Jim Wilson

Australian Maritime College student Ajayraj Thangarajan Sakunthala has won the 2025 Shipping Australia Prize! Ajayraj, who is studying an MBA in Maritime Management – Maritime Logistics at the Australian Maritime College, was awarded the Shipping Australia-sponsored prize because of his demonstrated excellence and high achievement in his studies. He has received a cash prize and...

Qingdao Automated Container Terminal has reportedly begun using a vacuum-based automatic mooring terminal system, according to news media Port Technology. The system apparently was put into live commercial service on January 1, 2026 and was inaugurated by securing a 366m container ships with high-vacuum suction units that automatically atached to the side of the ship’s...

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) entered into force on 17 January 2026. According to the IMO, which welcomed its entry into force, it brings into effect legally-binding rules for the...

The Port of Melbourne (PoM), together with the Intermodal Terminal Company (ITC), are inviting importers, shipping lines and freight forwarders to register their interest in a limited-volume start-up incentive program in which the PoM will offer $100 per TEU and $200 per FEU for import containers moved by rail from the port to ITC’s Melbourne...

Work began in mid-December on the $1.62 billion Beveridge Intermodal Precinct in the north of Melbourne, and at the southern end of the Inland Rail corridor, the Australian Commonwealth Government reported. The mid-December site-preparation works should pave the way for main construction to begin early this year. It is hoped that the open access Beveridge...

Port of Brisbane  and The University of Queensland (UQ) have agreed to support First Nations students. The Port of Brisbane Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Fund incorporates a $40,000 commitment from PBPL which is dollar-matched through UQ to maximise impact. Applications will be managed and assessed by UQ. From 2026, PBPL will support up...

Extended ABF border holds affecting sea freight have been reported by members of the IFCABAA. “While border holds are not new, members are reporting that the duration and volume of current holds fall outside normal operational expectations, with some shipments held for multiple weeks,” the IFCABAA explains. It adds that the holds are affecting importers...

Integrated logistics company A.P. Moller – Maersk has announced the appointment of Ditlev Blicher as the new Regional President for North America, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Blicher assumes the role after most recently serving as the company’s Regional President for Asia Pacific since 2023. Blicher joined Maersk in 2020 with global experience in operations and...

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), a global provider of port agency and marine services, has opened new offices in Indonesia – one each in Merak and Dumai. Opening offices in the Merak and Dumai port areas means that Inchcape has established a presence in two high-activity industrial port clusters, each handling approximately 150 port calls annually,...

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has set out the IMO’s priorities for the coming year. “As we start 2026, I would like to focus on something simple: getting things done. At IMO, this is the year of implementation; moving from plans to concrete actions and measurable progress, reflected in our world maritime theme: “From Policy to Practice...