Germany Wants a “Two-Speed EU” On Defence. What About Poland?
Germany is spearheading a “two‑speed” European Union defence initiative by forming an E6 group of the bloc’s six largest economies – Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. The format aims to bypass consensus‑driven decision‑making to accelerate defence investment, a savings‑and‑investment union, euro strengthening and critical resource security. Parallel to the E6, Berlin and Warsaw are establishing a separate bilateral defence working group, while Germany and Italy have signed a protocol on integrated air‑missile defence. Germany’s 2026 defence budget will rise to €83 billion, with long‑term targets of 3.56% of GDP by 2029 and 5% in the coming years.
France Adopts “Indian Model” Of Partnership in East Africa After Setback in West Africa: OPED
France is redirecting its African security policy from the faltering Sahel model to a partnership with Kenya, formalized through the first France‑Kenya Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The DCA shifts focus to joint training, maritime security, intelligence sharing, and peace‑support operations,...
Policy Paper: Joint Readout of the First UK-China Financial Working Group
The UK‑China Financial Working Group held its inaugural meeting on 31 January 2026 in Beijing, bringing together senior officials from HM Treasury, the Bank of England, the PRA, the FCA and their Chinese counterparts from the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry...
First Green Shipping Corridor Between France and China
Haropa Port, Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Group, Bureau Veritas, MSC and TiL signed an agreement in Shanghai to launch the first green shipping corridor between France’s Haropa Port and China’s Ningbo Zhoushan Port. The corridor aligns with IMO’s 2050 carbon‑neutral target...
ICTSI and PSA Jv Expands Capacity at Colombian Port
International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) and PSA International’s joint venture, Sociedad Puerto Industrial de Aguadulce, has received two super post‑Panamax quay cranes and three hybrid rubber‑tired gantry (RTG) cranes for the Aguadulce terminal in Buenaventura, Colombia. The quay cranes can...
CSSC Opens Qatar Representative Office
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) inaugurated a representative office in Doha, managed by its subsidiary China Shipbuilding Trading (CSTC). The office, staffed with marketing, technical and service experts from Hudong‑Zhonghua Shipbuilding and CSSC Power/WinGD, is positioned as a hub for...
Everllence Books 2,000th Dual-Fuel Two-Stroke Order
Everllence secured its 2,000th dual‑fuel two‑stroke engine contract, a deal placed by Cosco Shipping Lines for a 12‑ship order of 18,000‑TEU container vessels built at Jiangnan Shipyard in China. The order features the B&W 8G95ME‑GI Mk. 10.5 engine, which incorporates exhaust‑gas recirculation and...
Kongsberg Wins Four-Ship Deal for New Transpetro Tankers
Kongsberg Maritime secured a contract to design and equip four 15,600 dwt handy‑size tankers for Transpetro, Brazil’s Petrobras transport arm. The vessels will be constructed at Consórcio Marenova, a joint venture between Ecovix and MacLaren, and are engineered for future methanol...
When Economic Warfare Meets Gunboat Diplomacy: What to Know About the US Seizures of Shadow Fleet Tankers
U.S. authorities have seized at least seven tankers linked to Venezuela’s shadow fleet, part of a broader push to disrupt illicit oil flows from Iran, Russia and Venezuela. The seizures rely on civil forfeiture statutes rather than wartime prize law,...
Bonds as Bargaining Chips: The $8 Trillion Selloff that Could Shake U.S. Markets
European investors hold roughly $8 trillion of U.S. Treasury debt, a quarter of the Treasury market, and recent geopolitical friction with the Trump administration has sparked talk of using those holdings as leverage. A Danish pension fund’s $100 million Treasury sell‑off highlighted...
UANI Demands Action on Dark Fleet Oil Transfers Off Malaysia
United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) is urging the United States and Malaysia to crack down on ship‑to‑ship (STS) transfers of sanctioned Iranian crude off Malaysia’s East Outer Port Limits. UANI identified about 60 dark‑fleet tankers waiting for STS operations,...
EU Reached a Breakthrough on a €90 Billion Loan for Ukraine
European Union member states have reached a breakthrough agreement to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion support package for 2026‑2027, of which roughly €60 billion is allocated to military aid and €30 billion to budget stabilization and reforms. The financing will be sourced...
Logistics Challenges See Chinese Production Reactivated
Manufacturers that fled China during the 2018 US trade war are now reversing course, with up to half of re‑shored production expected to return to Chinese factories. Logistics bottlenecks and limited capacity in Southeast Asian ports are prompting exporters of...
Study Highlights Onshore Power Supply Challenge for LNG-Powered Ships
A CE Delft study commissioned by Nabu reveals a compatibility issue between on‑shore power supply (OPS) and LNG‑powered vessels. Ships with membrane or Type B tanks, which have lower pressure tolerance, may struggle to manage boil‑off gas (BOG) when connected to...
China Retains Shipbuilding Crown in 2025
China retained its shipbuilding leadership in 2025, delivering 53.69 million deadweight tonnes—a 11.4% increase year‑on‑year—and capturing 56.1% of global output. New orders fell 4.6% to 107.82 million dwt but still accounted for 69% of worldwide demand, while the order backlog surged 31.5%...
