Faraday Future has big plans including a new mainstream FX brand. It’s expected to offer an assortment of vehicles including a Super One minivan, an FX 6 crossover, and an entry-level FX 5 that costs between $20,000 and $30,000.

That’s a lot of new product, but Faraday Future doesn’t exactly have the best track record. On top of that, they’ve released their first quarter financial results, which paint a concerning picture.

More: Faraday X Super One Minivan Teased With A Big Honkin’ Grille

How bad? In the first quarter, the company delivered a grand total of two cars. That’s less than one per month, but it didn’t stop the automaker from proclaiming they expanded their “client base” and officially entered the East Coast market thanks to a delivery in New York.

That’s some glass half full thinking and things only get worse from there. Given dismal sales of the FF 91, the company only generated $300,000 (£225,576 / €266,712) in revenue from deliveries and leases.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Faraday continues to hemorrhage money. While the press release didn’t mention their net loss, it was buried in their financial presentation and totaled over $48.2 (£36.2 / €42.8) million.

Those are some bleak numbers and their release had more warnings than a five alarm fire. These included the company’s “history of losses and expectation of continued losses” as well as risks related to operations in China.

Faraday Future did reiterate some good news including a pre-order agreement for 1,000 FX Super One vans from JC Auto. However, the forward looking statement burst that bubble as it noted the true number “may be as few as two.”

Likewise, the previously announced pre-order deal with Sky Horse Auto for 300 MPVs could be “as few as one.” On the bright side, their $30,000 (£22,550 / €26,658) deposit was non-refundable and that’s big money for a firm like Faraday.

Redesigning an iconic model is an incredibly difficult task as there’s a lot of history, anticipation, and pressure. It’s a feeling that Mustang designers know all too well, but there are plenty of other models with high-stakes including the Bronco, Charger, and Mercedes G-Class.

We’d also throw Scout into that category, but their situation is drastically different. The last International Harvester Scout was built on October 21, 1980 and marked the end of an era as over 500,000 had been made over the course of the preceding two decades.

More: Meet The New Scout Terra Truck And Traveler SUV

While Scout had become a distant memory, Volkswagen revived the brand and, thankfully, decided to embrace its roots. As part of this effort, they wanted a retro-inspired design that acknowledged the past but was still modern.

That’s easier said than done and the company recently revealed “bringing back an icon doesn’t happen overnight.” They went on to say the Traveler and Terra started as a “blank sheet of paper” and the design team obsessed over every curve, angle, beltline, and radius.

Photos Scout

While that’s to be expected, the company also used modern production methods to ensure the models were perfect. As part of this effort, 3D-printed parts played a role in making sure the vehicles were the best they could be. As Scout explained, the end result is “Not rushed. Not generic. Not a box.”

You can add not coming anytime soon as production isn’t slated to begin until 2027. However, when they arrive, pricing could start as low as $50,000 with incentives.

Scout hasn’t revealed many specifications, but electric variants are slated to offer a range of up to 350 miles (563 km). There will also be an extended range variant with a gas-powered generator.

Charging an electric vehicle can sometimes be a really peaceful experience. Some models even offer the ability to watch TV or play games during the process. One Cybertruck owner had that peace ruined recently when a Dodge Charger driver lost control and rammed his pickup. It just so happens that another Tesla owner caught the entire situation on camera too.

The situation unfolded at the Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, New York. There, a Model Y owner says that the folks in the Dodge nearly hit him. “I was out for a walk when I nearly got hit by these [explicit]. A moment later, I heard their engine rev and I KNEW they were going to do something stupid. So I started recording,” he wrote on Reddit.

More: No One Knows Where This Tire Came From, But It Ripped Through A Mercedes Roof Anyway

He couldn’t have been more correct about his assertion. Despite having an expansive parking lot at their disposal, the driver of this Charger R/T begins a donut relatively close to nearby Teslas charging at a Supercharger station. He gets quite a slide going, complete with some opposite lock, too. When he straightens out, things go sideways in a more metaphorical sense, though.

First, he drives over a calming island near the parking lot entrance. For whatever reason, it’s only after clearing the island that he engages his brakes. Video shows that despite his brakes being on, the car has enough momentum to carry it into the next calming island on the other side of the entrance. When he hits that, the front end flies up and off the ground. Ultimately, the car comes back to earth and keeps rolling until it hits the driver’s side of the Cybertruck.

Video Reddit

It’s clear from the video that the Dodge is not okay after the crash. Smoke is billowing from the front rather than from the rear tires. Part of the undercarriage protection is on the ground, and there is debris all over the lot, though it could be organic rather than bits of Mopar left behind. That said, the Cybertruck looks great for having just been hit by a car, even at a slow speed.

