerging policy tools that should lower emissions, but warns the sector must move faster to meet EU 2030 objectives.
FuelEU Maritime begins first full year of shipping compliance
A new European Union regime has started measuring the greenhouse-gas intensity of energy used by larger ships calling at EU ports, with tighter requirements planned through 2050.
Maersk completes 300,000-TEU dual-fuel fleet renewal order
Twenty new container ships will join Maersk's owned fleet between 2028 and 2030, completing the newbuilding element of a renewal plan announced in August 2024.
EU Council approves four-directive maritime safety package to widen investigations and pollution rules
The Council of the European Union on 18 November 2024 adopted four revised directives that extend accident-investigation powers to some small fishing vessels, broaden the scope of pollution rules and update flag- and port-state oversight, with a 30-month transposition deadline for Member States.
Amber-2 satellite reaches design milestone ahead of maritime security launch
Horizon Technologies’ radio-frequency satellite is intended to help identify maritime activity when vessels stop transmitting through their Automatic Identification System.
UN Trade and Development: longer routes and surging rates reshape seaborne trade
UN Trade and Development reports a modest rebound in seaborne trade in 2023 but warns that route diversions, higher ton‑mile demand and soaring freight indices have altered shipping dynamics and weakened connectivity for vulnerable economies.
Royal Caribbean orders fourth Icon Class ship and takes options on two more
The group says the next Icon Class vessel is due in 2027, with agreements allowing for a fifth and sixth ship.
IMO mandates Maritime Single Window use in ports from 1 January 2024
The IMO has made Maritime Single Window systems mandatory for Member States from 1 January 2024, aiming to allow single submission and maximum reuse of port-call information, though an IMO survey shows awareness and paper usage remain issues.