TWS Intelligence Desk

Maritime intelligence for decisions that cannot wait.

Relevant developments from Brazil and around the world, selected for professionals in shipping, cargo, logistics, insurance and claims.

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93 articles

Merchant marine and regulation • Aug 07, 2026

Santos access-channel concession consultation extended to 29 September

Brazil’s waterway regulator has extended the consultation on the proposed concession of the Port of Santos access channel, keeping the project documentation open for industry input until 29 September 2026.

Container ship navigating the access channel at the Port of Santos, Brazil.

Ports and terminals • Aug 07, 2026

Shanghai Port reports record first-half container throughput as terminal intensity rises

Shanghai International Port Group reported estimated first-half home-port container throughput of 28.737 million TEU, up 6.2% year on year, alongside a June daily handling record. The figures point to sustained pressure...

Container vessel alongside ship-to-shore cranes at a Shanghai container terminal.

Maritime technology and decarbonization • Aug 06, 2026

Industry consultation targets a common digital backbone for ship-emissions reporting

A Tripartite Joint Industry Working Group coordinated by BIMCO is consulting on a common, open framework for exchanging vessel emissions data, using DNV’s Operational Vessel Data standard as a proposed baseline.

Ship officer reviewing digital voyage and fuel-performance data on an electronic display aboard a cargo vessel.

Merchant marine and regulation • Aug 06, 2026

EU ICS2 stop-words update takes effect, tightening ENS data controls for inbound cargo

An updated EU ICS2 stop-words list became effective on 3 August 2026. The change does not create a new Entry Summary Declaration duty, but it changes the data-validation reference used for cargo descriptions and can trig...

Container ship alongside stacks of containers at a European cargo terminal.

Vessels and shipping • Aug 05, 2026

Red Sea threat shifts tanker planning toward Suez and SUMED alternatives

Renewed concern over attacks on Saudi-linked tanker traffic in the Red Sea is pushing owners and charterers to reassess northbound crude-routing options, including Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline combinations.

A very large crude carrier transits the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Ports and terminals • Aug 04, 2026

Charleston’s Leatherman Terminal pause shifts container activity to two remaining terminals

South Carolina Ports’ planned August 1 pause at Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal consolidates Charleston container operations at Wando Welch and North Charleston terminals, requiring close attention to revised terminal, berth...

Container vessel alongside quay cranes at the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina.

Cargo claims and loss prevention • Aug 04, 2026

Container losses more than doubled in 2025 as mandatory reporting begins

The World Shipping Council estimates that 1,478 containers were lost at sea in 2025, up from 576 in 2024. The increase reinforces the practical importance of accurate cargo information, stowage controls and prompt eviden...

A container ship carrying stacked freight containers underway in rough sea conditions.

Commodities and dry bulk • Aug 03, 2026

Ferrexpo halts Black Sea pellet exports after vessel strike, tightening war-risk exposure for bulk shipping

Ferrexpo says a drone strike on a vessel carrying 55,000 tonnes of DR-grade iron-ore pellets has made further Black Sea shipments unavailable in the near term, amid wider suspension of calls to Ukrainian ports.

Bulk carrier alongside a terminal loading iron-ore pellets, illustrating the Black Sea bulk-cargo trade affected by heightened navigation risk.

Merchant marine and regulation • Aug 03, 2026

UK finalises port state control guidance under 2026 regulations

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued final MGN 711 guidance for the Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) Regulations 2026, reinforcing risk-based inspections, detention and port-access consequences for fore...

Illustrative view of a port state control inspection being conducted on a merchant vessel alongside.

Vessels and shipping • Aug 03, 2026

Two tanker security incidents reported off Oman underscore renewed Hormuz transit risk

UKMTO reported a projectile strike damaging one tanker’s engine room and a separate nearby explosion close to another vessel off Oman on 31 July–1 August. No casualties were reported, but the incidents reinforce the need...

The stateless crude oil tanker M/T Sophia transits the Atlantic Ocean during a right of visit boarding, Jan. 7, 2026. U.S. military forces are deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Depart

Ports and terminals • Aug 03, 2026

Brazil sets public hearing for southern waterway-access concession covering Rio Grande, Pelotas and Porto Alegre

ANTAQ has scheduled an 11 August public hearing on the proposed SAIP Sul-Mirim concession, a project covering navigational-access infrastructure for three southern Brazilian ports and connected inland waterways.

Cargo vessel navigating the access channel at the Port of Rio Grande in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Maritime technology and decarbonization • Aug 02, 2026

EU proposes ETS-funded support for sustainable maritime fuels and zero-emission propulsion

The European Commission has proposed a new Sustainable Maritime Alternative Propulsion mechanism under the EU ETS, reserving allowances to help close the cost gap for eligible fuels and zero-emission propulsion. The prop...