According to the Reddit post, the crash left motor oil and transmission fluid leaking out onto the ground. Meanwhile, the Cybertruck owner got out to check the damage and apparently found… none. “The truck looked completely fine!” the poster added. Safe to say, the Dodge driver got a little more Cybertruck than they bargained for.

Credit: Hammer Of Something/Reddit

Tesla’s massive factory in Shanghai, China, has the capacity to build roughly 1 million vehicles every year. However, it could fall quite short of that number this year based on disappointing sales figures of its Chinese-made models in April, which slipped 25.8% from the month prior.

The China Passenger Car Association revealed that a total of 58,459 Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys built in China were sold last month. Importantly, this figure isn’t a reflection of the total number of vehicles that Tesla sold in China alone, but also includes other markets where it sells Shanghai-built vehicles, including Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Read: Tesla Sales Crash Over 80% In Sweden And That’s Just The Beginning

This is just the latest episode of Tesla’s sales drop saga in recent days. In April, its sales collapsed in key European markets like Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the UK. Its sales have also tanked in Australia, where, not too long ago, it was the EV leader. In April, seven other EV models from Chinese and Korean brands outsold the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3.

Rivals Are Closing In

Many factors at play can help to explain why Tesla sales continue to fall. Obviously, negative public sentiment about chief executive Elon Musk is one of them, particularly due to his meddling in politics, not just in the US but around the world as well. Additionally, Tesla has a relatively limited and aging line-up of EVs compared to some of its competitors, with the Model 3 and Model Y being the serious volume sellers.

Rivals are also quickly gaining ground on the American brand. In April, Nio’s sales grew 53% from a year ago, with 23,900 vehicles sold. Additionally, Xpeng recorded its second-best month ever, securing 35,045 sales. Xiaomi also managed to deliver more than 28,000 vehicles in April while Li Auto’s sales rose 32% to 33,939.

Prosecutors say that as news of the crime spread, the two men exchanged messages relishing the outrage and sadness they caused. The tree in northern England was believed to be about 200 years old.

(Image credit: Oli Scarff)

Chronic absenteeism in schools remains above pre-pandemic levels nationwide. Recent reports show that a primary way to improve attendance is to ensure students have reliable school transportation.

During the presentation, Detroit Public Schools Community District will share how they have leveraged innovative technology and multi-modal transportation plans to address chronic absenteeism while delivering cost savings and driving operational excellence for their district.

This webinar will highlight:

• The realities of chronic absenteeism across the country and actionable insights for attendees to bring back to their districts.
• How districts can diversify their transportation mix to include buses, vans and small vehicles.
• Ways DPSCD improved their attendance rates, while improving their daily operations.

With the school year quickly approaching, this webinar will help provide a framework for attendees to close out the year strong and set transportation and operations teams up for success next school year.

Brought to you by HopSkipDrive

REGISTER BELOW:

Speakers:

Aaron Walter
Executive Director of Transportation
Detroit Public Schools Community District

Joe Brumfield
VP Business Development
HopSkipDrive

The post (Free Webinar) How Detroit Public Schools Improved Attendance with Multimodal Transportation appeared first on School Transportation News.

The ever-shifting routing puzzle is a reality many student transporters face. A new seminar at STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada, this summer will share recommendations for making it a smoother process.

The four-hour “School Bus Routing 101: Setting One Up for Success” is being offered for all STN EXPO attendees Friday, July 11, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Presented by Kerry Somerville, CEO of Transportation Planning Solutions, attendees will attain a holistic view of routing, starting with the request for proposal process and crafting requirements that align with the technology needs of the district. This will extend to discussing how to ensure district support and awareness of the technology benefits.

The seminar will cover how to correctly set up the software, whatever that might be, and effectively utilize it to meet the school district’s unique needs, including factors such as data input, routing optimization and student ridership verification. Somerville looks to draw attention to common pitfalls of using new routing technology and how to avoid them.

Attendees will learn more about how to ensure long-term success by making sure routing technology integrates with other transportation technology systems and overall district staff needs. All these components together will help attendees form a game plan for their routing technology systems that will not only be efficient but save money for their school district.

Registration for STN EXPO West provides access to this and dozens of other educational sessions from July 11-16 that cover a wide range of student transportation challenges.

Save $100 on regular conference registration with Early Bird registration by June 6. Find registration and hotel details and stay tuned for updates on the conference agenda, exhibitor lists & unique experiences at stnexpo.com/west.

Related: Accident Investigation Training Returns to STN EXPO West
Related: STN EXPO West Keynote Speaker to Uncover Significance in Simplicity
Related: Grandolfo Award Seeks Nominations, Winner to be Announced at STN EXPO West

The post STN EXPO West to Feature ‘Routing 101’ Seminar appeared first on School Transportation News.

