Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

The seizure of Lutuf follows four other merchant vessel hijackings since April as opportunistic pirate activity continues off Somalia. August 17, 2026 A cargo vessel has been hijacked off Somalia, according to a UKMTO warning published on 17 August. Maritime security company Vanguard Tech said the ship involved is Cameroon-flagged cargo vesselLutuf, which the Equasis database has as a 1995-built 1,401 dwt general cargo ship. Both reports say the ship was boarded by eight armed persons at around 1136 hrs UTC and that the unauthorised persons subsequently took control of the vessel. “The status of the crew remains unconfirmed, while authorities are investigating,” said Vanguard. The incident occurred 4 nm south of Mareeyo, Somalia, according to a report from the ship’s company security officer, the UKMTO warning said. Pirate activity off the Somalia coast has increased in recent months, despite monsoon conditions being generally unfavourable for skiff launches. JMIC’s 16 August advisory had the threat to shipping off the Somali coast as moderate due to persistent opportunistic attacks. Related:Iran claims to have detained UAE tanker in Hormuz JMIC said there were four merchant vessels held by Somali pirate groups as of 16 August, Palau-flagged product tankerHonour 25hijacked 21 April 2026, Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo shipSward,hijacked 26 April, Togo-flagged product tankerEureka,hijacked 2 May 2026, and Tanzania-flagged product/chemical tankerAsana, hijacked 17 July 2026. Gary Howard Middle East correspondent Gary Howard is the Middle East Correspondent for Seatrade Maritime News and has written for Seatrade Cruise, Seatrade Maritime Review and was News Editor at Lloyd’s List. Gary’s maritime career started after catching the shipping bug during a research assignment for the offshore industry. Working out of Seatrade's head office in the UK, he also produces and contributes to conference programmes for Seatrade events including CMA Shipping, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East and Marintec. Gary’s favourite topics within the maritime industry are decarbonisation and wind-assisted propulsion; he particularly enjoys reporting from industry events. Gary Howard regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars. Ports of Refuge: Strengthening Maritime Resilience, at Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East 2025 Debunking LEO and Cloud for Maritime Industry, December 2022 (watch on-demand recording) Making Data Work for Shipping at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021 Is the Zero-Carbon Future a Slow Shipping Future?at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021 Is Ship Finance Transforming Faster than Shipping?at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021

AirZeta, the relaunched operation of Air Incheon following the integration of Asiana Airlines’ cargo arm, has reaped the fruits of the enlarged freight business. Recently released financials for 2025 show AirZeta revenue rose 10-fold, to $459m, leading to a net profit of $23.2m, following a net loss of $23.4m in 2024. And AirZeta is set to see earnings rise again this year, as cargo volumes in the first six months increased nearly 12-fold, to 223,685 tonnes. Air Inchon’s former freight armrebrandeda year ago, after absorbing Asiana’s cargo business and becoming South Korea’s second-largest air freight business after Korean Air Lines (KAL). Asiana, which struggled financially after Covid halted air travel, was sold to KAL in December 2024, but had to divest its cargo business to satisfy anti-trust regulators worldwide. AirZeta’s freighter fleet was expanded to 15 by adding 11 Asiana aircraft to the four B737-800Fs, and routes centred on Japan, China, and South-east Asia were expanded to medium- and long-haul routes to the Americas and Europe. AirZeta also increased its headcount by absorbing Asiana’s staff. AirZeta’s relaunch coincided with a surge in global air cargo, fuelled by high volumes of de minimis and time-sensitive consumer goods shipped directly from Asian manufacturing hubs. The AI boom has also resulted in greater demand to fly microchips and specialised servers from Asian manufacturers to data centres in North America and Europe. In addition, with container shipping having longer sailing times from Asia to Europe due to the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, air freight is used to bypass maritime bottlenecks and reduce inventory replenishment times. However, AirZeta still has challenges to overcome, particularly the integration of Asiana’s freighter pilots. Although there was a collective wage agreement in February, AirZeta’s pilots’ union filed an application with the Incheon Regional Labour Relations Commission in April over issues relating to the cargo carrier’s pilot seniority system. The union alleged AirZeta set pilot seniority solely by hiring-year, unfairly adjusting the treatment of Asiana’s 50 pilots. AirZeta’s management claimed the issue of pilot seniority was finalised and announced last year through consultations with the union. The commission has yet to rule on the matter. Check out CTS’s thoughts on H1 cargo flows

