Advertisement
Your banner here
News
Houthi Red Sea Strikes Escalate: August 2026 Geopolitical Risk & Bunker Procurement Fragmentation
On 5 August 2026, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced ballistic missile attacks against Saudi oil tankers Wafa and Daisy in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden—a sharp escalation that expands threats beyond the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint to targets 1,000 km north of Yemen at Yanbu, Saudi Arabi
Kenya's ACD Platform: Mandatory Pre-Load Reference Codes for Container Exports from August 3, 2026
On Monday, August 3, 2026, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) launches its Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) platform, a mandatory digital pre-arrival cargo system for all containerized exports destined for Kenyan ports. Effective immediately, exporters must obtain a unique 15-digit reference code and
Panama Canal Draft Cuts in July–August 2026: Compressed Schedules and Just-in-Time Procurement at Risk
The Panama Canal Authority has imposed two consecutive draft reductions on Neopanamax vessels—first to 14.94 metres (49.0 feet) on 24 July 2026, then to 14.78 metres (48.5 feet) on 15 August—in response to deteriorating water levels in Gatun Lake and the onset of El Niño weather patterns. The narrow
BUA Group's $85 Million Port Harcourt Expansion: Unlocking Private-Sector Momentum in West Africa's Emerging Logistics Hub
BUA Group has committed $85 million to expand its BUA Ports and Terminals facility in Port Harcourt, signalling a decisive shift towards private-sector infrastructure investment in Nigeria's eastern maritime gateway. The expansion will deliver 600 metres of quay frontage and position the terminal to
SOLAS 2026 Lifting Appliance Compliance Surge: H2 Enforcement Hits Retrofits and Supply Chain
The 1 January 2026 deadline for SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13 has passed, triggering intensified enforcement across the second half of 2026. Port State Control audits are now targeting lifting appliance certificates with precision—cranes, winches, inclinometers, and loose gear face detailed scrutiny. E
New East Mole: AD Ports and CMA Terminals Scale Deep-Water Gateway for Central Africa at Pointe-Noire
AD Ports Group and CMA CGM's subsidiary CMA Terminals are jointly developing the New East Mole multipurpose terminal at Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo, with contracts worth AED 735 million awarded in May 2026. The project will install three Super Post-Panamax cranes and nine hybrid rubber-tyred gan
Private Sector Efficiency at Durban Pier 2: ICTSI Concession Reshapes Southern Africa's Supply Chain Dynamics
ICTSI's 25-year partnership with South Africa's Transnet for Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 (signed December 2025, operationalised January 2026) promises a sharp efficiency lift—crane productivity rising from 18 to 28 moves per hour—but regional procurement leaders face a redrawn supplier access l
Compliance Convergence Crisis: How Mid-2026 UK ETS & EU 100% Phase-In Are Forcing Triple Documentation Burden on Maritime Agents
From 1 July 2026, the UK Emissions Trading Scheme launches for domestic shipping at precisely the moment the EU ETS reaches full compliance (100% emissions coverage) and FuelEU Maritime completes its first full reporting cycle. Ship agents, bunker brokers and port service providers now face a conver
Ethanol Bunkers Go Commercial in 2026: Leveraging 129 Methanol Vessels & Mature Supply Chains
Ethanol is transitioning from pilot projects to operational marine fuel in 2026, capitalising on an existing fleet of 129 methanol-ready vessels and cost advantages that cut $1,400/mt against green methanol. With infrastructure already established for methanol bunkering and the first deep-sea commer
Congo Terminal's €400M East Mole Expansion to Reshape Central Africa Procurement Lead Times by H1 2027
Pointe-Noire's €400 million East Mole terminal expansion will add 750 metres of quay and 16 fully electric cranes by the first half of 2027, doubling the port's annual container capacity from 1 million to 2.3 million TEUs. This infrastructure overhaul will redefine sourcing timelines across Angola,
VLSFO Crunch Across Asia: Singapore at Multi-Year Lows, Japan in Lockdown, Indonesia the Contrarian Play
Asia's VLSFO market has contracted sharply in July 2026, with Singapore facing 15–18 day lead times and multi-year inventory lows, while Japanese ports battle severe allocations squeeze and Fujairah remains constrained by Middle East volatility. Buyers must secure spot deals now: Indonesia's 2–3 day