Canada is maintaining its tradition of honoring the heroism of sailors who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and ended up paying the ultimate price. On May 4, the country commemorated the 80th anniversary of the battle that was the longest continuous military campaign during World War II and which claimed the lives of 4,600 Canadians.

Canada has designated the first Sunday in May as the day navy families gather to commemorate the battle, not only to honor the struggle, sacrifice, and loss but also to celebrate the courage of its sailors in the face of daunting obstacles. This year, events were held across the country in order to keep the memories alive.

The Battle of the Atlantic, which lasted from the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939 until victory in May 1945, is credited with transforming the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from a tiny, ill-equipped, and under-trained force into one of the largest navies. At the outbreak of the war, the RCN comprised only six destroyers, a handful of smaller vessels, and 3,500 sailors. By the time the conflict was ending, RCN had grown to over 373 fighting ships and almost 100,000 sailors.

The battle remains an important aspect of WWII. With continental Europe under Nazi Germany’s control, the United Kingdom stood alone against the Nazi threat. To sustain Britain’s war effort, supplies of food and war materials from the rest of the world had to be shipped there. The Nazi used all-out submarine warfare to try to cut Britain off and starve the island nation into submission, making no distinction between military warships and civilian merchant vessels.

In response, convoys were formed, with warships (escorts) protecting the merchant ships carrying the supplies. Canada was at the forefront in providing its warships to offer escort services. Over the course of the war, Canada alongside other allied naval and air forces fought more than 100 convoy battles and performed as many as 1,000 single ship actions against submarines and warships of the German and Italian navies. The RCN destroyed or shared in the destruction of 33 U-boats and 42 enemy surface craft.

RCN suffered significant casualties. The country lost over 60 ships while over 2,100 sailors, 1,700 merchant mariners, and more than 900 aviators lost their lives. The battle also reached Canadian waters with 23 ships sunk in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River.

“As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, we honor the bravery of the Canadians who served with unwavering resolve and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Battle of the Atlantic left a lasting imprint on Canada’s national story and the identity of the RCN,” said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, RCN Commander.

On the 80th anniversary, Topshee recalled the bravery and inspiring action of the sailors of HMCS Esquimalt, the last Canadian ship sunk in the war on April 16, 1945. The sinking, coming just three weeks before the end of the war, remains a painful memory as 44 sailors, more than half of the crew, died within sight of their home port of Halifax. 

This year’s ceremonies were more poignant as the number of living World War II veterans continues to decline. 
 

Canada's Veterans organization compiled a detailed history of the Battle of the Atlantic presented online.

Worn-out mooring lines that were not replaced on time are being called the reason a US-flagged cargo RoRo broke free from its dock and out-of-control hit a pier and dry dock at the Port of Bremerhaven in Germany. Germany's Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) issued a report concluding that if the lines had been properly maintained, the incident might never have happened.

BSU analyzes the incident involving the RoRo cargo ship Endurance (49,000 dwt) built in 1996 and operated by ARC (American Roll-on Roll-Off Carriers). The incident occurred on March 13, 2021, when the vessel’s mooring lines broke, causing her to drift through the harbor and collide with a dry dock, among other things.

Investigators have now determined that the main cause of the line breakage was the worn mooring lines that were not replaced in good time due to an inadequate safety management system. Owing to the conditions of the mooring lines, coupled with offshore winds with gusts reaching speeds of up to 50 knots, the accident was most likely to happen despite preventive efforts by the ship’s master.

The Endurance was moored starboard side in Bremerhaven when the lines parted at about 0945. Investigators were able to establish that the master was aware of the weather forecast and conscious of the potential danger of mooring line failure. For this reason, he had taken appropriate precautionary measures against line failure by requesting tugs.

Nineteen minutes before the incident at 0924, the master had gone to the bridge because of the prevailing wind conditions at the berth. At 0930, he requested tug assistance and instructed two of his deck officers to inspect the lines. When the lines failed, he issued instructions to drop the starboard anchor, start the main engine, and raise the lowered vehicle ramp.

Before the arrival of the tugs, the 868-foot (264.6-meter) Endurance had drifted toward the Lloyd Werft dockyard. The first two tugs arrived about eight minutes after the line failures and before the main engine was running, but could not prevent the allision. It was determined that the vessel was only about 120 meters (less than 400 feet), meaning the tugs did not have enough time and space to prevent the contact.