Global airfreight volumes declined in the first full week of August, with chargeable weight falling from all origins as pricing and capacity edged down, according to WorldACD. Global tonnage dropped 4% week on week in week 32 (3-9 August), following a mild rally. Volumes fell 6% from the Middle East and South Asia (MESA), 4% from Europe and North America, 3% from Asia Pacific, and 2% from both Africa and Central and South America. Despite the weekly decline, global traffic was up 1% year on year, with growth of 1% to 2% from all origins except Europe, where it fell 1%. WorldACD said traffic had “fluctuated within a narrow band” over the past four weeks, alternating between contraction and growth. Comparing the latest two weeks with the previous fortnight, global chargeable weight was down 1%, led by declines from Asia Pacific and North America. Global capacity fell 1% week on week, while the average airfreight rate slipped from $2.96 in week 31 to $2.95, “driven largely by lower fuel costs”, according to WorldACD.However, rates still remained 22% above year-earlier levels. Asian exports were particularly weak, with volumes from Asia Pacific to both Europe and the US showing a 4% decline week on week. Japan was an exception, however, its tonnage to the US rising 12% and to Europe 3%, while shipments from Taiwan to the US fell 11%, and Indonesia declined 10%. Typhoon Dolphin disrupted flows from China, causing evacuations in Shanghai and Beijing and more than 1,000 flight cancellations in Shanghai alone. Its port and other Chinese maritime gateways were also affected, potentially encouraging some exporters to shift cargo from ocean to air. Overall, China’s airfreight tonnage fell 5%, while chargeable weight from Shanghai fell 8% week on week, including a 12% decline on intra-Asia routes. WorldACD also pointed to the lingering impact of the end of the de minimis exemption for ecommerce entering the EU. China mainland to Europe tonnage was down 8% year on year, while Hong Kong to Europe volumes plunged 29%. This was echoed by Maersk in its European update today. The Danish carrier said: “Since the removal of the €150 duty-free threshold, low-value air cargo imports into Europe have fallen by almost 33% year on year, reinforcing a broader shift away from ecommerce-driven volumes and toward higher-value cargo.” It noted that, in its air freight division, European import volumes continued to expand in May, while exports remained in decline – “reflecting a more cautious demand environment across parts of the manufacturing sector”. WorldACD said rising rates to Europe from China and Hong Kong, alongside falling transpacific prices, suggested freighter capacity previously used for ecommerce shipments to Europe may have shifted towards the transpacific market. Listen to The Loadstar Podcast to hear H1 in numbers according to Container Trades Statistics!

The latest 90-day waiver of the Jones Act sees the federal authorities closing a tax loophole on earnings by international shipowners August 17, 2026 In the days preceding the 17 August commencement of theJones ActWaiver extension, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - the arm of theUSTreasury Department handling all things related to Federal taxation, issued a memorandum clarifying the tax treatment of voyages on (non-US) vessels performing voyages between US ports under the Waivers. Referring to rules which exempt foreign vessels calling at US ports on international voyages from Federal taxation, the memo said, in part: “Income of a foreign corporation from the operation of vessels transporting cargo between US ports under the Jones Act waiver is not derived from the international operation of ships and is thus not eligible for the gross income exclusion under section 883 or treaty benefits related to the operation of ships in international traffic.” Prior to the clarification - opponents of the waivers, which include US based owners who are subject to Federal taxes, had recently expressed concerns about potential tax inequities, as well as