Freight struggles with regulatory uncertainty
Lack of clarity is affecting demand for new tankers, but LNG vessel orders are booming
Shipowner group the International Chamber of Shipping wants more clarity over emissions regulations for its members and warns the uncertainty is cutting into new vessel orders. “The order book is small in many sectors of shipping,” says ICS chairman Emanuele Grimaldi, because owners fear investing in vessels that could be rendered obsolete soon by environmental legislation. The ICS “wants regulation to be better known and understood”, and is working “towards clarity”, in conjunction with the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). “Hydrogen and ammonia will play big roles in shipping” Grimaldi, ICS But for now, the lack of certainty is making vessel orders more difficult, Gri
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