The line failure contributed to the material damage to the ship, the berth, and the dockyard. However, nobody was injured, and no pollution was reported. The damage on the ship included a crack above the waterline in the shell plating on the port side, a hole in the bulbous bow, and a dent and paint abrasions at the stern on the starboard side.

BSU concluded in its investigation that the mooring lines were in poor condition. The vessel’s operator, ARC, had also arrived at the same conclusion in its internal investigation, determining that the condition of the lines may not have been consistent with requirements. The lines were damaged to such an extent that only two of the 14 lines met the requirements for mooring lines.

Following the BSU investigation, actions have been taken to prevent similar occurrences. They include the procurement of berth analysis software by the Port of Bremerhaven. Expected to be deployed this year, the software is designed to trigger alerts that would help the port inspect a vessel's mooring arrangement.

The report also highlights that as of January 1, 2024, new internationally binding guidelines for the inspection and maintenance of mooring equipment, including lines, came into force. In particular, the vessel operator is now required to introduce a procedure for mooring operations, as well as the inspection and maintenance of mooring equipment, including mooring lines. A maintenance procedure must be implemented on ships so that worn lines are identified in good time before they fail. Maintenance must be carried out and documented on board.
 

ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) is sounding the alarm as the robbery spree in the area around the Singapore Strait continues. The organization, which marked 20 years, is expressing concern and warning of the possibility of further incidents.

While there has been a total of 50 incidents reported to ReCAAP since the start of 2025, they are highlighting that there were three incidents in close proximity in one hour and 15 minutes on May 7 and two other incidents in just three and a half hours on May 2. All the incidents were aboard vessels underway in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait near the western area near the Phillip Channel. Most of the incidents reported in 2025 have been in this same area.

Most of the incidents are robberies where the perpetrators attempt not to interact with the crew or flee when they are spotted. ReCAAP, however, has warned that more of them are being seen with guns or knives, including two people who appeared to have guns when they were spotted among a group of five boarders on a Greek-owned bulker, Virgo, on May 7. The two boarders seen on the Wisdom Ocean bulk carrier Hui Shun No. 1 on May 7 had knives.

The incidents vary between a single person aboard the MOL Singapore chemical tanker Elm Galaxy to five people on the UAE-managed product tanker S M A on May 2. Both the S M A and the Galaxy reported engine spare parts were stolen, while the other vessels did not report anything missing. None of the crew were injured in any of the latest incidents.

ReCAAP notes its concern stems from the dramatic increase. This year it has received 50 reports compared with 14 incidents between January 1 and May 7, 2024.

As it is only a monitoring and coordination initiative designed to educate everyone, ReCAAP can only issue alerts. It is, however, again urging the littoral states to increase patrols and surveillance in the region. They said it is critical to respond promptly to reports from the vessels and to strengthen coordination and promote information sharing.

For ships transiting the area, ReCAAP advised intensifying vigilance and maintaining lookouts while in these waters. The greatest concern is in the hours of darkness.

The area between the Singapore and Malacca straits has become a hotbed for piracy and robberies. Across the whole of the Southeast Asia region monitored by ReCAAP, it lists only 58 incidents so far in 2025, with 50 in the area around Singapore.

A salvage diver working on the preliminary efforts preparing to raise the superyacht Bayesian was killed today, May 9. Italian officials confirmed the incident without providing further details.

Local media are reporting that a 39-year-old salvage diver, a Dutch national, died as teams were continuing the preparation to lift the 184-foot yacht, which is resting on the seabed off Porticello, Italy. They reported the diver was working underwater at the time of his death without providing further details.

A specialized team was assembled for the complex task of raising the vessel, which is lying at a depth of 50 meters (approximately 164 feet). The effort is being supervised by the UK’s TMC Marine and involves Dutch companies Hebo and SMIT Salvage as well as Italian specialists. Reports are saying about 70 specialists are now on site for the operation, which is expected to take several weeks.

Work began this week with a new underwater survey to determine the position of the yacht and its condition after the winter. It departed Italy on August 14 with a premier guest list headed by tech tycoon Mike Lynch. The vessel went down five days later while anchored offshore, killing Lynch, his teenage daughter, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Lynch’s U.S. lawyer, and others. Seven of the 22 people aboard died, while 15 were able to make it into a lifeboat and survived.

Officials hope that raising the yacht will help to answer the questions surrounding why the vessel went down. They know a strong storm hit the vessel, but believe it should not have been in danger of foundering even in those conditions. 

The salvage team reports the vessel is in good condition, and their plan calls for removing the rigging from the 236-foot mast. They will store the removed pieces on the seabed for recovery after the hull. A steel sling will need to be placed to hold the hull in place and for the eventual lift.

The Italian Coast Guard has been on the scene, and reports indicate the salvage operation will now be delayed while an investigation is launched into the diver’s death.
 

