What’s happening at USTU and across the maritime industry.
More than 25 unions are staging strikes and demonstrations at 113 ports across 22 countries and territories. The campaign opposes military cargo shipments through civilian ports and calls for better pay and working conditions, as well as protection against the effects of automation.
Ukraine has called for stronger sanctions against individuals, companies and vessels involved in evading restrictions on Russian oil and illegally exporting Ukrainian grain from occupied territories.
The contract covering ILWU Local 26 members has been extended until 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on 4 November. If a strike goes ahead, picket lines could halt operations at terminals handling more than half of the two ports’ combined cargo.
The global shipbuilding orderbook has reached 226.1 million cgt, surpassing its 2008 peak. Output could set a new record in 2027 and rise further in 2028.
Two chemical tankers caught fire in the Black Sea near the Sulina Canal. Five Wine Trader crew members were rescued, while seven remain missing.
French naval forces intercepted the DF Peak tanker, which Paris links to Russia’s shadow fleet. The Russian embassy in France called the vessel’s detention “piracy.”
South Korea welcomed PanStar Acro after the country’s first commercial test voyage by a container ship to Europe and back via the Arctic. The route showed time savings but left questions over sanctions, commercial viability and cooperation with Russia.
In July-September 2026, combined wheat exports from Ukraine and Russia were 6.5 million tonnes lower than in the same period last year. If shipping problems persist, the gap could grow to 10.2 million tonnes by the end of October.
LNG remains a key alternative fuel in new vessel orders, but methane slip is increasingly becoming a direct regulatory cost issue. Shipowners will need to prove low emissions through measurement, verification and real-world operating data.
Ukraine’s 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, known as “Birds of Magyar,” focused on strikes against Russian maritime logistics in occupied Crimea as part of the Crimean operation. According to the military, this complicated the supply of fuel and other resources to Russian forces on the peninsula.
UK operator North Star has lined up new debt financing to expand its offshore wind fleet. For seafarers, this signals continued capital flowing into Europe’s specialised SOV segment.
Gaslog Shanghai was hit by an unknown projectile off Oman while leaving the Gulf. No crew injuries were reported, but the vessel lost propulsion after an engine-room fire.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck the sanctioned Russian container ship Yanina, which was sailing under the Russian flag. He also said the Security Service of Ukraine hit infrastructure at three refineries in Bashkortostan.
Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call on August 1 with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The talks covered food security, maritime route security, and protection of people in the Black Sea region.
Splash reported a rapid expansion of maritime risk across the Gulf and the Red Sea. The focus is on the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi threats and new attacks affecting shipping.
After a series of Russian strikes on port infrastructure in Odesa region, maritime traffic in the area slowed. For seafarers, this means higher security risks and more uncertainty around Black Sea voyages.
OFAC sanctioned Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority over a mandatory maritime insurance scheme for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis claimed a new attack on a Saudi tanker in the Red Sea. UKMTO confirmed an explosion on board, while reporting that the crew is safe and the vessel is continuing its voyage.
SE MTP Pivdennyi and the trade union committee have started updating the collective agreement ahead of the company’s planned transformation. For port workers, this is about protecting social guarantees during the change in legal form.
No oil-product pollution has been detected near the sunken GOLDEN LEO in the Black Sea. Preliminary findings linked the visible patch on the sea surface to corn husks from the cargo.
A sailor injured in a fire aboard the Gas Lisbon tanker near Romania’s coast has died. The vessel was bound for a Ukrainian port, and authorities are investigating a possible link to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Lloyd’s Register, Seaspan and Technolog have presented a next-generation feeder containership concept. For seafarers, it signals that regional container trades are moving faster toward fuel efficiency, digital oversight and readiness for new fuels.
India is accelerating shipping, port and shipbuilding development. For seafarers, this is a signal to watch new projects while checking contract terms and employer reputation carefully.
ICS has released the fifth edition of its practical guide to MLC 2006 standards, bringing the latest changes into one place. For seafarers, that means clearer guidance on contracts, repatriation, complaints, and safe working conditions.
The Global Maritime Forum published a report on preliminary findings from Diversity@Sea on seafarers’ working conditions. The focus is on making life at sea safer, more inclusive, and more attractive.
Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 10 people were recovered after a Russian missile attack on a civilian corn-carrying vessel near Odesa. Eight crew members were evacuated.
