Venezuela has begun deploying naval escorts for vessels carrying oil byproducts as they depart its ports, underscoring a rapid escalation in maritime tensions following US president Donald Trump’s threat of a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers trading to and from the country.
The escalation of attacks on commercial shipping in the wider Black Sea region took a deadly turn early Thursday after a Ukrainian drone strike hit a tanker docked at the southern Russian port of Rostov-on-Don, killing two crewmembers and setting the vessel ablaze. “I call on all parties to refrain from targeting innocent seafarers, port workers and merchant ships. Shipping should not be used as collateral in geopolitical situations,” urged IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez.
UK shipbroking group SSY struck a deal to acquire Grieg Shipbrokers, adding one of Scandinavia’s longest-standing brokerage houses to its expanding global platform. The deal is set to take effect in January 2026, subject to customary conditions.
Among many great Contributions this week, Roar Adland, SSY’s head of research, gave his 2026 shipping market outlook in which he quipped: “Sentiment will eat careful fundamental research for breakfast any day.”
The December issue of Splash Extra – shipping’s essential monthly guide on where the markets are headed – was published on Wednesday and is now available for free to read. As well as annual reviews on the dry bulk, tanker and container markets, the editorial team has selected 2025’s most important shipping news items.
Can you guess what Splash’s image of the year was? Not a ship, nor a person. Click here to find out.
The final Splash Wrap podcast of the year (carried below) looks at the shipping markets in 2025, with a glimpse of what to expect in 2026.
