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A new compass for global shipping: Why smaller ships may steer the future
The maritime industry is entering a new era—one defined not by scale, but by agility, sustainability, and regional relevance. Mega ships will still have their place on high-volume lanes, but the real growth lies in the feeder fleet renaissance.
Charterers may well rethink their strategies, balancing short-term cost efficiency with long-term regulatory and operational resilience. Shipbuilders must pivot toward smarter, greener vessels that can thrive in a fragmented and fast-evolving trade landscape.
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Rough waters ahead for Great Lakes shipping as US protectionism tests good neighbours
The shipping arteries of the Great Lakes, stretching from Montreal to Milwaukee, are feeling the strain of renewed US protectionism and simmering trade tensions with Canada. Once hailed as a symbol of North American industrial cooperation, the Lakes are becoming a battleground where tariffs, red tape and shifting supply chains are redrawing the economic map of the region.
Recent moves by the US, including steel and aluminium tariffs, as well as "Buy American" procurement rules, have unnerved Canadian officials and business leaders alike. Ottawa has responded in kind, threatening countermeasures that could further dampen cross-border flows. For the shipping sector, especially those operating across the St Lawrence Seaway and into the inland ports, the effect has been uneven, exposing vulnerabilities in a system long taken for granted.
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Northern Sea Route: Arctic dreams, shifting tides of global trade play out in Russia
The Northern Sea Route (NSR), a 5,600-kilometre maritime corridor carved along Russia’s Arctic coastline, has emerged as a contested and evolving gateway between Europe and Asia.
Once a frozen frontier suited only to the daring and ice-reinforced ships, now stands at the intersection of climate change, geopolitics and logistics - its prospects made more compelling by the fragility of traditional routes and the growing influence of Arctic partisans.
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Africa and South America now shipping’s new hope as Houthi rockets and US tariffs bite
As the United States pivots toward economic nationalism, imposing sweeping tariffs and recalibrating trade preferences, the Southern Hemisphere’s once overlooked continents, Africa and South America are quietly stepping into the breach.
With new port infrastructure, expanding consumer bases, and a growing portfolio of export-ready commodities, these regions are no longer peripheral players in global trade. They are emerging as viable, competitive alternatives to traditional supply chains, offering international shipping lines fresh opportunities in a world increasingly defined by fragmentation and rerouting.
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