On March 24th and 26th, public hearings were held in regards to the U.S. Trade Representative’s proposed actions to: (1) Impose a significant port fee on Chinese maritime transport operators and operators with current fleets of Chinese-built vessels (including operators with orders for such vessels, and (2) impose requirements for the increased use of U.S. vessels to carry U.S. goods in coastwise and international transport from U.S. ports. Companies: the U.S. Trade Representative, KfW-IPEX , HCOB, NIBC, AVIC Leasing, Asia Pacific Shipping

The beauty of M&A transactions is that there are many strategic reasons to pursue them, whether the market is up or down. Companies: Euroseas, Costamare, Toro, Teekay Shipping, Navios Maritime Partners, Svitzer, A.P. Moller – Maersk, A.P. Moller Holding , EnTrust, Belships ASA , CMB.Tech, Bocimar, Hemen Holdings, Golden Ocean

While 2025 has not quite seen the same run-up in asset valuations, hire rates, and equity prices as the previous year, many things remain extremely similar. For one, investor appetite for shipping debt remains high. Companies: MPC Container Ships, Ocean Yield , Navigator Holdings, Arctic Securities , DNB Research

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Traditional infrastructure assets are attractive investments usually for a few reasons: low volatility, consistent (but lower) returns, and high barriers to entry (like tremendous capital), which significantly decrease risk. Companies: MPC Capital , Eurazeo, Diana, Windward Offshore, Crédit Agricole, NYK Lines, Northern Offshore, DEME, Havfram, Sandbrook Capital, Goldman Sachs , Thommessen,

After a difficult year of sparse lending, 2025’s weaker market has created new opportunities for lenders as shipowners preserve cash and liquidity. Companies: Scorpio, Frontline, Star Bulk, Hapag-Lloyd, Danaos, Rand Logistics, PNC Bank, Saltchuk, OSG, Maritime Partners, AHTC, Lower Lakes Towing, American Industrial Partners, Oaktree Capital, Duration Capital, American Steamship

John Fredriksen keeps on surprising the shipping industry. As we wrote about a few weeks ago, and what the industry as a whole was raving about, was Fredriksen’s recent shortlist of shipping divestments. Companies: Avance Gas, Golden Ocean Group Limited , CMB.Tech, Seatankers., Frontline, SFL, Flex LNG, Star Bulk , Famatown Finance, Eagle Bulk, Oaktree, International Seaways, Euronav, Scorpio, DHT

While much talk has been centered around the new administration’s intention to use tariffs, something which could disrupt trade routes – tariffs are not new to the world let alone shipping. Companies: Hapag-Lloyd, CMB, ICBC, BOCOMM, Eastern Pacific Shipping, SPDB

Spin-offs are not the only way shipping companies are going public in 2025.

Building a shipping loan book is not all about writing the largest tickets. While writing that check with extra zeros may be coveted by major lenders trying to “move the needle” on their massive portfolios of shipping loans – it is not so easy to do. Companies: Hamburg Commercial Bank, NIBC, KfW IPEX-Bank, Langh Ship, PaxOcean, Langh Tech, Borchard Lines, Carisbrooke Shipping , Thecla Bodewes Shipyards

Even amidst global uncertainty, Chinese Leasing is going strong as evidenced by two major sale and leaseback deals this week—Golar LNG’s $1.2 billion agreement and Seanergy Maritime’s two-vessel transaction—both backed by Chinese leasing companies. Companies: Golar LNG, Seanergy Maritime, China Development Bank Financial Leasing, Gimi MS Corporation , Seanergy Maritime, China Huarong Shipping Financial Leasing

As we discussed before, spin-offs seem to be back in vogue, with the announcement by Euroseas that they completed their spin-off Euroholdings, and a proposal by Costamare to spin-off their dry bulk business into Costamare Bulkers. Companies: Euroseas, Euroholdings, Costamare, Costamare Bulkers, Toro Corp, Castor Maritime, Robin Energy Ltd, Nasdaq, Icon Energy,