Washington's Blue Wave, Shipping's New Crossroads

The November 3rd US midterm elections reshaped Washington's political landscape, with Democrats securing both the House and Senate, delivering a significant setback to President Trump. Inflation, elevated energy prices and the prolonged conflict with Iran weighed heavily on voters.

Dry bulk markets: Between regional resilience and a shifting freight tide

Ultramax & Handysize | Weekly Market Report and Forward Outlook

Week ending 6 November 2026

By Iakovos (Jack) Archontakis
Senior Maritime Strategy Consultant-Chartering Executive & TMC MARITIME Commercial Director

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW — A MARKET OF CONTRASTING CURRENTS

The dry bulk market closed the week with considerable regional divergence, as the Atlantic's larger segments corrected while selected Handysize and Pacific markets maintained their resilience.

Greece in 2026 Does Not Need More Self-Proclaimed National Saviours. It Needs Managers, Directors and Genuine Accountability.

By Iakovos (Jack) Archontakis
Senior Maritime Strategy Consultant & Chartering Executive

Greece is not short of people who claim to know how to save the country. What it lacks, far more often, is the consistency required to turn good intentions into effective management, political announcements into measurable results, and opportunities into genuine economic growth.

ICS welcomes the US Trade Representative proposal to suspend port fees for a further two months

Section 301 is a US trade law that allows governments to respond to trade practices it considers unfair. The US first introduced fees back in October 2025 on certain ships linked to China docking at US ports, with China imposing countermeasure fees on US ships docking in China.

Tanker S&P: A Tale of Two Markets

The tanker Sale & Purchase market during September and October 2026 reveals an interesting divergence between vessels offered for sale and those actually changing hands, highlighting differences in investment appetite across vessel segments, age groups and shipbuilding countries.

Y/KNOT Invest secures second charter for tanker AMETHYST at US$175,000 per day

Y/KNOT Invest announces a new charter agreement for its recently acquired tanker AMETHYST with one of the world’s leading oil and petroleum products trading groups.