worries about waivered voyages tied to non-Defense considerations. Related:Renewed NZF discussions will face two critical hurdles Charlie Papavizas, Partner at law firm Winston & Taylor, wrote that: “Since foreign vessels ordinarily cannot engage lawfully in US interstate commerce, the application of US federal income tax to such vessel owners and their crews usually does not arise and has not received much IRS attention.” In a blog post, he pointed out that operators of non-US vessels (and their crews) working on oil and gas projects in waters on the US Outer Continental Shelf, were indeed subject to Federal taxation. The team of maritime and taxation lawyers at Seward & Kissel brought attention to some perceived anomalies in the IRS announcement. In a memo to their clients, the S & K team opined that: “While Section 883 and US tax treaties only provide an exemption for income derived from the international operation of ships and certain incidental income derived therefrom, the IRS pronouncement was surprising in that it was inconsistent with the broader US federal government policy of increasing shipping capacity along domestic shipping routes. The pronouncement is also inconsistent with IRS guidance provided during the Jones Act’s previous waiver in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.” A group of shipping lawyers from law firm Holland & Knight (H & K) based in both Washington, D.C. and New York, got into the finer points of the revised rules. They explained that: “Notably, this guidance introduces substantial changes to the waiver request process. Under the new extension, prior to initiating a voyage, any member of the trade community who considers conducting transportation on a foreign-flag vessel between two US ports must now send a written request with the subject line ‘VESSEL AVAILABILITY REQUEST’ to the Department of War (DOW), the US Maritime Administration (MARAD), and, for situational awareness only, Customs and Border Protection (CBP).” Related:Against the Jones Act waiver extension The H & K team explained further that: “One of the most notable aspects of the updated waiver process is the requirement that requestors provide an explanation as to why the voyage is in the interest of national defense – both at the pre-voyage request stage and in the post-voyage report to MARAD. This requirement stems from the statutory foundation of Jones Act waivers …which authorizes the Secretary of War to waive the Jones Act's coastwise trade restrictions when doing so is ‘necessary in the interest of national defense.’ “The inclusion of [The National Defense Explanation Requirement] requirement at both stages of the process signals that the government is closely scrutinizing whether individual voyages genuinely serve national defense purposes rather than treating the waiver as a blanket authorization for any covered commodity. Trade community members should be prepared to articulate a clear and specific justification linking their proposed transportation to national defense interests. Generic or boilerplate explanations may not suffice, particularly given DOW's role in determining whether the waiver applies to each individual proposed voyage.” Related:In support of the Jones Act waiver extension Concerning taxation specifically, Seward & Kissel’s tax lawyers pointed out that: “a foreign corporation that operates a vessel between US ports pursuant to the Waiver could be (i) subject to US federal corporate income tax on a net basis at a rate of 21% plus a 30% branch profits tax on its net income (charter hire less allocable expenses, including allowable vessel depreciation deductions) from the voyage if the foreign corporation is engaged in a US trade or business or (ii) subject to US federal income tax at a rate of 30% on its gross income from the voyage if the foreign corporation is not engaged in a US trade or business.” However, businesses without a “Permanent Establishment” in the States might have other avenues for exemptions. Read more about: Barry Parker New York Correspondent Barry Parker is a New York-based maritime specialist and writer, associated with Seatrade since 1980. His early work was in drybulk chartering, and in the early 1990s he moved into shipping finance where he served as a deal-maker and analyst with a leading maritime merchant bank. Since the late 1990s he has worked for a group of select clients on various maritime projects, also remaining active as a writer. Barry Parker is the author of an Eco-tanker study for CLSA and a presentation to the Baltic Exchange Freight Market User Group on the arbitrage of tanker FFAs with listed tanker equities.

