World Maritime News
WMNF 04/02/2026
EU set to ringfence €10bn ETS revenue for maritime decarbonization
The EU plans to ringfence around €10 billion in annual ETS revenues from the maritime sector by 2030 exclusively for maritime decarbonization projects. This will be formalized in the upcoming EU Industrial Maritime Strategy. The move responds to long‑standing industry demands and aims to ensure that shipping receives dedicated funding for clean technologies. However, the final design may change depending on discussions under the IMO’s Net‑Zero Framework later this year, as the EU intends to align its climate policies with global rules and avoid double-charging. The EU is also preparing measures to protect EU ports from evasive transshipment and bunkering linked to ETS implementation, and may delay ETS obligations for shortsea shipping to prevent a shift from sea to road transport.
Read more: Lloyd’s List
Asia’s big container lines advancing dual-fuel boxship race
Asian container carriers, once slower than European rivals to adopt dual-fuel technology, are rapidly closing the gap as decarbonization pressures intensify. Since late 2025, most new alternative-fuel containership orders have come from Asia, with LNG emerging as the dominant choice, alongside continued interest in methanol. Major Asian carriers such as COSCO, Evergreen, Wan Hai, HMM, and PIL are accelerating investments in dual-fuel newbuildings and retrofits, often diversifying across LNG and methanol to hedge regulatory and fuel-supply uncertainty. While European leaders like MSC and CMA CGM still hold an early-mover advantage, the scale and speed of Asian commitments indicate the decarbonization gap is narrowing quickly.
Read more: Lloyd’s List
Panama court strikes down CK Hutchison port contracts
Panama’s Supreme Court has ruled that port concession contracts held by CK Hutchison’s subsidiary, Panama Ports Company (PPC), for the Balboa and Cristobal container terminals are unconstitutional. The decision casts uncertainty over CK Hutchison’s planned $23 billion global port sale to a BlackRock‑led consortium, which included these terminals. PPC strongly rejected the ruling, arguing it lacks a legal basis and warning of negative impacts on investment, jobs, and legal certainty in Panama. The government stated that PPC will continue operations until the ruling becomes final, after which APM Terminals has expressed willingness to operate the ports temporarily until a new concession is awarded.
Read more: Lloyd’s List