Wärtsilä to Boost Capacity at Sustainable Technology Hub
Wärtsilä will invest roughly €140 million to expand its Sustainable Technology Hub in Vaasa, boosting production capacity by 35% and adding an 11,000 sq m extension. The upgraded facility, slated for completion in Q1 2028, supports the company’s record‑high 2025 operating profit of €833 million...
There Is Only One Sphere of Influence
The article argues that the United States now enjoys a unique, uncontested sphere of influence across the Western Hemisphere, anchored by overwhelming military spending and deep economic integration. By contrast, China and Russia lack the capacity to establish comparable regional...
Memo to the President: Steps to Secure a Prosperous, US-Aligned Venezuela
Following the January 3 capture of Nicolás Maduro, a memo authored by former U.S. officials outlines a roadmap for Washington to steer Venezuela toward a prosperous, U.S.-aligned future. It calls for immediate benchmarks on human‑rights reforms, dismantling of paramilitary groups, and...
‘Scrutinising Origin, Ownership, and Control’: FEOC Rules Change US BESS Buying
On January 1, 2026 the United States enforced foreign‑entity‑of‑concern (FEOC) restrictions and a 25% Section 301 tariff on Chinese‑origin battery energy storage systems (BESS). The new rules have shifted procurement from a price‑only focus to a comprehensive risk‑management approach that evaluates supply‑chain...
AD Ports to Explore Development of DRC Multipurpose Terminal
AD Ports Group has signed a Heads of Terms with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Transport to explore developing a multipurpose terminal at Matadi Port, the country’s primary riverine gateway. The agreement outlines a framework for enhancing operational...
The Paradox of Wartime Commerce
The article examines why nations continue to trade even amid armed conflict, highlighting the paradox of wartime commerce. It uses the United States‑China relationship as a case study, noting Washington’s push to “de‑risk” supply chains and the 2025 Chinese embargo...
What to Know About the Strait of Hormuz as Iran Plans Military Drill
Iran announced a live‑fire naval drill in the Strait of Hormuz for Sunday and Monday, targeting a lane within the traffic separation scheme that handles roughly one‑fifth of global oil shipments. The United States Central Command warned Tehran that unsafe...
EU Designated Iran’s IRGC as a Terrorist Organization
The European Union’s foreign ministers have formally listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, marking a sharp policy shift amid Tehran’s crackdown on protests and regional activities. The move, championed by EU foreign‑policy chief Kaja Kallas,...
Ukraine’s ‘Kinetic Sanctions’ Change the Game
Ukraine has launched a series of "kinetic sanctions" targeting Russia's shadow‑fleet oil tankers, using maritime drones and alleged limpet mines. Since November, at least eleven tankers – eight carrying crude – have been damaged, driving Black Sea insurance rates up...
Batteries as a New Theatre of Geopolitical Rivalry
Europe’s battery market is overwhelmingly dependent on China, with 85‑87% of imports sourced from Beijing. The article warns that a Chinese suspension of battery exports would destabilize Poland’s energy transition, logistics, industrial output, and military readiness, and could similarly cripple...
Why Economic Pain Won’t Stop Russia’s War
Sanctions and economic pressure have strained Russia’s economy, but the war persists. The article argues that historical cases show economic pain rarely forces a state to abandon a large‑scale conflict unless it triggers military defeat, elite fragmentation, or regime collapse....
Old Ships, Modern Menace: How to Tackle the World’s Shadow Fleets
Shadow fleets—aging, flag‑hopping tankers that spoof AIS—now move roughly 12% of global maritime trade and account for at least 48% of the world’s large oil tankers. The United States seized a seventh covert tanker in January 2026, while France and...
CFO Confidence Slips Amid Washington Uncertainty
The Q1 2026 CFO Leadership Confidence Index shows U.S. finance chiefs reacting sharply to Washington’s policy volatility. Before President Trump’s tariff warning, 130 CFOs rated current business conditions at 5.5, a 9% decline from Q4, but after a NATO deal...
Who Are the Frontrunners for the Top Fed Job?
President Donald Trump is expected to nominate a successor to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in the coming weeks, amid heightened political pressure for lower borrowing costs. The shortlist includes Kevin Hassett, a Trump‑aligned economist; former governor Kevin Warsh, a...
How Much Money Does the UK Government Borrow, and Does It Matter?
The UK’s public sector net borrowing fell 38% in December 2025, a £7.1 billion reduction from the previous month. Over the full financial year to March 2025 the government borrowed £152.6 billion, with an additional £140.4 billion borrowed between April and November 2025....
IMF Warns of Trade Tension Risk to Global Growth
The International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook projects global GDP growth at 3.3% in 2026, up from 3.1%, but warns that trade tensions and a potential slowdown in AI‑driven investment pose downside risks. The report highlights the importance of...
The One Measure that Can Tell Us a Lot About the State of the UK Economy
The GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer shows a historic split after the 2024 election, with confidence soaring among under‑30s and under‑50s while falling sharply for those over 50. Younger optimism aligns with recent Bank of England rate cuts and a liberal‑left...