Offshore wind energy continues to be a key portion of the UK’s plan for renewable energy with the government announcing on May 9 that it will expand funding and the available areas in response to strong demand from the industry. The UK continues to be the leader in Europe and the second largest globally with nearly 15 GW currently installed, while the government has set a target to reach 50 GW by 2030.

This week, the plan appeared to be in jeopardy when Danish developer Ørsted said it had decided to shelve plans for the fourth phase of the Hornsea project. Located 75 miles off the east coast of England, the first phase of the project started generation in 2020 with 1.2 GW of capacity, followed by phase 2 in 1.4 GW in 2022. Construction is underway on Hornsea 3, which will add 2.9 GW, while the now-shelved fourth phase was to provide an additional 2.4 GW. Ørsted cited the continued increase of supply chain costs, higher interest rates, and an increase in the risk to construction and operation on the planned timeline.

Secretary Ed Miliband, heading the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, countered today asserting that the government continues to receive strong interest for the development of offshore wind energy projects. He said hundreds of bids have been received in the latest government scheme, a “strong signal that industry supports the government’s clean power by 2030 mission.” 

Following higher than expected demand, the Energy Secretary said the government was going to increase funding in its Clean Industry Bonus program from the planned £200 million ($266 million) to £544 million ($724 million). The award winners will be announced shortly.

The Clean Industry Bonus program will provide financial rewards for offshore wind developers that prioritize investments in regions that most need clean energy. The government points to the opportunities to aid traditional oil and gas communities, ex-industrial areas, ports, and coastal towns. According to the government, the program will support cleaner manufacturers, new upgraded factories, port infrastructure, and more business for UK supply chains. This and other government support efforts are projected to spur up to £9.3 billion ($12 billion) in private sector investment over the next four years.

“Now is the time to go further and faster to capture this unrivalled opportunity for green industrial growth,” said Claire Mack, Chief Executive at Scottish Renewables.

Last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced they were accelerating £300 million ($400 million) in investment through another scheme, Great Britain Energy, to support the growth of the offshore energy sector. Since taking office in 2024, Starmer’s government has also increased the pricing subsidy and taken other steps to support the development of wind and other renewable energy sources.

At the same time, on Friday, The Crown Estate, which is responsible for the management of Britain’s seabed rights, announced it was also taking steps to expand offshore wind energy. It approved the Capacity Increase Program, which will maximize existing offshore wind lease areas for seven current wind farms. By amending the seabed rights, The Crown Estate estimates an additional 4.7 GW of energy could be generated. 

The Crown Estate highlights that the projects were awarded rights in the Round 3 leasing that took place in 2010 or the 2017 Wind Extension program. All seven of the projects have existing grid connections and infrastructure, which The Crown Estate says will enable swift development, noting they are within pre-established offshore wind energy sites.
 

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced the formation of a public-private partnership and funding for an effort to build the world’s largest liquid hydrogen carrier. The government views it as a key opportunity where South Korea’s shipbuilders can develop a leadership position building on its current strategy of focusing on high-value ships.

“Liquefied hydrogen carriers are an area with high technical difficulty and very high initial technology development risk, so it is important for the government to play a leading role in securing a new source for Korean-shipbuilding,” said an official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announcing the new project. “We will actively support the early acquisition of large-scale liquefied hydrogen carrier technology by organizing related laws and systems so that the technology we have developed can become a global standard.”

The government announced $39.5 million in funding in 2025 to launch the partnership which will involve the country’s three major shipbuilders (Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries) as well as experts from the ministry, universities, and research institutes.

It mapped out an ambitious schedule calling for the construction of a 2,000 cbm demonstration ship by 2027. It said the technology for a large ship would be completed by 2030 and the development of a 40,000 cbm vessel by 2032. They are calling for the commercialization of a large, 160,000 cbm vessel by 2040.

Korea looks to build a competitive advantage to support commercial hydrogen vessels by the 2040s (MOTIE)

To complete the ships, they called for cooling technology for the hold saying it will require -253 degrees C, ultra-low temperature storage tank technology versus the -163 degrees C required for LNG. They envision a vacuum insulation system. For the propulsion, they are proposing using hydrogen evaporation gas generated in the cargo hold combined with a fuel cell, hybrid engines using an energy storage system.

During the presentation, they recognized that liquified hydrogen carriers are highly difficult ships with no commercial examples having yet been developed. They highlighted 43 research and development projects currently underway involving 101 organizations, saying their goal is to unique the efforts into a single project.

The new task force will use the best domestic liquified hydrogen experts with the support of the Ministry.

