The Manifest

Container lines drive sharp Bab el Mandeb traffic rebound

Lloyd's List reports container lines are driving a sharp rebound in Bab el Mandeb traffic despite renewed Houthi escalation.

For UW Group More container tonnage returning through the Red Sea and Suez puts more ships through the Eastern Mediterranean, within reach of Greek repair and service bases.

DHT books 68% of VLCC Q4 spot days at a staggering $579,900 average

DHT has booked 68% of its fourth-quarter VLCC spot days at an average of $579,900 a day after a third-quarter profit that eclipsed its earnings for the whole of 2025.

Cosco Shipping Energy unveils massive VLCC expansion

Cosco Shipping Energy has locked in 10 new VLCCs and a bareboat charter for another 14, which TradeWinds says gives it the world's largest VLCC orderbook, overtaking Greek owner Dynacom.

Panama Canal turns the taps back on

The Panama Canal Authority has raised daily transit capacity to 34 vessels and increased the maximum neopanamax draft to 50 ft after an exceptionally wet October.

Canadian wheat output expected to fall by 10%

The Foreign Agricultural Service expects Canada's 2026-27 wheat output to fall by 10%, though it would still be the country's second-largest crop.

CN sets all-time record for monthly grain movement

Canadian railway CN has set an all-time record for monthly grain movement, surpassing its previous record set in October 2025.

Ο «πόλεμος» των NAVTEX για το καλώδιο Ελλάδας – Κύπρου – Επίθεση στην κυβέρνηση από την αντιπολίτευση

Turkey has issued a NAVTEX saying it consents to surveys for the Greece–Cyprus cable and publishing coordinates it claims fall on the Turkish continental shelf, with a counter-NAVTEX from the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service expected.

DK Fotinakis signs agreement with Naval Group for welding works and technical studies

Greek ship repair and shipbuilding company DK Fotinakis has signed an agreement with Naval Group for welding works and technical studies on the sidelines of EURONAVAL 2026.

Bulgaria Reports Discovery of Human Remains on Ship Hit by Drone

Bulgarian officials confirmed human remains were found on one of the vessels struck by drones off Romania last week, and TradeWinds reports the remains of six seafarers have been found on a tanker bombed in the Black Sea.

For UW Group Fatal drone strikes on merchant ships make every service call, repair attendance or riding-squad deployment in the Black Sea a direct safety risk to the people sent.

U.S. Formalizes Two-Month Extension of China Ship Port Fee Suspension

The Trump administration has formally extended its suspension of port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels for two more months into January, with Seatrade Maritime reporting the post-midterm political landscape adds pressure on USTR to cancel the fees after that deadline.

Tanker Linked to Trump's Russian Diesel Waiver Pauses off U.S. East Coast

A Greek-owned tanker carrying the first cargo of Russian diesel bound for the US under the Trump administration's waiver has halted off the US east coast, with its operator saying the destination has not been decided.

Saudi Arabia Confirms Strike on East-West Pipeline

Saudi Arabia's energy ministry has confirmed another strike on the East-West Pipeline, which carries crude from the kingdom's Arabian Gulf production hubs.

China’s October Crude Oil Imports Rise to Highest Level Since March Amid Middle East War

China imported 41.94 million tonnes of crude in October, its highest since March but 13.3% lower than a year earlier, after the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, official data showed.