The U.S. Coast Guard has taken action against Puerto Nuevo Terminals (PNT) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, suspending the facility’s permit to handle dangerous cargo after discovering unauthorized handling of…
hazardous cargo
Containership Fire in Red Sea Not Connected to Houthi Activity, Officials Confirm
A fire aboard the Hong Kong-flagged containership ASL BAUHINIA in the Red Sea has been officially determined to be unrelated to Houthi militant activity, according to the Combined Maritime Forces’s…
Shipping Industry Adopts Tougher Safety Standards to Snuff Out Charcoal Fires on Ships
The shipping industry is implementing enhanced safety protocols for charcoal transportation ahead of mandatory International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations set for 2026. The initiative comes in response to a series…
Albania Seizes Smuggled Hazardous Waste Containers That Set Off Global Outcry
By K. Oanh Ha (Bloomberg) — Albanian prosecutors ordered that containers filled with suspected hazardous industrial waste be seized after the cargo was forced to return to Europe from Southeast Asia. The prosecutors’…
https://gcaptain.com/albania-seizes-smuggled-hazardous-waste-containers-that-set-off-global-outcry/
Cargo Ship with Ammonium Nitrate Seeks Emergency Port in Norway
A Malta-registered cargo ship named Ruby has sought emergency port in Tromsø harbor, Norway, due to hull damage after a grounding. The vessel, carrying 20,000 tons ammonium nitrate, a potentially explosive chemical…
https://gcaptain.com/cargo-ship-with-ammonium-nitrate-seeks-emergency-port-in-norway/
VIDEO: Box ship explosion rocks Port of Ningbo
One of the world’s busiest ports, China’s Port of Ningbo was has been rocked by a massive explosion that sent a huge fire ball into the air.
The Chinese Government run Global Times newspaper reports that the explosion occurred in a container aboard the 6,589 TEU containership YM Mobility at 3.45 p.m.
The Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Center activated an emergency response plan and dispatched a maritime patrol vessel to the scene to enforce security measures. It also sent three firefighting...
FMCSA issues warning after chemical tank ‘rockets’ hundreds of feet
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators “strongly recommend” that owners of certain types of hazardous chemical tanks conduct voluntary tests due to the potential for catastrophic failure based on new test results.
According to an advisory issued jointly by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, concern over the stability of “nurse tanks,” used typically to transport anhydrous ammonia over public roadways and farm fields, stems...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-issues-warning-after-chemical-tank-rockets-hundreds-of-feet
Lessons from the 1947 Texas City port disaster
FreightWaves Classics is sponsored by Old Dominion Freight Line — Helping the World Keep Promises. Learn more here.
In 1947, tragedy struck the port in Texas City, Texas, where a French ship carrying highly flammable fertilizer caught fire. An explosion followed, devastating the port town and surrounding area.
The cause of the disaster would change shipping regulations forever.
Join Deputy Editor Brielle Jaekel and fellow FreightWavesTV host Mary O’Connell on this week’s episode of Tracks...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/lessons-from-the-1947-texas-city-port-disaster
Wan Hai Lines Announces Big Fines for Misdeclared Cargo Containers
Tawainese shipping company Wan Hai Lines (WHL) says it will begin charging shippers with steep fines for misdeclared cargoes. “From now on, if the declarations and shipping forms and documents…
https://gcaptain.com/wan-hai-lines-announces-big-fines-for-misdeclared-cargo-containers/
Airline group launches certification program for lithium battery transport
The International Air Transport Association on Tuesday introduced a new industry certification to improve the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries by air logistics providers.
The energy source powers a wide variety of consumer goods ranging from mobile phones and laptops, to toys, cars and e-bikes.
Shipments of lithium batteries must comply with well-established global safety standards for how they are manufactured, tested, packed, marked, labeled and documented. These requirements...