They noted that the only hydrogen carrier that has been built is a small-scale demonstration vessel built in Japan. It has a 1,250 cubic meter tank. It too was built under a government-sponsored research program.

The designs for the Korean demonstration vessel call for a ship that will be 304 feet (92.8 meters) in length. It will have a capacity of 140 tons (2,300 cbm), making it the world’s largest and a key step in the development of this critical new market.

U.S. retailers and the logistics tracking services for shippers are sounding the alarm on the expected dramatic declines coming for import containers as the Trump tariffs go into effect. The National Retail Federation (NRF) released data predicting the first year-over-year decline in imports in 19 months, noting the tariff uncertainties were coming at an important time of the year in the buying cycle. Data software company Descartes says the data suggests sourcing patterns, tariffs, and trade risks are continuing to evolve.

Descartes released data from its global trade software yet again highlighting that importers have been rushing to get goods into the United States ahead of the imposition of the tariffs. It reports that container imports were up 1.2 percent over March and better than 9 percent year-over-year, surpassing 2.4 million TEU. Descartes notes it was one of the strongest Aprils on record. 

The data highlights the efforts to frontload shipments, especially from Asia where Descartes says imports from China were up 5.4 percent from March to April. They note that Chinese-sourced commodities included furniture, plastics, and machinery, all of which were targeted with the tariffs. Dramatic year-over-year gains emerged from countries such as Vietnam (32.5 percent) and Thailand (13.4 percent). 

Descartes believes it was having a direct impact on ports as well with it forecasting strong gains in volumes at Los Angeles (13.9 percent) and Long Beach (12 percent). It, however, notes volumes incoming at Savannah and Charleston were down as shippers focused on the faster trans-Pacific routes.

“While container import growth remained strong in April, it may be, in part, because U.S. importers are continuing to pull shipments forward ahead of new U.S. tariffs, in particular the 145% tariff on Chinese goods implemented on April 9,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes. “Since the new elevated tariffs do not apply to goods already in transit when the tariffs were implemented, the tariff impact may be reflected more significantly in May container import volumes.”

It believes this has been a factor in the 8.6 percent increase for U.S. imports in the first four months of 2025. Descartes highlights that China accounted for 33.4 percent of total U.S. inbound container volume in April. 

“We are starting to see the true impact of the tariffs on the supply chain,” predicts NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. He notes the tariffs “come at the most important time in the buying process” for retailers. Many retailers are pausing or canceling orders as a result, and small retailers, in particular, “are concerned about what to expect in the coming months and how to order for the future.”

The retailer’s trade association is forecasting a dramatic decline in imports starting in May down to 1.81 million TEU. The NRF predicts volumes will plateau during the summer between 1.7 and 1.8 million TEU per month, a decline of greater than 20 percent per month versus 2024 levels.

The NRF notes that imports have been elevated since last summer, first as retailers brought in cargo ahead of an October strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, and then in anticipation of an escalation of tariffs after the November elections.
 

[By: Wärtsilä]

Technology group Wärtsilä has announced that its breakthrough carbon capture solution (CCS) is now commercially available to the global maritime industry, delivering a step-change in shipping’s decarbonisation journey. According to Wärtsilä’s tests, the new ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ is proven to reduce vessel CO₂ emissions by up to 70 percent, providing ship owners with an immediate solution to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The ability to capture CO₂ from ship exhaust systems will have a major impact on the industry’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions, taking into account the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 reduction target.

Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä comments: “CCS is a game-changer for the maritime industry, and we are already seeing huge interest in the market for this solution. Ahead of shipping’s net-zero targets, this new technology complements the industry’s ongoing efforts to dramatically reduce emissions from vessels and prevent stranded assets.”

The launch follows the successful installation of the world’s first comprehensive, full-scale solution onboard Solvang ASA’s Clipper Eris, where the technology captures emissions from all exhaust gas sources. Earlier this year, Wärtsilä installed its CCS technology onboard the 21,000 m3 ethylene carrier for full scale testing and optimisation. The solution, which has been in operation since the Clipper Eris set sail from Singapore in February 2025, will support Solvang ASA’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable maritime operations.

Solvang’s Clipper Eris ship was already equipped with a broad range of Wärtsilä products, including exhaust scrubbers, making it an ideal candidate for the project. Separately, for newbuild vessels currently under construction, Solvang has worked closely with Wärtsilä, and other partners, to ensure these ships are CCS-ready. This includes CCS-ready scrubber systems, as the engines will operate on HFO, as well as necessary space reservation and utility requirements.