Diana calls Genco’s counter proposals ‘completely disconnected from reality’ in what Genco calls a ‘misleading characterisation’. August 17, 2026 After months of accusing Genco Shipping & Trading of not engaging in negotiations onDiana Shipping’sunsolicited offer to acquire all outstanding Genco shares that it doesn’t already own, Diana has pulled its offer from the table after Genco put forward a counter offer. Both sides fired their final salvos for this stretch of the prolonged takeover battle, although Diana warned that as Genco’s largest shareholder, it is "not going away". On 14 August, Diana withdrew its offer of $24.80 cash per share plus one Diana share valued at $2.54; the offer included downward adjustments for Genco dividends since the offer was made. Diana shipping said its attempt to negotiate began with its advisors proposing a transaction at $27.50 per share in cash plus three Diana shares, which Genco valued at $1.00 per share. The proposal also stipulated that no adjustments would be made for dividends so that Genco shareholders were not punished for the transaction taking place. Related:Star Bulk pulls $470m 16-ship deal tied to Diana’s Genco bid Genco also accused Diana of “misleadingly inflating” the value of its proposed framework after Diana said Genco’s demands were “completely disconnected from the reality of what a credible buyer could reasonably be expected to pay.” In a press release on 14 August, Diana said the Genco “demands” totalled around $36.91 per share, claiming that was a 57% premium to Genco’s “undisturbed share price” when Diana’s last offer was made. The misalignment of the two sides’ valuations hinge on differing assessments of Genco’s Net Asset Value (NAV), the value of shares in the combined Diana entity to Genco shareholders, and how dividends are treated in the deal: •Genco Net Asset Value (NAV)- Genco puts its own NAV at $27.50, which it says is based on independent third-party broker valuations and the median of five sell-side analyst estimates. Diana has Genco’s NAV at approximately $25.00 per share using asset values from VesselsValue, a method it alleges Genco itself used for five years prior to Diana’s acquisition offer being made. It also argued that Genco’s figure failed to account for the costs of selling its fleet, liquidating the company, and severance expenditures under a recently-adopted retention plan. •Diana share value to Genco shareholders- Genco has proposed its shareholders receive three Diana shares per Genco share, valuing the Diana shares at $1.00 per share. Genco said there was “considerable incremental risk to owning Diana shares” and said Diana shares would be materially lower than their current value once shareholder dilution was taken into account. Related:KCC takes delivery of wind-assisted combination carrier Baltazar A transaction at three Diana shares would enable its shareholders to participate in the combined company and provide a more meaningful premium, said Genco. Diana meanwhile said the proposal would see Genco shareholders owning around 47% of the combined company and valued its own shares at $2.54 for the offer, based on its 30-day volume-weighted average price as of June 16, 2026. Diana’s 13 August close price was $2.47. •Genco dividends- Genco wants its shareholders to retain their dividends, while Diana’s offer is adjusted for dividends. In a letter to Diana, Genco valued the dividends at more than $2.00 per share based on its projections for the third and fourth quarters. Diana has accused Genco of having no interest in constructive engagement towards an agreement, although Genco’s 14 August letter to the Diana board outlining its proposal said “We stand ready to engage further to explore whether we can find an agreement that meets the requirements outlined above and delivers full and fair value to Genco shareholders.” Semiramis Paliou, Diana’s CEO, accused the Genco board of only being interested in protecting the jobs, compensation, and power of the management team, claiming the board is misaligned with shareholder interests. The Genco board accused Diana of only being interested in acquiring Genco at below NAV. Related:Precious Shipping receives $11m Hormuz war risk payout “I want to be clear: we are not going away. Diana remains Genco’s largest shareholder, and we will continue to monitor its performance closely, raise these issues publicly, and hold the Genco Board and management team accountable for every commitment made to shareholders throughout this process, including commitments about standalone value, dividend growth, and a Comprehensive Value Strategy that they strenuously argued is superior to what Diana offered. That case will now be tested in the market,” said Paliou. Read more about: Gary Howard Middle East correspondent Gary Howard is the Middle East Correspondent for Seatrade Maritime News and has written for Seatrade Cruise, Seatrade Maritime Review and was News Editor at Lloyd’s List. Gary’s maritime career started after catching the shipping bug during a research assignment for the offshore industry. Working out of Seatrade's head office in the UK, he also produces and contributes to conference programmes for Seatrade events including CMA Shipping, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East and Marintec. Gary’s favourite topics within the maritime industry are decarbonisation and wind-assisted propulsion; he particularly enjoys reporting from industry events. Gary Howard regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars. Ports of Refuge: Strengthening Maritime Resilience, at Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East 2025 Debunking LEO and Cloud for Maritime Industry, December 2022 (watch on-demand recording) Making Data Work for Shipping at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021 Is the Zero-Carbon Future a Slow Shipping Future?at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021 Is Ship Finance Transforming Faster than Shipping?at Seatrade ShipTech Virtual 2021

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