The Bradfield Bulletin - 19 September 2025

YESTERDAY was my birthday (ssshh, I turned 46!). As I get older, I still can’t figure out how my brain can hold onto every lyric of Gangsta’s Paradise like it’s the ’90s, yet completely blank on my kids’ birth dates at the doctor’s office. Ah, it's a mystery.

And speaking of things that keep you guessing - this week in shipping, all eyes are on the IMO as it prepares for an extraordinary MEPC in mid-October to decide on adopting its Net Zero Framework. Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach is still clearing last week’s container collapse from the vessel Mississippi. Carriers continue to reshuffle fleets before US fees hit China-built ships. And in Europe, Poland’s border closure with Belarus has rattled China’s €25bn EU trade route, with Beijing now pressing Warsaw to reopen.

Closer to home, the big question is whether peak season has already peaked. As Dale Crisp notes, it’s tough to tell if carriers are cutting capacity to hold up rates or just battling delays from bad weather and congestion across China, Australia, and New Zealand. Golden Week usually brings blank sailings, but this year vessel bunching, port omissions, and rotation changes have certainly muddied the waters.

What else is happening out there?

💠 ICTSI Manila adds new port equipment
💠 First training guide out for ammonia, methanol & hydrogen
💠 Antwerp hosts debut self-driving truck
💠 Bad weather stalls cargo ship ‘Thamesborg’ salvage in Canadian Arctic
💠 AGS marks 40 years in business
💠 Defence works finished on East–West rail line
💠 ITF London staff launch first-ever strike against their federation
💠 Beirut blast shipowner arrested in Bulgaria, five years on
💠 MSC plans $400m investment in Bangladesh’s Pangaon terminal
💠 CMA CGM sets record with largest yacht shipment
💠 Second Port of Melbourne protest disrupts freight
💠 Sanctioned Suezmax tanker stranded on Russia’s Arctic route
💠 AFF teams with Rail First to boost supply chain productivity
💠 Mexico imposes 50% tariff on China-made cars
💠 DP World opens new driver welfare hub in Southampton
💠 HD Hyundai eyes U.S. shipyard deal
💠 UK to launch electric sea route
💠 COSCO seals Laem Chabang stake buy

Hover over image to enlarge

Speaking of milestones and new arrivals, Fremantle Ports welcomed the Maersk Mammoth this week. A newcomer to Fremantle, she replaces the Holsatia in the three vessel rotation shared by ONE, Maersk, and HPL. At 200 m long and 36 m wide, this geared vessel looks like she will be sticking around for a little while, according to the long range schedule.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!