“While the shipping sector continues to explore options for lessening its environmental impact, CCS provides a significant shortcut for achieving meaningful sustainability,” says Edvin Endresen, CEO of Solvang ASA. “Solvang has been at the forefront of advocating for, and adapting to, new technologies such as CCS for our deep-sea fleet. As one of the more promising solutions for marine decarbonisation, it was important for us to team up with an experienced and trusted partner such as Wärtsilä and we are excited at the potential its CCS offering will bring to our business.”

Wärtsilä has been actively developing this technology since 2019 and currently operates a research centre and test facility in Moss, Norway capturing 10 tonnes of CO₂ per day from a Wärtsilä marine engine. These tests, which are now supported by the full scale-installation onboard Clipper Eris, have proven that the new CCS has the capability to reduce a vessel’s CO₂ emissions by up to 70 percent. Wärtsilä also estimates its CCS would have a carbon capture cost of Eur50-Eur70/mtCO₂ ($54-$76/mtCO₂), inclusive of capital and operating costs.

Agnevall continues, “Collaboration has been key here. To achieve this significant advance in maritime emissions control it is important to be able to cooperate with like-minded partners such as Solvang ASA. We congratulate them for their vision and support in bringing CCS to their fleet.”

Wärtsilä offers different scalable CCS sizes and configurations to suit various vessel types and operator needs, both on newbuildings and retrofits. Wärtsilä’s CCS can be applied to the exhaust from any carbon-based fuel – such as HFO, methanol, LNG and MGO – and is designed to work alongside other emission reduction technologies, including SOx scrubbers, NOx reduction systems, and particulate matter filters. As part of Wärtsilä's broader portfolio, CCS can be integrated with other decarbonisation technologies and services. 

Wärtsilä’s years of experience in SOx scrubbing and installing technologies that tackle pollutants at the point of exhaust, makes the company uniquely positioned to pioneer maritime applications for CCS, and further unlock decarbonisation benefits for owners and operators.

In what appears to be a surprise development in the two-year-old case related to the damage of a gas pipeline in the Baltic, China on Thursday charged the captain of the containership suspected in the incident with a criminal charge related to the incident. The South China Morning Post reported the development saying that the captain of the containership Newnew Polar Bear was taken into custody in Hong Kong after appearing in court.

The 43-year-old Chinese captain of the containership, Wan Wenguo, appeared in a Hong Kong court on May 8, on one criminal charge for causing damage to the Balticconnector, a natural gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland, and damage to a communication cable. The South China Morning Post listed the charges as “a breach of navigation safety protocols by failing to ensure the ship had enough anchors.” The captain also faces two charges of not making daily reports to the vessel’s owner.

News of the charges appeared to come as a surprise to the authorities in Finland and Estonia, which are conducting a joint investigation. Last month, the Finnish newspapers reported that the investigators had requested information from China and were still waiting for a response. Over the two years, there have been several reports that China was hindering the investigation, and while acknowledging the vessel had damaged the undersea infrastructure blamed the damage on bad weather.

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation issued a statement today saying its investigation with Estonia was ongoing. It noted cooperation with Chinese authorities while saying details about the developments would have to come from the authorities in China and Hong Kong. They acknowledged several meetings and exchanges of information with the authorities in China and Hong Kong.

Wan is a Chinese national, but the ship at the time was registered in Hong Kong. It was operating for a Chinese shipping company that highlighted the opening of the container route between China and St. Petersburg, Russia, using the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic.

The vessel was in the Gulf of Finland, starting a return trip to China, when on October 8, the gas and telecom lines were damaged. The Finnish authorities later recovered a broken anchor and reported a drag trail on the seabed. It was the first of the incidents that led to allegations of deliberate sabotage efforts in the Baltic.

The South China Morning Post reports the captain is being held pre-trial. The next hearing was scheduled for July, it reports, allowing time for further investigations.

The ongoing changes to Carnival Corporation’s Italian cruise brand Costa Cruises are continuing as the line announced it will be transitioning its oldest cruise ship to new owners in 2026. The line has been significantly downsized since the 2020 pause in operations and the return to service after the pandemic.

Costa announced that the Costa Fortuna (102,669 gross tons) will be transferred to a new owner in mid-September 2026. The identity of the new firm was not revealed. The ship is currently operating in the Mediterranean with cruises to Greece and Turkey, and for the winter of 2025/2026 is scheduled to be homeported in the Canary Islands.

The Costa Fortuna was built by Fincantieri and delivered in 2003. It is based on Carnival Cruise Line’s Destiny platform. It is 892 feet (272 meters) in length with maximum passenger accommodations of approximately 3,500 people. The Costa Fortuna was among the first mega cruise ships for the brand and in Europe.

