The shipping industry is waiting for a signal from the Houthis before returning to the Red Sea, container spot rates are falling across the board and Australian coal exports to China were up 32% on 2023

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A wide array of US proposals target China. Some are from incoming US President Donald Trump, such as tariffs. Other proposals include a port fee on China-built ships, higher tonnage taxes and lighthouse fees for China-linked vessels, and mandated carriage of some Chinese exports on US ships

Amid reports that Chinese buyers are hesitant of running afoul of US sanctions, a VLGC likely carrying Iran-origin LPG to China made an unusual U-turn after spending two weeks at anchor in December

List includes all International Group affiliates and best-known fixed premium outfits

Panama-flagged Mermar is the first Ofac-designated tanker to have been allowed to dock at a port in Shandong since the sweeping sanctions on Russian oil trade imposed by the US last Friday. Washington has authorised transactions necessary for these vessels to complete discharge by February 27

The US is ramping up the pressure on Russia with secondary sanctions on almost 100 previously sanctioned entities, increasing the risk to third parties transacting with them. The additional measures also require Congress to be notified and give consent to any removal, which could complicate potential attempts by the incoming administration to roll them back

Venezuelan authorities have reportedly detained a US-sanctioned tanker that is falsely flying the flag of Guyana amid heightened tensions between the neighbouring nations. It is unclear if Venezuelan authorities were aware that the vessel was not in fact registered in Guyana

Three of the four dark fleet ships reportedly sold for recycling in the December have since engaged in AIS manipulation. One VLCC has emerged with a cargo of Iranian crude and another has been anchored in Iranian waters. MR Rialto’s AIS showed it sailing south in the Gulf of Oman before re-emerging off Abu Musa and showing patterns consistent with manipulation

Global crude and refined product balances could tighten, the agency estimates, as previous US sanctions reduces activities of designated tankers by 90%

IMO to focus on helping the small flag states exploited by the dark fleet, as secretary-general also calls on member states to carry out their port state control duties to help tackle the problem

In an interview with Lloyd’s List, sanctions lawyer David Wolber of Gibson Dunn explains the implications of the Pentagon’s new Chinese military designations for companies such as Cosco and whether that signals stricter sanctions are on the horizon