European shipbuilders reported a surge in new contracts during the first weeks of 2026, driven by stringent environmental regulations forcing fleet renewals and growing demand for specialised vessels capable of alternative fuel propulsion. Italian shipyard Fincantieri announced a €2.4 billion order book for the year, including contracts for six methanol-ready container ships and four ammonia-powered bulk carriers. The deals mark a significant reversal for Europe's shipbuildin

The continent's shipping industry entered 2026 confronting a significantly more expensive operating environment, as the European Union's Emissions Trading System completed its phase-in, requiring carriers to purchase carbon allowances for the full scale of their emissions. From 1 January, shipping companies calling at EU and European Economic Area ports must surrender allowances covering 100 per cent of verified carbon dioxide emissions, marking the culmination of a gradual i

Container shipping operators begin 2026 confronting a structural oversupply crisis that threatens to persist until the decade's end, with vessel order books swelling to unprecedented levels even as demand growth falters and carriers prepare for potential Red Sea route normalization. The global fleet now carries an order backlog equivalent to more than 30 per cent of active capacity, totalling approximately 9.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units according to maritime analyst

European shipping operations entered the final week of 2025 confronting a delicate balancing act: rising spot rates driven by pre-Lunar New Year demand colliding with mounting regulatory costs as the bloc's emissions trading regime intensifies. Container rates from Asia to Northern Europe climbed to $2,361 per forty-foot equivalent unit last week, up 16 per cent month-on-month according to Drewry, whilst Mediterranean routes surged 13 per cent to $3,004. The seasonal uptick r

Freight rates on key Asia-Europe shipping routes have climbed sharply in December, with spot rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam rising above $5,000 per forty-foot container—more than double pre-disruption levels—as carriers continue to avoid the Red Sea corridor. The sustained rerouting around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, necessitated by ongoing Houthi attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, is forcing European importers to absorb significantly higher costs heading into the new yea

European maritime operators find themselves navigating treacherous waters as the sector confronts a volatile cocktail of regulatory pressure, geopolitical disruption and unprecedented Asian expansion that threatens to reshape the competitive landscape. China's state-owned COSCO has thrown down the gauntlet with an $7.1 billion order for 87 vessels—the largest domestic shipbuilding contract in Chinese history. The December deal with China State Shipbuilding Corporation spans u