With the departure of the ship in 2026, Costa will have shed six ships from its fleet. Two of the brand’s newest ships, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenza, were transferred to Carnival Cruise Line to launch a sub-brand Costa by Carnival, which is marketed as “Fun Italian Style.” The ships are operated by Carnival in the American market, while the brand also took over the older Costa Luminosa. The ship, rechristened Carnival Luminosa, is deployed between Australia and Alaska.

Costa also sold its ship the Costa Victoria for scrap early in the pandemic and sold the Costa Romantica to Celestyal Cruises, which later sold it for scrap. It also never reactivated the sister ship to the Costa Fortuna, the Costa Magica. The ship was sold to Seajets, who planned to relaunch it as the Goddess of the Night for Greek Island cruises marketed by a new brand Neonyx Cruises. After a disastrous report about the condition of the ship, the 2024 launch was scrubbed with the company promising to start cruises in 2025. So far, nothing has been announced for those cruises.

One of the pioneers in cruising, Costa claims a 77-year heritage dating back to when it was started by the Costa family to provide immigrant service to South America. In the 1950s, the company started cruising. Acquired by Carnival Corp., it was cited for its fast growth and success in the broad market for Europeans. However, Carnival Corp. has said it would be focusing on the brands with the strongest financial returns and began downsizing Costa. The brand has been rumored for possible newbuilds, but nothing has been announced.

Costa highlights that it is following a strategic path, including investing more than €200 million in the last five years modernizing and upgrading its ships. With the sale of the Costa Fortuna, the company will have eight cruise ships, including two of the LNG-fueled cruise ships delivered in 2019 and 2021. 

The fleet improvements will be completed in November when the company’s second-oldest cruise ship, Costa Serena (114,500 gross tons) finishes an extensive dry dock refurbishment. Costa reports they are adding a new food court with innovative restaurants and bars, updating the design for the main restaurants, redesigned pools and bars, and completely renovating suites. 

The Costa Serena has been deployed in Asia and was the company’s ship for China before the pandemic. In October 2026, she will depart Tokyo bound for Buenos Aires to replace the Costa Fortuna. The Costa Serena will cruise in South America in the winter of 2027 before redeploying to the Mediterranean for the summer of 2027.
 

The UK is moving forward with another round of sanctions against Russian entities and the shadow fleet in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the “largest ever sanctions.” The announcement came as the UK was meeting in Norway with colleagues in the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force to discuss security issues for Northern Europe.

“The shadow fleet operation, masterminded by Putin’s cronies, is not just bankrolling the Kremlin’s illegal war in Ukraine - the fleet’s languishing vessels are known to be damaging critical national infrastructure through reckless seafaring in Europe,” the UK said reporting it has listed 100 additional tankers. The UK also listed one Russian-flagged offshore service vessel, which it said is benefiting from supporting the Russian government.

The UK now attests to having sanctioned more shadow fleet ships than any other country. In December 2024, it also imposed sanctions against 133 tankers. The EU has also moved aggressively with its sanctions and reported this week it is working on a new sanctions package including more than 100 tankers. When the new sanctions are enacted, the EU will have sanctioned more than 300 tankers.

In addition to the vessels, the UK listed five executives working in the Russian energy sector who it says are supporting and benefitting from the oil sales. It is also listing two energy companies, BX Energy and Nord Axis, and added Norwegian insurance company Romarine and Russian insurance company Soglasie to the sanctions list.

The UK describes the shadow fleet as “decrepit and dangerous,” saying it was also moving to protect Europe’s infrastructure. It cites the damage caused to undersea assets by the tankers while highlighting the efforts of the Joint Expeditionary Force to monitor key infrastructure. Member nations include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK.

In January, the group activated a tracking system known as Nordic Warden developed by the UK. It is being used to monitor activity in a region that includes parts of the English Channel, the North Sea, Kattegat, and the Baltic. NATO also moved along with its member nations to increase monitoring in the Baltic after the incidents that damaged the undersea cables.

The UK highlights that the drop in oil prices is putting further pressure on the Russian economy as the costs of the war have increased. 

A new report from S&P Global, however, shows that more Russian oil is moving on tankers owned or operated within the G7 as the price of oil has fallen below the price cap. S&P Global Commodities at Sea and Maritime Intelligence Risk Suite data shows that almost 1.3 million barrels a day were being lifted by the ships from the G7 nations, the highest since March 2024. They are also reporting that G7-linked tankers are carrying more Russian oil from the Urals than non-G7 tankers, the first time this occurred since July 2023, according to S&P.

The EU is expected to move ahead with its next round of sanctions in June and is reported to be looking to coordinate it with a similar action by the United States. Donald Trump has threatened to increase sanctions on Russia if they cannot achieve progress with the ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.