Rob Willmington
Markets Editor
Rob has two decades of experience in maritime data, research & analysis and feature writing. He has contributed to numerous B2B maritime publications including Fairplay, Fairplay Solutions, Safety at Sea, JOC and Containerisation International. In addition, he has been involved in various research projects including the IHS Markit multiclient study: ‘What bunker fuel for the high seas?'.
Rob has a particular interest in global shipbuilding, ship design and technology and vessel supply matters in the container, cruise/ferry, dry cargo, ro-ro, vehicle carrier and tanker vessel sectors.
Latest From Rob Willmington
Secondhand containership sales cool in 1H26 while MSC remains most active buyer
Despite fewer transactions buyer demand remains strong across all vessel sizes, which is keeping secondhand asset prices firm
Red Sea return gathers pace as Maersk restores another Suez service
Maersk has restored a second service to the trans-Suez route, adding to evidence that container lines are cautiously reassessing Red Sea risks. While traffic remains well below pre-crisis levels, rising transit volumes and the return of larger vessels suggest confidence is slowly rebuilding
Bulker newbuilding orders surge as Greek and Chinese shipowners drive fleet renewal
The global dry bulk orderbook has expanded to almost 1,700 vessels against an active fleet of some 14,900 ships, lifting the orderbook to fleet ratio to 11%
Ship recycling market remains soft as G2 Ocean sends fourth vessel for scrap
Indian ship recycling prices continue to weaken due to soft domestic steel demand and cautious buying, while Bangladesh saw fluctuating prices with buying demand for small tankers
The week in newbuildings: Cosco, MSC and Wagenborg lead busy week for global shipbuilding orders
A combined 59 new merchant vessels were contracted in the past week, highlighting continued confidence in global shipping markets
Key container lines have pulled most ships from Middle East Gulf
MSC still has the largest presence with eight vessels, including two ships seized by Iran that remain off the Iranian coast. Hapag-Lloyd has completed its withdrawal from the region, while Maersk retains five vessels